EURASIA SPA
by Lisa Kasanicky
eastwest LIFE+STYLE magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 3

Shrouded inside a pagoda-shaped complex of guest villas, this boutique resort spa offers a quiet, contemplative atmosphere that fuses the Chinese heritage of its owners with the Western appeal of its desert surroundings.

Who: Eurasia Spa at the Scottsdale Resort & Athletic Club
8225 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ
(480) 922-8855
www.scottsdaleresortandathleticclub.com

Visionaries Bob and Alice Hing put Arizona’s tennis community on the map in 1971 when they opened a racquet club at a time when not a single tennis club or public court existed in Scottsdale. In its second coming as the Scottsdale Resort & Athletic Club in 1999, the Hings expanded their vision with the addition of guest rooms, a multi-level fitness center, a bistro and championship tennis courts. But up until this past March, just two tiny treatment rooms served as the spa.

Eurasia Spa was brought to life under the watchful eye of Rebecca Hing, daughter of the owners and director of resort marketing and public relations. “When we decided to open a spa, I wanted to carry the Asian theme throughout, since part of our philosophy with the entire resort and athletic club is about wellness, and much of the Asian culture promotes wellness through their food and physical therapies,” she says.

Design: The Zen-like simplicity of the 2,500-square-foot spa is energized with splashes of color from orange silk fan sconces and commissioned paintings by brush artist Joyce Hing, the owner’s sister. The river rock entryway leads to a central refreshment area and a meditation room, which can be closed off for privacy by hand-crafted bamboo shoji doors. Each of the five therapy suites are named after Asian blooms-the lotus, orchid, peony, azalea and wisteria-and each pays homage to its Western side with a bronze Cosanti windbell (the bells are made in support of the Arcosanti Project, an urban laboratory 65 miles north of Phoenix). A separate nail salon with two iJoy pedi-thrones and an outdoor patio complete the package.

Treatment: While the menu offers a host of classic spa treatments laced with Asian-inspired aromas and techniques, I opted for the spa’s signature Sound of Peaceful Healing. The fusion treatment starts with the sound of the Cosanti bell and follows with a hot stone massage, warm soy body wrap and full-body massage. The 120-minute, $220 treatment was totally gratifying.

Tennis anyone? Guests of the spa can take advantage of the massive athletic complex. Catch a yoga or ai-chi (tai chi in the pool) class, take a dip in the lap pool or schedule time on one of the 11 meticulously manicured tennis courts.

Delighted: Would I go again? You bet. But next time, I would pad my treatment time with a few hours to steep poolside in my lucky fortune at finding this quiet, family run pearl.