(2 of 3)
Floyd Isley, 65, a former Air Force pilot and now a semiretired high-tech consultant in Carlsbad, Calif., and wife Dianna, 61, a retired nurse, haven't any qualms about shelling out whatever it takes. "We're enjoying the fruits of our labor," Dianna says. The couple recently spent $1,500 for massages on a weeklong getaway. They visit a day spa once a week near their home. "We like the deep-tissue massages that really help ease any physical discomfort," Dianna says. "It's our therapy for stress and anxiety."
Spa resorts are responding to growing demand from folks like the Isleys by offering facilities better suited to side-by-side treatments and new male-oriented services, such as barbershop-style shaves and massages specifically designed to ease muscles sore from sports and heavy lifting, says Spa Finder president Susie Ellis. Spa Toccare at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., features a Yo' Rock Facial ($150 for 50 minutes), which offers cleansing and exfoliation with products specifically designed for men's skin, and a barbershop with a pool table and leather lounge chairs.
"Men like me just didn't do this kind of thing years ago, but now I think I may just initiate our next spa vacation," says Steve Landon, 59, a retired phone-company executive who in October took his first spa trip, to Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife Cathy, 58, a retired elementary school teacher. The Colleyville, Texas, couple enjoyed massages and facials during their four-day getaway. Spa veterans Carolyn and Giovanni Panizzi of Valdosta, Ga., co-owners of a staffing-services company, have been to about 15 spa resorts across the country. "Resorts are catering more to baby boomers who want to be pampered but not overly fussed over--particularly men," says Giovanni, 58. "They're understanding our needs better."
Retired police officer Harry McCormick, 68, of Northport, N.Y., was so relaxed during his visit to the Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club in Lenox, Mass., that while there he managed to write the last pages of a book about his life in law enforcement--between massages and frequent stops at the pool, sauna and steam room. He and wife Maureen, 66, a retired secretary, stay at the hotel at least twice a year. They spend about $700 on treatments, including Maureen's facials and his deep-tissue massages, which give him relief from two herniated discs. "It's like Dorothy finding her own special Land of Oz," says Harry. "These treatments are a quiet, peaceful oasis for me, even though they don't come cheap."
For those seeking a more comprehensive overhaul, there are medical spas that offer full health-assessment programs. The granddaddy is the Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Ariz., where staff members include physicians, nurses, psychologists, exercise physiologists and nutritionists. The resort's two-year-old Executive Health Program, which calls for four days of complete medical exams, laboratory work, stress tests and bone-density tests, is geared toward boomers, says director Dr. Philip Eichling, and costs about $3,500.