The exterior of the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, Colorado. Photo courtesy Custom Creations
This is where to go for the ultimate luxury spa vacation at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Colorado is hot right now, for relocation and for vacation. And if you’re in Denver looking for a healthy day trip or nearby excursion, head west to Boulder, the home of the University of Colorado—and the glamorous St. Julien Hotel and Spa.
This luxury resort is the top place to stay in Boulder if you need to rejuvenate and treat yourself. It’s also our favorite spa in Boulder. The St. Julien, located in the heart of downtown Boulder just a block off the popular Pearl Street Mall, has been named one of the best in the nation. Conde Nast Traveler recently crowned it No. 14 of the top 25 hotels in the West. It’s also an AAA Four-Diamond property, a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Hotel and a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts LVX Collection. That’s a SpaTravelGal.com slam dunk for a luxury spa getaway.
What that means for your stay: unparalleled service, top-of-the-line amenities, stunning rooms (with mountain views) and one of Colorado’s highest regarded spas.
The entrance of the St. Julien Spa. Photo by Aimee Heckel
The Spa
The award-winning, 10,000-square-foot Spa at St. Julien is a paradise within a paradise. The full-service menu means you can get your nails and hair done and also book a signature service. All guests at the St. Julien also have access to the spa’s relaxation lounge, dry sauna, steam room, fitness center (with mountain views that will make you forget all your sweating), 50-foot indoor pool, private patio and peaceful locker rooms.
Treatments here are as unique as Boulder itself. Many are made from herbs grown right on site in the hotel’s garden. Like the Mountain Mojito treatment. This service uses mint from the garden, mixed with sugar and line to make a scrub. The treatment wraps up with a mojito—one you can drink.
Any spa lover will appreciate that the spa also carries some of the industry’s most respected products, including Zents, Naturopathica, Luzern and Ajne. Many treatments are designed to help combat the high altitude, Boulder’s athleticism and the elements; Boulder is a very outdoorsy city.
For something unique, ask about the Very Vegan Package (another totally Boulder offering), which is specially designed for vegans and vegetarians. The package includes vegan cocktails, food at the property’s restaurant (which has a vegan-friendly lunch buffet and other vegan offerings) and the Pampered Vegan spa treatment. This includes a vegan body scrub (with 100 percent organic sunflower oil and sugar), a massage with a custom essential oil mixture and a warm scalp massage with wild lime and avocado oils.
The scalp massage is truly the cherry on top and will leave your hair silkier and smoother than ever before. The product used, the Wild Lime Revitalizing Scalp and Hair Oil by Naturopathica, works wonders and can be bought in the spa shop as you leave. Trust us, you’ll want to take it home. You definitely don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy this service.
The scalp oil treatment at the St. Julien Spa. Photo by Catie Mayer
Because it’s a full-service spa, the menu of services has other ways to freshen up your hair. Try the gloss hair treatment using microlight therapy on the cuticles or a hot oil scalp massage.
Looking for something different? The St. Julien offers a build-your-own-adventure package, where you can mix and match activities(like guided hikes or rock climbing) with lodging and a spa credit. Because after a day on the rapids, you’ll be needing a rub down in the tranquil spa.
The spa at the St. Julien. Photo courtesy Custom Creations
Story by Aimee Heckel, Spatravelgal.com editorial assistant and travel writer for TravelBoulder.com.
