Getting the royal treatment at The Guerlain Spa

The Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf-Astoria (opens in new tab) opened their 14,000 sq. ft. haven just last January, and it's every bit as luxurious as their beauty line. They offer fully customized services, starting from scenting your foot bath and linens with the Guerlain Paris fragrance (opens in new tab) that matches your personality. How? They first ask you if you want a scent that's bold and assertive, or soft and discreet, and then ask you to sample a few different fragrances that fall under the category of your choosing. Massages and facials are done only after you fill out a questionnaire and have a brief consultation with the masseuse and facialist about problem areas so they're prepared to focus on those target areas as they loosen and detoxify.

Best of all, when you book a massage or facial, you get your own suite, complete with full size windows, your own bathroom with a vanity and waterfall shower which is all too lovely. I sampled their Waldorf Impériale treatment, and it was nothing short of amazing! Starting in their footbath lounge, (where you sit on a bench that actually lowers you into the bath) before you're off to your treatment suite for a customized massage and facial where the facialist used the exclusive Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale cream (opens in new tab) that visibly brightened my face.

The only drawback here is the price tag - but if you can drop a little more than $500 for the two-hour treatment - it's worth every penny.

Shyema also writes for her own beauty and food blog, Beauty and the Feast (opens in new tab).