Spa Places in the News

Eldorado Hotel & Spa's New Nidah Spa Honors Native American Medicine Wheel: Treatments Centered Around Sacred Directions, North, East, South, West & Golden Center

4,300 Square-Foot Healing Spa in Santa Fe Incorporates Indigenous New Mexico Ingredients & Inspires New Hotel Name

Santa Fe, NM - December 29, 2004 - The Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Santa Fe's first four-star luxury hotel, announced the grand opening of the Nidah Spa on December 15. The posh 4,300 square-foot healing spa encompasses seven treatment rooms.

Nidah, meaning "your life," brings guests through the journey of life by embracing the philosophy of the Native American Medicine Wheel. Signature treatments are themed after the Sacred Directions - North: restorative; East: renewal; South: vitality; West: purification and Golden Center: balance.

"The addition of the Nidah Spa further distinguishes the Eldorado Hotel & Spa as a destination of choice for travelers," said Richard Verruni, managing director. "Drawing on the cultures, traditions and ingredients found in the New Mexico region, the spa will offer a truly unique experience for guests who are looking to fully immerse themselves in natural therapeutic elements and delivered by the nurturing touch of our gifted healers."

The Nidah Spa comprises a strong contemporary design statement with golden and sand hues throughout, which echo the Santa Fe style and reconnects guests with the beauty of Northern New Mexico. Upon entering the Spa, the soothing fragrance of cedar welcomes guests in the double-height lobby anchored by a magnificent nine-by-nine alabaster backlit onyx wall. Soft illuminating lights found behind fabric panels and along the floors create a relaxing, serene and mysterious ambiance. The design elements found in the Nidah Spa are all a part of the enriching journey the spa guest embarks upon to achieve complete rebirth through the Medicine Wheel.

The Nidah Spa journey begins in a porcelain-tiled steam room featuring aromatic oils, which vary daily from sage and chaparral to lemongrass and eucalyptus, where guests can decompress from the outside world and enjoy a refreshing cup of High Altitude Tea or herbal elixir. The seven treatment rooms, which are represented by the seven totem animals of the Sacred Direction (bear, owl, coyote, snake, deer, turtle and eagle), boast flickering candles, a suspended cloud ceiling with indirect cove lighting and a pueblo blanket cover on the heated treatment table. Regional music and a pueblo bowl with a single flower floating in aromatic water under the face rest of the treatment table offer further relaxation. Guests will receive a native sage smudge-stick, which can be used for a ceremonial room "smudging" in the beginning of all treatments to dispel any negative energy. All treatments come to a blissful close with the gentle shaking of a squash gourd.

Treatments, which use ingredients that are prepared fresh daily and draw from the natural healing properties of plants, legumes and herbs indigenous to New Mexico, include Sacred Wind Massages, High Mesa Salt Scrubs with Vichy Rain Shower, body wraps and facials. All the aforementioned treatments offer different elements to address the Sacred Direction desired by the spa guest. Manicures, pedicures and other services are also available.

Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. the Nidah Spa boasts locker rooms featuring full-length lockers, showers and plush, golden robes and slippers for guests. The spa's boutique offers an assortment of carryout versions of the spa's best treatments and spa-related items packaged in native motif.

Begin your spa journey at Nidah Spa. For information visit www.eldoradohotel.com/spa or call 800-955-4455. For hotel information and reservations visit www.eldoradohotel.com or call 800-955-4455.

Santa Fe's first four-star, four-diamond luxury hotel, the Eldorado Hotel & Spa is located next to the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Featuring 219 guestrooms, all lavish accommodations boast terry-cloth bathrobes, a hairdryer, an iron and ironing board, two overstuffed easy chairs paired with reading lamp and table, a remote control color television with in-room movies, a refrigerated mini-honor bar, high-speed Internet access, and maid and nightly turndown services. Deluxe rooms, in addition to offering more space, a wood-burning kiva fireplace and shared terrace, also boast exclusive butler service, which is the only of its kind in the southwest. Junior and one-bedroom suites are also available as well as a 2,000 square foot Presidential Suite. For dining, the Eldorado Hotel & Spa's Old House is New Mexico's only four-diamond restaurant. The famed eatery, under the direction of Chef Martin Rios, serves up contemporary global cuisine with a regional flare. The Eldorado Court & Lounge offers a casual and comfortable environment for breakfast and lunch and is a perfect spot for evening drinks and entertainment. The hotel also features 20,000 square feet of meeting and function space, including Santa Fe's largest ballroom, a rooftop pool and whirlpool, and a business center. Newly opened Nidah Spa is a 4,300 square foot posh spa with seven treatment rooms and steam rooms. Ranked second on Cónde Nast Traveler's 2004 Readers' Choice Awards Top 10 U.S. Cities, Santa Fe is known for its superb restaurants, southwestern shops and chic art galleries, which generate approximately $200 million in art sold yearly, making it the second largest art seller in North America.