Montelucia

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been to Montelucia, and I’m still writing about it?

You Betcha!

I believe our story left off with Donna and I enjoying pool time at Joya. We both were enjoying new books, and just relaxing on the terrace. Gosh, I wish I was there now… as opposed to traipsing around the frozen tundra that is Colorado. Sigh.

Until then, I’ll just share the final details of our Montelucia adventure. To catch up on my recent trip, click on the links below:

December in the Desert – Part I

WOW – Hiking Camelback {AKA December in the Desert – Part II}

December in the Desert – Part III

When we’d finally had enough of spa time (including some extra time in the jacuzzi, sauna, and steam room), we hit the showers at the spa. Yes, we have our room that has all of our clothes and makeup and whatnot, but when you shower and get ready at Joya, you get to try out all of their products

Unfortunately, they don’t have all of the same styling tools that I use… so I sort of had poodle hair. I wish I had take a picture of it. Perhaps more accurately, I would call it cocker spaniel hair. REALLY.

When you have a fabulous look like that, you get creative about how you spend your evening. I had wanted to take some night pictures of the property, so we did that and ate our leftovers from Marcellinos on Thursday night.

Since I know that not all of you will be able to make it to Montelucia this holiday season… here’s a sneak peek at what I saw. How does it get any more beautiful than this??

Walking out of Joya Spa

A view of the fountains and Prado Restaurant

The Joya Spa Fountain by night

A View of the Joya Spa and Centro from the Fountains

The grand entrance to Montelucia – All decked out for the holidays

Where we dined on leftovers….

The Kazbah at Night

Very possibly my favorite picture from the trip….

I know a few of you have mentioned that you want to travel to Montelucia… and I just found something that you should jump on, if interested!

If you are thinking about hitting Montelucia in the new year, how about you can get gift cards from Costco for the property?? For $80, you can get two $50 gift cards. That’s a savings of $20 per 100 spent! I am definitely going to purchase a few for our spring trip.

Reminder… There’s snow on the ground everywhere here. Is it spring yet???

Picking up an LBD or Two

Happy Holiday Weekend

WOW: Fitbloggin Workouts

December in the Desert: Part Three

I knew it would happen. My FitBit registered that I had climbed 53 flights of stairs at the end of our trip up Camelback on Friday.

So, it was no surprise to see that my legs were tired the next morning. Both calves were sore, moreso the right… and the challenge wasn’t going UP the stairs, it was walking down them. OUCH!

I spotted a yoga stretch class on Saturday morning, and I figured that it would help me power through the pain I was feeling. And, the class was bright and early in the morning which gave me another view of the property from different lighting.

The Joya Spa has a really nice fitness room attached to it. As hotel guests, we had access to use it as much as we wanted, including classes. Last time I was at Montelucia, I took a poolside yoga class and this would be my first class inside of the studio.

View from the Fitness Deck – Gorgeous!

And… it ended up being a private class. Just me.

Just me

While I sometimes find private classes to be awkward, this one was perfection as I could really have her focus on stretching the areas that were aching the most.

I had hoped that walking out of yoga on Saturday I would be healed, but I wasn’t. Thank goodness we had a relaxing day planned at the spa. Before checking in for services, I walked over to Crave Café to pick up some breakfast. Craving some protein so that my stomach wasn’t growling on the massage table, I opted for a whole wheat bagel with a thin smear of peanut butter. Oh, and that was the real deal peanut butter too…. Not PB2, not reduced fat… REAL PB is my favorite!

Afterward, I checked into Joya. Ahhhh… Joya is one of the most relaxing places I’ve ever been.

It’s exquisitely decorated in an Andalucian fashion with special additions for the holiday.

There’s a long beautiful hallway you travel to get to the spa area, and along the way, you have the opportunity to select a stone and to cast an intention.

This is always a special spot for me. Donna and I always discuss how we’re going to pick the stone that’s calling our name rather than pick a stone based upon its powers. I put my hand in the mini treasure chest and this is the stone that seemed “right.”

It’s a hematite, and apparently helps to relieve stress and tension and repels negativity. Ok, if that’s what I needed, I’ll take it!

The next room has beautiful candles where you can cast your intention and leave the stone behind. Also, further down the hallway is the most amazing crystal. I love to look at it and they encourage you to put your hands on it to feel its energy. It’s amazing.

Once I got my locker and got changed into a gorgeous robe, I went to spend some time in the steam room. I love the lady’s spa because it has all of these fun relaxing options. I started with steam before I headed back for services.

The services I had signed up for were the 50-minute Joyambrosia body scrub, followed by a 50-minute Joyambrosia massage. You might remember from previous posts that the Joyambrosia scent is one of my favorites, and one that I’ve used to make my own bath oil. It’s truly one of my favorite scents.

A body scrub is the most decadent experience. Having someone scrub your skin and renew it, especially during the coldest, driest season in Colorado. After the body scrub is complete, I was instructed to rinse off in the shower. Afterward the massage began, and it was phenomenal!

At the end of the massage, they always tell you to choose a fortune. I picked this one from the teapot in my treatment room. Very appropriate, if you ask me!

It’s tiny, but it says “Relax Your Muscles”

Donna and I met up afterward in the Tranquility Room (AKA the whisper room where no one ever whispers.) Famished, we headed out to the pool deck for lunch. I absolutely love the pool deck.

It’s a little more quiet than the other pools and has the best view of Camelback. I ordered my usual Southwest Caesar salad. Even though I attempted to recreate it at home, it’s not nearly as good as the one at Joya. I have to keep working on it.