While not turning its back totally on Las Vegas’s neon strip, The Spa at Red Rock instead looks out and up to the commanding sandstone cliffs that give their name to the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. The high-desert spa has also created an Adventure Spa of rock climbing, rafting, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding into the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The Spa Experience

Much of the Red Rock resort glitters with a bit of retro Vegas glam, from the grand chandeliers in the casino to the red upholstery and silvery lights in the Lucky Bar. The Spa at Red Rock picks up this vibe, with mirror-lined corridors and red lighting on the way to the relaxation room. Inside, it’s red leather sofas and a giant red-leather coffee table, a space lined with red drapes and detailed with brown faux-fur pillows, fresh flowers, bits of bamboo and shimmering candles.

Red Rock’s twenty treatments rooms gently maintain the theme of the spa, creating a space where guests can enjoy calm and relaxation without disturbance or distraction. Guests can also opt for an outdoor treatment in a private cabana.

The separate male and female waiting rooms help guests unwind from their canyon adventures with whirlpools and steam and sauna rooms.

Pampering Treatments

After a brisk hike into Red Rock Canyon with a guide from the resort’s Adventure Spa, I was ready for a hot rock massage. Sipping on cranberry juice and water in the red-tinged relaxation room helped me to hydrate before being called for the appointment.

The treatment room was immediately relaxing, featuring a single blossom and a bamboo plant for adornment. My therapist heated the rocks to the perfect temperature, then tucked them in her palms and stroked my walk-weary muscles.

Immediately following the massage, I had booked a pedicure. A soak and exfoliation, was followed by a French lavender mask, which brought a welcome smoothness to my feet.

One of the more unusual spa treatments on the menu is ashiatsu massage, the ancient foot pressure technique from Buddhist monks. The therapist, suspended from bars anchored in the ceiling, uses as much of his body weight as is comfortable for the guest. The Spa at Red Rock also touts a champagne pedicure and caviar creams — a mask enriched with caviar lotion for the feet served with a glass of champagne.

Indulgences and Added Amenities

The Spa at Red Rock’s fitness center is stocked with all the workout equipment I expected to find, but I was surprised to see a boxing ring set up, and was immediately tempted to spar. I decided to take advantage of the center’s movement studio, instead, for a lower-impact workout that would complement the spa treatments I had arranged.

The Spa at Red Rock also operates an Adventure Spa offering indoor rock climbing, a raft trip down the Colorado River below Hoover Dam, a mountain bike ride over wild horse trails in the high desert, or a hike up to bubbling hot springs.

Feeling good after my workout, I’m content to leave the spa and head to the pool backyard. There are three pools for me to try, and nineteen alluring cabanas. And, since this is Vegas, I might even try some swim-up gaming as I sip an umbrella drink from the Sand Bar.