Three Alabama Spas Named Among the 100 Best in North America

North Americans continue their love affair with spa and wellness travel as illustrated by Spas of America's annual list of the Top 100 Spas. This week the No. 1 spa and wellness travel website unveiled its Top 100 Spas for 2018, based on unique page views and consumer choices on spasofamerica.com. Three of these spas are in Alabama and part of the RTJ Spa Trail. The annual award provides insights into consumers' favorite spas of the year.

The Spa at the Shoals in Florence ranked No. 31 on the prestigious list. Located in the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, the Spa at the Shoals will be updated in late February, according to the new Spa Director, Kari Myers. "With new whirlpools and furniture plus a cosmetic refresh, our guest experience will improve even more in the coming weeks," said Myers.

The Spa at Ross Bridge ranked No. 33 on the international list. Located in the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, the Spa at Ross Bridge is located in Hoover, just outside of Birmingham. The resort resembles a Scottish castle, has a bagpiper play each evening and is surrounded by one of the longest golf courses in the world.

Just opened in November, the Spa at Grand National was No. 53 on the list. The three-story spa and fitness center is located at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National. The Spa at Grand National was the sixth spa to open on the Spa Trail and helped transform the property designation to the resort status. Both Renaissance Ross Bridge and the Auburn/Opelika Marriott also were named top golf resorts by the editors of Golf Digest for the past three years.

This year's Top 100 Spas includes 73 spas from the United States (including 14 from region-leading California), 17 spas from Canada, four from Mexico, one each from the Bahamas, Brazil and Costa Rica. In the South, Florida has six spas highlighted. Alabama, Tennessee and Texas had three spas honored. Mississippi had two spas listed. Arkansas and Georgia each had one spa ranked. No spas were featured in the Top 100 from Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina or South Carolina.

"In 2018, we continued to see growth in the North American spa and wellness industry, with increased visits and revenue," said Spas of America President Craig Oliver. The 2018 International Spa Association U.S. Spa Industry Study, commissioned by the ISPA Foundation and undertaken by PWC, reported consumers make 187 million visits to spas in the United States, generating an estimated $17.5 billion in revenue, translating into an average of $97.70 per visit.

"Spa and wellness consumers in the United States, Canada and Mexico understand wellness benefits their lives by reducing stress, promoting relaxation and increasing well-being," said Oliver. "Whether guests are traveling alone or in a group, spa and wellness travel offers people a chance to focus on what is important - their own health and well-being."

From traditional warm stone massages to red carpet ready facials, the RTJ Spa Trail features six spas across Alabama offering innovative treatments in unique settings, said Taylor Fields, Corporate Director of Spa for the RTJ Resort Collection. "We are honored to have three spas featured in this prestigious list and strive to have more highlighted in the future," said Fields. "Each spa along the Spa Trail features unique, world-class treatments. These spas are ideal for individual golfers, couples traveling together or for groups of friends looking to relax and be pampered." The spas are located in Marriott, Renaissance and Autograph hotels along Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Point Clear, Mobile, Montgomery, Hoover, Florence and Opelika.

For more on the RTJ Spa Trail, visit rtjresorts.com. For a complete listing of the Top 100 Spas, visit www.spasofamerica.com/spas-of-america-top-100-spas-of-2018.

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