A cranberry facial treatment at the magnificent Spa at the Marriott Hotel in Palm Desert, California, left my face gently tingling, sparkling and relaxed. At the end of my 50-minutes, Amy, my charming aesthetician-consultant, handed me a home care instruction sheet including the June Jacobs Spa Collection products she had used. It also noted the daily routine for me to follow: a Pumpkin enzyme for exfoliation, cranberry cleanser, cranberry toner, raspberry recovery serum, eye brightening cream to hydrate the eye area; copper moisturizer for the face; and a cranberry pomegranate mask for once-weekly use was my recommended home care.

I luxuriated in the gentle facial given me by the capable Amy in a spacious treatment room with low lighting, neutral colors, and quiet music. After the treatments, Amy gave me a tour of the expansive, stand-alone Spa, set on t he grounds of the JW Marriott, in Palm Desert.

Laura Rogers, the Spa Marketing Manager, spoke to me in a telephone interview and discussed the spa's outstanding feature, the Spa Sanctuary, a secluded area featuring a luxurious private retreat. It includes a changing room, private treatment tables, a desert rain shower, hydrotherapy tub, HD digital television, a fireplace and a private courtyard with an outdoor whirlpool. A private lounge and treatment rooms are also available.

“Romantic spa treatments for couples are popular at the Spa, including treatments in the exclusive private Spa Sanctuary. Couples reserve a serenity suite for a few hours of private treatments, chosen from the regular spa menu,” said Ms. Rogers. A small private patio opens from the suite, featuring two lounge chairs and wonderful desert views.

Another romantic experience is the Reverie Suite, “Just the Two of Us,” including a private treatment tables and personal hydrotherapy tub; private lounge and secluded treatment rooms are availed.

An extensive menu of body treatments, body therapies, scrubs; wraps, facials as well as a full range of salon services also include just-for- men packages. Keeping in mind the desert locale, a Desert Journey body treatment is offered. Another special is A Desert Glow, including the traditional Shirodhara, or Nirvana. (Shirodhara features a stream of warm oil gently poured over the "Third Eye", the center of the forehead, considered deeply relaxing and a way to balance the central nervous system. Herbal-infused hair oil and herbs are combined in a stimulating scalp treatment. Facial therapy herbs and essential oils are applied to lightly cleanse, balance and moisturize. A meditative hand and foot treatment is the “soothing finale” according to Ms. Rogers.)

The extensive spa menu offers dozens of treatments or combinations. The Rasayana Ritual includes an Herbal Wrap, Shirodhara, and an Abhyanga Massage. The two-hour treatment is $240.

For guests staying at the JW Marriot, in-room massages are also available for singles and couples; a 50-minute massage is $130; 80-minute, $245, per person. For reservations at the Spa, call Desert Springs, JW Marriott Resort & Spa, 74855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, CA. 760.341.1856.