Top Spa Holiday Gift Ideas In Orlando

What do you give the person who has it all, or whose kindness can’t be matched with stuff? If you’re thinking spa day instead of slippers, then you’ve nailed the brief. Lucky for you, few cities in the world rival Orlando for resorts packed with premium amenities such as day spas, that also welcome locals. 

Here are four stand-outs to suit every person you wish to pamper, whether it’s your boo, boss or bestie. A gifted spa service is more than a massage or a facial. It opens the door to a full day of relaxation and rejuvenation while enjoying the amenities at one of these top spas. 

JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa

Awesome for Mom

*Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Orlando

Orlando has not one, but two JW Marriotts, the elite level of Marriott International’s luxury portfolio. The newest at Bonnet Creek is on Disney property and opened in July 2020.

The Spa by JW is an isolated jewel box within the bustling, family friendly resort. A dedicated elevator whisks guests from the well curated lobby gift shop to the spa reception (also with its own shop). Moments later, guests are swapping street clothes for a fluffy robe and parking their stress in a locker. Of course, this is standard operating procedure at every spa, but there’s an intimacy at the Spa by JW that leans more toward nurturing than the others, making it our pick to pamper Mom, whether she goes alone or shares the experience with a loved one (like you!).

She’ll find the same hydro circuit features in the locker room that are in all the others: sauna, steam, ice bath and the Experience Shower. But the Spa by JW is the only one that provides some instruction on how to best use them. We appreciated the signage with an easy-to-follow 10-step circuit of hot, cold, rest and repeat that helps guests extract the most benefit from the spa amenities. For instance, start with 30 seconds of cold mist, then 10-15 minutes in the sauna, another hit of cold mist followed by a full body ice bath using the rolled towels at the ice fountain, then off for rest and rehydration in the lounge. The next round incorporates aromatherapy showers and the steam room.

The relaxation room is, surprisingly relaxing. A single row of chairs and ottomans, each separated with a gauzy curtain, face windows, not each other. You really can just relax, read, doze or even chat with your person beside you without feeling observed.  

Explore the spa menu online to find the service or package that best fits your giftee. If Meditative Sound Therapy catches your attention, consider the possibilities of this mostly touchless, transformative experience. The therapist places Himalayan singing bowls on and around the body, flooding it with sound and vibration. The feel-good effects stick around longer than most massages. If you can swing it, pick the 80-minute option; 50 isn’t enough. 

The Fine Print: Spa guests have resort pool privileges. An automatic 20 percent gratuity is added to all spa services. Parking is validated by the Spa. Earn BonVoy points. | spabyjworlando.com

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort 

Extraordinary for Couples

*Photo courtesy of Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa

Anyone on your gift list will feel fully pampered at the Spa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. But the best way to enjoy Central Florida’s first AAA Five Diamond resort is as a hotel guest, and for that reason we make the case to splash out for a romantic getaway.

Make a couples massage the centerpiece of your spa experience, but pre-game with some PQT (personal quiet time) in his and hers locker rooms, cycling through the hot and cold therapies to prepare your body for a big rest in the oversized doubles treatment room. Afterwards, you and your partner can enjoy a glass of cold bubbly or hot herbal tea in the relaxing co-ed Sanctuary or the very zen Solarium to chill out on the zero-gravity wave loungers. 

With 18 treatment rooms comes an extensive spa menu that extends way beyond the classics to include sound therapy, ayurvedic wellness and even intravenous vitamin drips. There are holiday themed services, too, like the Winter Wonder Facial that incorporates cool and refined hyperbaric oxygen. 

Four Seasons spa attendants provide the same level of personalized service that makes this property a perennial standout in a crowded field of Orlando resorts. The spa itself is as elegant and luxurious as when it opened in 2014. 

For those whose peak “ahhhh” requires full immersion, single-gender hot tubs are situated on a garden terrace off each locker room. Opposite sex partners who’d rather soak together can head to the resort’s 21+ Oasis pool and hot tub. 

If Disney’s your jam, you’re already on property and the resort’s shuttles will get you where you want to go. But if you’d rather float a little longer in the Oasis infinity pool, then dress up for date night on the rooftop at the Michelin starred Capa, you are exactly where you need to be. Fireworks included. 

The Fine Print: An automatic 20 percent gratuity is added to all spa services. Valet parking is validated by dining at any restaurant, including poolside. Fireworks can be viewed from the Spanish steakhouse, Capa, and any Park View room or suite.
fourseasons.com/orlando/spa

The Spa at The Alfond Inn 

Great for Groups 

*Photo by JOHN MCKINNON

Finally, there’s a resort spa outside of Orlando’s convention and attractions zone. The Spa at The Alfond Inn opened on November 15 as part of the Winter Park hotel’s 10th anniversary expansion, including a new wing with 71 additional guest rooms and event spaces. 

The light-filled spa feels like a garden oasis and is both minimalist and welcoming, truly an extension of the modern-art filled boutique hotel in which it is housed. Amenities include seven treatment rooms, a fitness facility, co-ed relaxation sanctuary and his and hers luxury locker rooms. The menu is robust with skincare and manual therapies, but the signature facials pay homage to Winter Park’s peacocks and its citrus history.

What makes the spa truly stand out is its dedicated swimming pool complete with private cabanas and a pool bar whose menu highlights healthy meals. Going with a group? Everyone can be pampered with their scheduled spa services, then cycle through the sauna, state-of-the-art steam room, and the cold mist of the programmable Experience Showers in the luxe locker rooms, then meet up at the 18+ pool for a spa day that looks and feels like a staycation. 

Want the party to continue? Dress for dinner then head down to the hotel’s lounge for a lengthy happy hour, Monday-Friday from 4-7 followed by dinner at Hamilton’s Kitchen. Or, walk a few blocks to your favorite Park Avenue restaurant. 

Psst, your gift keeps giving, too. The Alfond Inn is owned by neighboring Rollins College and directs all of its net operating income to scholarships. Since 2013, the Alfond Scholars Program has awarded millions of dollars in full, four year scholarships.

The Fine Print: Spa guests receive complimentary valet parking and have use of all spa amenities. A 20 percent service charge is added to all spa services and is divided among the staff; gratuities are at the guest’s discretion | thealfondinn.com/the-spa 

Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

A Spa-cation for All

*Photo courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

The Ritz-Carlton Spa stands as a multi-story palace of pampering situated between the Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott 

Orlando, Grande Lakes. With 40 treatment rooms and 40,000 square-feet of wellness, it is not only the largest spa in Central Florida but also the largest of all 600+ spas under the Ritz-Carlton banner. It is a destination spa by every definition and anyone seeking a spa vacation can choose to stay at either hotel on the sprawling property located south of Orlando’s Beachline off S. John Young Parkway. 

Despite its grandeur, the Ritz-Carlton Spa manages to make every guest feel special. If you leave and come back, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted at the door by name. Employees are empowered to find out what they can do for each guest that makes them feel good. 

In fact, it is the in-house therapists who came up with the Grand Indulgence Massage, which feels like a package but is wrapped as a single service. “It’s the brain child of our own people,” says spa director Tony Angel, “based on the most requested services and how to put them together into one treatment.” The 80-minute treatment covers scalp to toe, front and back, hands and feet, incorporating warm oils, hot stones, hot towels and a full massage. A 30-minute sleep enhancement can be added to extend the rest following the treatment. 

Guests can build a full day spa-cation around their gifted spa service by arriving early for a workout or group class in the fitness center, a dip in the spa’s dedicated resort-style pool or hot tub, suntanning on a cushioned lounger, a hydrotherapy circuit in the single sex locker rooms, and salon services. Lunch can be ordered poolside or enjoyed at Vitale, the spa cafe, where guests can dine in their robe or swimsuit, indoors or out. There’s some pretty great shopping, too. The Spa gift shop is well stocked with luxury apparel and skincare brands. 

The Fine Print: To give a spa gift, you will need to purchase a Marriott gift card (you can pick the Ritz-Carlton option). Spa guests receive validated parking at either hotel. Florida residents save 15 percent on treatments Monday through Thursday, year-round. ritzcarlton.com