Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Interior Design - General    3. Reference - Spas    4. Family & Health    5. Personal & public health   

Reviews (3)

Stick to Internet Search
I was hoping to find out of the obvious spas identified, not The Four Seasons and the Ritz.A simple search of high end spas would have done this, I was hoping for hard to find and interesting rather than what would have been easily found on yahoo.I am terribly disappointed this was a total waste of time.The pricing is unclear as to what includes the hotel and what is for spa services only, so it's not even useful information.I still have to go research each one to simply compare pricing structure and services offered.

Very Informative
This book has some great information on what appears to be some fabulous spas and resorts.It was nice to see not only great photos but real practical information like the types of packages offered, the prices, accommodations available, and even information on tourist attractions near the spas.It also gives you some explanations of the types of services offered which was helpful. It covers spas from all over the globe which makes it quite a nice comprehensive overview as well.I haven't actually tried one of them out yet - but it has been nice to dream.

This Book Changed My Whole Approach to Spas -- and Life
This book totally changed my approach to spas -- and life.It describes thoroughly yet readably the whole healthy spa philosophy and profiles the best of them, from India to Cyprus. The reviews are honest and reveal that the authors know their material and were not paid off as is so evident with so many other so-called guidebooks. Also great are insider tidbits such as one on the "Dietique Cocktails" at the Domaine du Royal Club Evian and another on the "spiritual side" of the Finnish sauna.All the details of the spas are featured as well, with photos, so who needs a travel agent or glossy celeb mag to tell one where to go anymore? I'd prefer to learn from the source: this book has helped me deflate the stress of existence. Vive la spa! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference - General    2. Reference - Spas    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Family & Health    6. Hotel & holiday accommodation guides    7. Travel / General   

Editorial Review

Whether you're a practicing balneologist (one who seeks thehealing properties of natural hot springs) or just an occasionaldipper, this book steers you toward the natural baths from SurpriseValley in Northern California to the Mexico/California border. By thelooks of the overview map, there may be more hot springs than casinosin Nevada, with warm waters to suit both your style and desire foradventure. Steamboat Hot Springs, 11 miles south of Reno, providesvisiting gamblers with a resort-style respite, in contrast to theprimitive Gold Strike Hot Spring, found in a narrow valley near theColorado River. This spring requires a 4-mile round-trip hike and someboulder scrambling "with substantial drop-offs"; the hotwaterfalls and canyon views are reportedly worth the effort. Names suchas "Crab Cooker," "Dirty Socks," and "TerminalGeyser," combined with tempting black-and-white photos, make youwant to grab a towel and head west. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

So Helpful!
This guide is a great, very detailed instruction book that takes you to the best hot springs around. It lays out detailed directions on how to locate these springs, even down to physical landmarks, and exact distance. Without this type of direction springs like the one near Santa Barbara I would have NEVER found. I really appreciated the fact they tell you the current staus of the spring, if it has been renovated, or is in disrepair, it saves a trip to one that is too rundown to go to. Pay attention to the temperature of the springs also, they give you exact numbers on every spot, and some are too hot to swim in.

Not So Hot
Very bland and writing without soul or true appreciation for the environment.Directions poor.Not worth your money.Prefer Gersh's Hot Springs book.

Good Resource
Bought this book and actually used it in California hitting 10 spots in 3 days.One spring was a large pond which we felt was unsafe, even though the author points out the dangers, hot water creeping in from various holes in the ground can be very dangerous. I would have left this one out of the book as it did not warrant a visit.Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference - Spas    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - Pacific - California    5. United States - Pacific - Nevada    6. United States - West - Pacific (General)    7. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (2)

A superbly organized and "user friendly" compendium of the best spas worldwide
Part of the outstanding "Insiders' Guide" series, and now in an expanded and thoroughly updated edition, One-Hundred Best Spas Of The World is expertly co-authored by Bernard Burt and Pamela Price is a superbly organized and "user friendly" compendium of the best spas worldwide. Descriptively showcasing each featured spa, One-Hundred Best Spas Of The World offers essential details on their facilities and services, FAQs on spa etiquette, the best spa packages, and practical planning tips for a stress-free vacation. One-Hundred Best Spas Of The World is very highly recommended for all readers anticipating a vacation anywhere around the globe and are searching for the best choice of spas available in the planned destinations.
Good, but it could have been better
Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of this series.The 2nd edition of "100 Best Spas of the World" was directly responsible for getting me into the spa scene.And it provided a wealth of information that allowed me to create my own spa vacations (sometimes at a much cheaper price than going to some of the posh places listed in the book) simply by taking a less expensive hotel or motel room in the same beautiful towns, and then going into the spas on an hourly or daily basis.But what seems to have happened somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd editions, is that cost-cutting accountants decided that the beautiful color photographs which made the 2nd edition such a masterpiece were no longer cost-effective, and they were relegated to 15 pages in the front of the 3rd edition.This is unfortunate, for it was those beautiful photographs spread throughout the entire text of the 2nd edition that made the reader feel that they were "there" enjoying the wonders of spa living.Now, the 3rd edition is still an excellent book, with a wealth of pertinent information concerning the great spas of the world.But my frank recommendation (especially if you are a beginner in going to spas) is that you get yourself a copy of the 2nd edition of this book (dated 2003).The photographs are what "made" this book, and hopefully for the next edition the publishers will return to the previous format, which made this book the best of its kind in the marketplace.I'm still giving this book 5-stars because of the respect I have for the information contained in the book, but the 2nd edition is deserving of 6 or 7 stars, and it's too bad that this new edition is not in the same category.If you want a book on your coffee table that will give you a visual tour of some of the great spas of the world, and make you yearn to go to a spa on your next vacation, get the 2nd edition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Therapies    2. General    3. Reference - Spas    4. Travel    5. Travel - General    6. Travel / General   

Editorial Review

Whatever your goal for going to a spa or retreat (stress relief, meditation, thinner thighs), or your budget (from extravagant to Spartan), you'll find Read more

Reviews (4)

The definitive guide to alternative healing centers.
It's been a long time coming but my search is finally over.I have been waiting for a book of this type to come alongsince I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.Findingcontemporary medicine unable totreat the pains I suffer, I soon began seeking "alternative"medicine. I was shocked to find so little information available and itsoon became a struggle to combine work and healing on my very frequentbusiness travels.Now with Ms. Miller's book always tucked away at my deskI am sure to find a center to fill my needs. I find her guide to beaccurate, concise and interesting.Her descriptive style entices me to trynew places and new treatments.I wish this book had been written fiveyears ago, it sure would have saved me a lot of time, trouble andheadaches. I seriously recommend this book as a must for travel agencieswith clientele looking for "alternative" vacations. They andtheir clients will not be disappointed.

So many ways to heal ourselves, so little time.
Thank Buddha for this most insightfull guide.Now I know where to go in order to get what I need.I feel much better just knowing that this is out there.Not only did it save me time in finding my perfect retreats it was also enjoyable to read.Ms. Miller's writting really held my interest, she is quite witty and amusing.

Sensational! Very informative.
Everything you wanted to know about holistic healing retreats, but didn't know where to look.This book was a wealth of information and helped with many of my unanswered questions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative medicine    2. Canada    3. Directories    4. Healing    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health resorts    7. Health/Fitness    8. Reference - Spas    9. Travel - General    10. United States    11. Complementary Medicine    12. Travel & holiday guides    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Health resorts    3. Hot springs    4. Mexico    5. New Mexico    6. Reference - Spas    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Mountain - New Mexico   

Reviews (15)

Good Style, Great Resources...BUT...
As an avid travel reader and as the spouse of a Hungarian I was pleased to pick up this book. Ms. Brue has a wonderful writing style, both informative and with a wry wit that shines thru beautifully.Cathedrals of the Flesh is a great read.At the end, the author lists major baths from around the world and indeed this is what inspired me to pick it up *several baths in Budapest are listed*.I am assuming that the author did in fact visit the baths listed, but there is nothing in the book on public baths in Hungary.Considering the rather large chapter devoted to Russia, this is disappointing to say the least.Having said that and admitting that this is a personal criticism on my part, the book istelf is very good.I look forward to reading more from this author.

"Sex and the City" go searching the perfect bath
Did someone give the author an idea that in order to sell a non-fiction today, it has to have a Sex and the City flavor?Otherwise how can one explain this constant accidental meetings between good-looking exotic males and the writer, who is a single, thirty-ish, female New Yorker.From my view, this book could stand by itself without this boy meets girl side-story.At times it was very distracting to otherwise an excellent travelogue.I regret this because the central theme of the quest for the perfect bath is an honest effort with not too much cliche or stereotypes.

A reader from Iowa.
Having experienced first hand the joys of public bathing, I was excited to see a travel book about bathing cultures.I wasn't disappointed.Brue's book blends historical narrative, social commentary on our daily ritual of bathing and travel writing into a witty and engaging journal of self discovery.This fun, interesting read will inspire you not only to embark on new travels, but also to seek challenges and adventures in your own life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bathing customs    2. Baths    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Public baths    5. Reference - Spas    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel / General   

Subjects:  1. Alternative Therapies    2. Consumer Health    3. Diet / Health / Fitness    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Reference - Spas   

Reviews (3)

Hot?No....COLD.
Directions were confusing.Not user friendly.Not a good buy.Save your money.

Follow That Steam
I have toured hot springs in the Azores, England and California and appreciated Bischoff's directions, historical references, and insight into the hot springs of Arizona.He alerted his readers of all ages and abilities to the joys and hazards of the hot springs and was particularly clear about the directions to each site.It is obvious in reading that he took careful notations and researched the geologic and social history of each area.I look forward to taking a spring tour of Bischoff's Arizona hot springs.

Not So Hot
This book didn't even come close to living up to it's claim of listing 36 of "the best" hot springs in Arizona; for one thing, there aren't that many. The first three listings say right in them that bathing orswimming is prohibited, hardly among what we'd call the best hot springs.One listing dried up half a century ago and there's been no soaking theresince. Many typos or wrong words show poor proofreading and littleattention to detail. We couldn't recommend this book to anyone. HOT SPRINGS& HOT POOLS OF THE SOUTHWEST by Gersh-Yound is much, much more accurateand is worth the price. Mr. Bischoff needs to check his facts before makingclaims. Caveat Emptor ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arizona    2. Guidebooks    3. Hot springs    4. Reference - Spas    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - Mountain - Arizona    8. United States - West - Mountain (General)    9. Travel / United States / West / Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY)   

Subjects:  1. Food Industry Services    2. HotelsInnsetc.    3. Reference - Spas    4. Special Interest - Family    5. Travel    6. Travel - General    7. Travel - United States    8. Travel Guides - U.S.    9. United States - General    10. Hotel & holiday accommodation guides    11. USA   

Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. Reference - Spas    3. Travel    4. Travel - General   

Reviews (1)

Complete and well organized "healthy" vacation info
This was my first travel book. I wanted to find a vacation with structured outdoor activities where I could also keep up with my regular workout.Read more

Subjects:  1. Caribbean Area    2. Directories    3. General    4. Health resorts    5. HotelsInnsetc.    6. North America    7. Personal Health    8. Reference - General    9. Reference - Spas    10. Travel    11. Travel - United States    12. Travel Guides    13. United States - General    14. Canada    15. Caribbean Sea    16. Mexico    17. Travel & holiday guides    18. Travel / United States / General    19. USA   

Reviews (4)

Getting Warm
I found this book to be usefull if I used it with other sources.It was a good starting point but a lot of the information in it is out dated.After a long drive I found that a free site was now a pay site and I had notbrought the cash to get in.However it was a great starting point and witha search on the internet it was a good help

Great new edition!
I first purchased an edition of your book in the early 90s. Last month, while in Calistoga, I purchased the 1998 edition and I want to let you know it is just great. I enjoyed reading about the additional springs in thisedition. Descriptions of places I've stayed or used are quite accurate,and, in fact, I designed one vacation to New Mexico around the spotsmentioned in your book. Thanks so much for compiling the information inthis book.

Getting in hot water can be a lot of fun!
I've thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as it's sister volume for the Northwest. It adds an extra dimension to my travels.Springs are listed as commercial or "wild" type springs, and also categorized by watertemperature and ease of access. I prefer wild springs, but as a relativelylazy sybarite, I won't bother with a spring that's only "warm"when the access is moderate or difficult. On the other hand, if the reviewis great and the water nice and hot, I don't mind a hike. Definitely usedirections in conjunction with a road map as recommended; some springs arein squirrely locations.A spring we visited in New Mexico last year wastruly breathtaking and one of the highlights of the trip. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference - Spas    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - General    5. United States - South - West South Central (General)   

Reviews (1)

11-year old spa-finder not much of a guide
I should have noticed the 1990 publication date, but I didn't. It was only after I used the great system for identifying the right spa for me, that I realized how badly outdated this book is. At least three of the recommended spas are nowhere to be found, apparetnly out of business. And of course the pricing and program information is way, way out of date.Some prices are now double those in the book and I found four spas who have radically revised their programs. To top it all off, the cover touts "Thousands of dollars in free coupons for your next spa visit!"The "coupons" look really questionable, and you'd have to spend many thousands at many different resorts in at least six different states to use them all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Geography (General)    4. Health resorts    5. Reference - Spas    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. Fitness & diet    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Travel / General   

Reviews (1)

Aaahhhhh- what a great book
You can't really tell this from a website, but its a woman's dream for a book.The cover is made of this rubberish material, with the words from the cover almost engraved or pressed into the book.Really creative.Inside holds the secrets of the bests spas all over the world, and reading it you just HAVE to figure out how to get to these places so you can feel just as nice as they say you will!If you are thinking about going to a spa resort, this is a must-have resource.You'll be able to decide exactly where you want to go, and the book has all the contact information neccessary in an index at the back. And if you just want to be whisked away for a day-dream, this is a great resource for that too! Not only is the text very helpful, but the pictures are beautiful as well. Enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference - General    2. Reference - Spas    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (9)

Mind the subtitle
Jim Kaese and Paul Huddle have given us a reference work, not a discussion of what it means to be an athletic-minded traveler nor how to become athletic minded if you are a traveler doubling as a couch potato.
Atheltic Minded Book wins a Gold Medal
I received the Athletic Minded Traveler for Christmas. I was skeptical at first since I thought it was just another travel guide.Once I started looking at the book, however, I realized that it was extrememly helpful and the pithy writing made it a pleasure to read.Morover, the easy to use summary for the hotels allowed me to quickly and easily choose a hotel on my first business trip of 2006. (The guide was right on the money about the hotel.)This is an invaluable tool for anyone who travels, whether for business or pleasure--it even covers smaller cities like Cleveland and Madison, WI).Today, whilst surfing the web I found the author's website, which expands on the book.The site has even more information such as running routes and thorough restaurants recommendations for healthy eating on the road.From now on, I'm going to consult the book and the web site before I travel.

Best Travel Book Ever!
I've actually used this book in a number of the cities and it saved me time and energy trying to find someplace to workout.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Hotels    6. HotelsInnsetc.    7. Physical fitness centers    8. Recreation    9. Reference - Spas    10. Travel - United States    11. Travelers    12. United States    13. United States - General   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Massage & Reflexotherapy    3. Reference - Spas    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. ASIA    7. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. General    4. Personal Health    5. Reference - Spas    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel Guides    9. Australia    10. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

the best for travelers to Japan
Covers all major hot springs in the regions of Japan.

You need this guidebook!
Hot springs, called Onsens in Japanese, are one of the greatest pleasures Japan has to offer.Due to its volcanic nature, the entire country is literally bubbling with thermal waters, and thousands of years of careful refinement has created a paradise of hot water soaking.Anyone coming to Japan should have a few onsens on their travel agenda, and a copy of "A Guide to Japanese Hot Springs" in their luggage.Anyone living in Japan should definitely have a copy on their bookshelf.
Hot hot hot springs ahhhh....
Despite it being written many years ago, the reviews and information on most of the springs are still true. I think I've visited about 11 of the springs mentioned in this book - and all were just as it said they would be.There are interesting stories about the springs, and what kind of waters they have (for example: water to make you youthful, water to promote pregnancy, or water to "invigorate"). The instructions on how to get there and where to stay are clear and easy to follow. I've never been lost on the way to any of these springs. I've read this book cover to cover several times, and then flicked back and forth as a reference. The hardest thing is deciding which of all the springs you want to visit - the authors make them all sound good by picking up points of interest about each one. If you like being lazy, soaking in hot water, having pummelling massages from heated waterfalls, eating and drinking until all you can do is drag yourself back into a hot tub...this book is essential for any trip to Japan. Enjoy reading it before you go - and then make a list of where to visit while you are there. The book itself is not too big, so it will fit in your bag to take along with you. I only gave 4 stars because I am waiting for a new edition to come out! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Japan    2. Description and travel    3. Health resorts    4. Hot springs    5. Japan    6. Mineral waters    7. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    8. Reference - Spas    9. Travel    10. Travel - Foreign    11. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

Saved my spa vacation with honest reviews. Entertaining too.
Although I had been to Mexico several times, I never knew how many different types of spas the country has to offer. "Mexico" Mike has obviously been to every one of them. He showed me that "spa"means a lot of different things and choosing the right one takes more thanjust asking a travel agent. Thanks to his honest recommendations, I wasable to choose a holistic spa instead of the beach resort that my travelagent recommended.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Mexico    3. Reference - Spas    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign