Gurney's Inn, Montauk, Long Island
An oceanside spa in Montauk.

From the March 24, 2003 Issue of New York

If a resort's main purpose is to de-stress its guests, an oceanfront address isn't a bad way to start. Gurney's Inn, on a strip of private beach in Montauk, makes the most of its proximity to the Big Pond by specializing in seawater-based Thalasso therapies. One treatment begins with a sea-salt exfoliation, then moves on to a seaweed wrap, and finishes with an underwater massage with a saltwater spray. You feel as relaxed as you do after a day at the beach. The hotel, which had been looking a bit frayed, has been undergoing a tip-to-stern renovation (set to be finished in April), but remains open for business. For dinner, try the Italian-influenced Sea Grille, with classic seafood dishes like cioppino (with scungilli and sea bass along with the standard clams, mussels, and the like). Fitness isn’t the emphasis here, but there are classes in aerobics, Pilates, yoga, and t’ai chi, and a wonderful pool filled, yup, with ocean water.

-- Beth Landman Keil