Visitors to America’s first beer-themed bathhouse, Hop in the Spa, eschew drinking suds for soaking in them. The wacky health farm, situated in the small Oregon town of Sisters, foamed up after owner Mike Boyle found relief from the pain of a car accident at a brew bath in Europe.
A beer-fueled treatment at Hop in the Spa.Courtesy of Hop in the SpaWhile Hop in the Spa bills itself as “a naturally intoxicating experience,” the place’s signature draw — a 25-minute microbrew bath that runs $65 — is hardly the dizziest pampering service out there.
The spa’s Brew & Renew Body Polish — in which your body is scrubbed with a mix of hops, barley, honey, jojoba oil and salt — racks up a tab of $75 and may or may not require a designated driver.
Here are a few more outrageous treatments that we’d like to try — once we manage to drum up the courage.
If dead skin builds up on your feet while you’re walking around Tokyo, you can repair to any number of day spas there. Soak your soles in warm water while tiny fish swim and nibble away your hoofs’ rough spots, spreading a ticklish feeling that’s almost electric throughout your body. The cost: a bargain at about $9. (And you do not need to tip the fish.)
A cactus massage in Mexico will prick a bit, but it’s good for you.Four Seasons Resort Punta MitaAt The Palms in Turks and Caicos, inhale the steam of fresh herbs — not to get high, but to get your body humming efficiently. You’ll be taking in the beneficial qualities of eucalyptus, lemongrass, rosemary and a few others at a cost of $75.
K West Hotel & Spa in London offers more of a wake-up call to the system: sweating in a high-intensity steam bath before hopping over to the so-called Snow Paradise, where temperatures are maintained at 5 degrees. Cost of summer-to-winter bliss? Around $69.
If standard shiatsu has become too commonplace for you, check out these eye-opening exotic rubs. They’ll keep you from dozing off on the table.
In Mexico, the Four Seasons in Punta Mita offers a cactus massage. Thorns are removed from the plant’s paddles, which get heated and placed on your skin at a cost of $195 for 50 minutes. Don’t be surprised when the wet and warm innards leak out and serve as lubricant.
Then there are ritzy gold massages and facials, which involve having sheets of the 24-karat metal spread across your face.
It may sound ridiculous — but it’s not as ridiculously expensive as you’d think. A treatment, said to keep your skin firm and youthful-looking, is $95 at Raya spa in Los Angeles.
Bathe in sake while a carafe of the beverage floats nearby.ShutterstockFor those who are stuck on a beverage soak but can’t get behind beer — maybe there’s a desire to cut down on carbs? — you can always head to Japan for a warm sake bath at the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, dubbed a “hot springs amusement park” and spa.
For an approximately $25 admission fee, you can also indulge in a green-tea bath, whip around giant water slides, and drink coffee made from hot-spring water.
Just remember to go elsewhere when you need an alcoholic accompaniment for your sushi.
Bottoms up!



