What is Aqua Star Spa’s philosophy?
The philosophy at The Beverly Hilton’s Aqua Star Spa is simple: combine old school Beverly Hills glamour with relaxing California living to make every guest feel like a star. Using a combination of organic products, the spa aims to leave you feeling pampered, relaxed and revitalized.
The Beverly Hilton’s Aqua Star Pool, located next door to the spa, opened in 1955, so the midcentury modern feel extends to the design of the spa. The relaxation lounge and locker rooms are done up in retro hues of brown, avocado green and cream, while the furnishings are sleek and mod, from the winged chairs to the sleek silver lamps. Treatments, performed by trained therapists, range from massages and facials to body wraps and scrubs, and are delivered in rooms decorated with relaxing beach themes: There’s a starfish laid atop every massage table before a treatment begins and soothing sand-colored walls. After a treatment, stop by the Aqua Star Pool where you can have a foot massage without leaving your lounge chair, or enjoy a fresh salad or sandwich served poolside.
Because The Beverly Hilton plays host to star-studded awards shows and events throughout the year, don’t be surprised if you bump into a celebrity during your stay. They come here to get red carpet ready with spray tans in the spa’s St. Tropez spray booth, or to detox in the eucalyptus steam shower.
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On June 29Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Does Aqua Star Spa have a shop to purchase products used during treatments?
You’ll find many of the upscale skincare products used during treatments available for purchase at Aqua Star Spa right outside the check-in desk. Though products change often, you’re likely to find a selection of all-natural lines — that source mostly organic ingredients — such as Babor, a luxury European skincare line known to help with common skin issues, such as aging, dehydration and dullness. Products featured have also included moisturizers and masks from skincare specialists to the stars such as Sonya Dakar, who caters to A-listers like Fergie and Gwyneth Paltrow. -
On June 29Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the five best amenities at Aqua Star Spa?
Forget austere European-style services or treatments made with out-there eastern influences in mind. With its location in star-studded Beverly Hills, the amenities at Aqua Star Spa at The Beverly Hilton were designed with one purpose in mind: keeping up appearances. You can do just that with a spin in the tanning station or a stint in the gym. Here are a few of this spa’s best amenities:
1. Spray Tan. You know you’re in Beverly Hills when a spa is equipped with a room dedicated to spray tans. Head to the St. Tropez spray-on station for a perfect California tan that lasts several days and fades naturally. Airbrush technicians will apply the solution for an immediate glow that deepens over the next eight hours. You can even add an aloe body scrub beforehand to maximize results.
2. Eucalyptus Steam Shower. After a long week at work, nothing feels better than a soothing shower — especially if it’s at Aqua Star Spa, where the steam shower uses eucalyptus to rid skin of pollutants and invigorate your senses.
3. Aqua Star Pool. Visitors to Aqua Star Spa also have access to The Beverly Hilton’s Aqua Star Pool, where Angelina Jolie once went for a celebratory swim in her Randolph Duke gown after winning a Golden Globe. Get a foot massage from the comfort of your lounge chair or order up a salad to enjoy poolside.
4. Amazing products. The spa uses products from Babor, a luxury European skincare line, for its treatments. Babor is known to help with common skin issues, such as aging, dehydration and dullness. The spa’s Babor skincare line, includes the organic line, body thermal and skin refining lines. It’s the perfect products to soothe and protect your skin. The luxe Babor products are also on sale at the spa, if you’d like to purchase some to use at home.
5. The gym. Complimentary access to The Beverly Hilton’s gym means you can keep your spa day going for that much longer. Before a full-body massage, get your muscles warm in the fitness room followed by a post-workout sauna session. The Golden Globes, the Oscars nominee luncheon and the pre-Grammy Awards party are all held at the hotel, so there’s no telling who you might see in the relaxation lounge. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Which bars are located near Aqua Star Spa?
If you’ve enjoyed a late-day facial at Aqua Star Spa and are looking to meet up with friends, you’re in luck — there are a ton of great bars near the Beverly Hills spa.
The closest, of course, is Trader Vic’s Lounge, located right next to the Aqua Star Pool. It’s the longest-standing location of the famous tiki bar chain, which touts Trader Vic’s invention of the mai tai in 1944. Complete your relaxing spa day with the rum-filled, pineapple-and-cherry-topped drink or another similarly fruity concoction. We like Trader Vic’s Grog, a potent blend of dark rum, pineapple and passionfruit or the Trader Vic’s Stinker, a Jamaican favorite served with a flaming lime. You could also head to the Lobby Bar, where you can sit in a low-sunk maroon and dark wood chair and sip a cocktail. But we’d rather sit by the pool with our mai tai.
If you want to get out of the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton, there are several other bars nearby. Keep with the ’50s feel at Nic’s Martini Lounge, about a mile away from the hotel. The swinging Rat Pack-era bar was a favorite of Dean Martin’s — you can even check out the shrine above his regular table. Sip on cheekily named martinis like the What A Nice Pear You Have — with Grey Goose Poire vodka, pear juice and shaved Parmesan — and listen to some live music. There are also a number of other hotel bars you can visit, including sidebar and the BLVD in the Beverly Wilshire, Bar Nineteen 12 in the Beverly Hills Hotel and Club Bar at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Which restaurants are located near Aqua Star Spa?
After a trip to Aqua Star Spa, you might just get hungry — so head to one of the restaurants conveniently located next to the spa in the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton. The retro-styled Circa 55 is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves great sandwiches and salads, whiles Trader Vic’s Lounge gets the party started after 5 p.m., serving delicious Polynesian-inspired cuisine like Thai red curry with prawns in a coconut milk broth or steamed lobster dumplings in a seven-spice chili sauce. Of course, while you’re there you have to try the original mai tai — invented by Trader Vic himself in 1944.
If you want to wander outside the hotel, about three blocks away is Belvedere, a Four-Star restaurant in The Peninsula Beverly Hills that serves modern American fare like poached jidori chicken breast and Maine lobster. For sake and some of the best sushi in town, hit up Urasawa, about seven blocks east of The Beverly Hilton.
Canon Drive, about a mile away from Aqua Star Spa, also has a number of stellar eateries. Thomas Keller’s Bouchon serves up French bistro cuisine, like steak frites and croque madame. Also on Canon Drive is Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Beverly Hills. It’s the celeb chef’s flagship restaurant, which serves seasonal American dishes like handmade sweet corn agnolotti with mascarpone and grilled prime cote de boeuf for two. To really get your fill of meat, try Maestro’s Steakhouse. You can choose everything from an 8-ounce petite filet to a belly-busting 48-ounce double-cut porterhouse. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Which attractions are located near Aqua Star Spa?
After you’ve relaxed at Aqua Star Spa with a rejuvenating massage or facial, there are plenty of attractions to see in Beverly Hills a short distance from the spa.
Start your sightseeing adventure with a walk across the street from the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton into Beverly Gardens Park and snap a picture of its 40-foot-long, lit-up “Beverly Hills” sign.
Fashionistas: Load your Louis Vuitton purses with credit cards and head to nearby Rodeo Drive to do some shopping. Most of the drive’s high-end boutiques are concentrated in a three-block stretch from Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard, so head here if you’re looking to make a dent in your wallet. All kinds of designers have shops here — Jimmy Choo, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Valentino — so you can pick up a great outfit and a new handbag all in one shot.
Follow the big white iconic “Hollywood” letters to take a tour of Tinseltown and try to spot some celebs. Art aficionados can peruse the Getty Museum with its European paintings, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts and European and American photographs, or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the western United States. Families have options, too, many of them making the 20-mile trip to Universal Studios to enjoy attractions like the 3-D “King Kong” ride created by director Peter Jackson. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Which shops are located near Aqua Star Spa?
After you recharge at Aqua Star Spa, pamper yourself further with a trip to the shops on Rodeo Drive. The famous shopping strip is a walkable nine blocks east of the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton, so you can indulge in a massage or facial, lay out by the pool, then hit the drive for a day of shopping. The high-end boutiques are concentrated in a three-block stretch from Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard, so head there if you want to do some real damage.
Fashionistas will find everything from sexy underthings at Agent Provocateur and La Perla to accessories from Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and Harry Winston. For haute couture, hit up designer shops like Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino and Versace. Of course, don’t forget to treat your feet (fresh from the spa) to heels from Jimmy Choo. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Is it possible to have side-by-side nail treatments at Aqua Star Spa?
Aqua Star Spa doesn’t offer nail treatments, but you can head next door to the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton’s Bellezza Salon for side-by-side manicures and pedicures. The salon is open daily and is known as a hot spot for celebrity sightings. Sharon Osbourne and her daughters frequent the shop, and stars flock here during awards season — The Beverly Hilton is the site of the Golden Globes every year, as well as the Oscars nominee luncheon and the pre-Grammy Awards party.
You and a friend will feel like stars at the Bellezza Salon, where you can get manicures and pedicures next to each other before a night on the town or indulge in bridesmaid primping before a wedding. The salon has a technician who can apply 3-D nail art or acrylic nails, and pedicures are done in spa chairs with heat and vibrating options. To ease your mind, all nail tools are sterilized in a special machine that heats up to 273 degrees. The salon also does hair extensions, cuts, coloring, eyebrow waxing and updos for special occasions. Specialty products like Kérastase leave your hair feeling silky smooth and are available for purchase. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Who should I tip at Aqua Star Spa?
Aqua Star Spa eliminates the sometimes awkward process of guessing how much to tip your therapist by adding an optional 20 percent gratuity to your spa folio. Of course, if you’d like to leave more or less you can do so, as the 20 percent is just a suggested amount. Guests at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton can ask to have their spa charges applied directly to their guestroom folio.
Aqua Star Spa offers a range of treatments sure to fit almost any budget. There are facials that range from $65 to $200 and massages that range from $65 to $195, depending on the length of your treatment and the products being used. Of course, you can always get enhancements, such as aromatherapy oils and hot stones, for an additional charge.
If you’re looking for a deal or are curious about this Beverly Hills spa’s offerings, you can opt for one of seven special packages. We love the 90-minute Spa Sampler — it’s one of the spa’s most popular services and includes a facial, massage and body scrub (30 minutes each) for just $175. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What kind of body wraps are offered at Aqua Star Spa?
Whether you want to detox your skin or alleviate sore muscles, Aqua Star Spa has a body wrap treatment that will get it done. The Beverly Hills spa, located within the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton, is known for its diverse menu of massages, scrubs, facials and body wraps.
We love the relaxing 50-minute Detox Me wrap that uses green coffee extract and a mix of herbal powders called Utane to remove pollutants from skin, reduce cellulite and sooth irritations. This treatment will leave skin feeling smooth and firm and ready for a night on the town. For a more traditional wrap, try the 50-minute Thermal Mud body mask, aimed at alleviating tight, sore muscles. You’ll be enveloped in an effervescent seaweed mud that gradually heats up, bubbling away the tension and stress in your body.
Finally, there’s the 50-minute Sea Silk body mask, which will bathe your body in a warm aromatic gel that combines trace minerals from seawater and essential oils such as lavender and sandalwood. After a warm shower to remove the gel, you’ll have a luxurious body cream applied to your skin, locking in moisture and nutrients. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
How can I buy a gift certificate for Aqua Star Spa?
Gift certificates are available at Aqua Star Spa by calling or visiting the spa at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton. We’re sure your family, friends or colleagues would appreciate a trip to this California paradise, where they can indulge in a day of beauty and R&R, then head to the largest heated outdoor pool in Beverly Hills.
To purchase a gift certificate, call Aqua Star Spa directly or stop by — it’s located on the pool level of the hotel. You can opt to buy individual treatments, like a facial, massage, body scrub or wrap, or go all out with a spa package. If you’re buying for a first-time spa-goer, go for The Classic package, which combines a Swedish massage with the Fountain of Youth facial — it’s European-style with a concentrated marine mask selected based on your skin type. And for the busy bee, we’d recommend the Some Like It Hot package, designed to alleviate stiffness and soreness with an 80-minute hot stone massage and a thermal mud body wrap made with seaweed. -
On June 22Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What is the cell phone policy at Aqua Star Spa?
You can’t use your cell phone in any part of Aqua Star Spa, so leave your iPhones and BlackBerry devices at home when you head to this soothing Beverly Hills getaway.
Aqua Star Spa is located inside the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Beverly Hilton, next to the Aqua Star Pool, and is known for drawing celebrity clientele during the multiple awards shows and celebrity events held annually at the hotel, including the Golden Globes. You can indulge in a hot stone massage or rejuvenating facial or get a St. Tropez spray tan at the spa, then head to the pool for a relaxing foot massage in the comfort of your lounge chair.
