A day spa gift card is a hot holiday present, but it brings some angst if you're tempted to keep it for yourself. It is the perfect gift. But oh, a relaxing massage would surely relieve your own aching back.

Kimberly Smith/staff photographer

The Art of Touch Day Spa in Sugar Hill has an old-world theme as clients are soothed – with massages and other treatments – amid the pressures of the modern world.

Lanier Islands Resort photo The spa Tranquility opened this summer at Lake Lanier Islands.

Kimberly Smith/AJC

Tracy Ann Unsworth, owner of The Art of Touch Day Spa, has created a welcoming reception area at the full-service facility.

Kimberly Smith/staff photographer

The Art of Touch Day Spa in Sugar Hill has an old-world theme as clients are soothed – with massages and other treatments – amid the pressures of the modern world.

Kimberly Smith/staff photographer

Kimberly Smith/AJC

A large, comfy chair with a hammered copper basin is among the soothing touches at The Art of Touch Day Spa in Sugar Hill, one of many places to get pampered.

RELATED: • More Gwinnett news • More North Fulton news • More state and local news

That dilemma is for you to decide. To tease you we uncovered places that offer delightful pampered pleasures close to home and a day-trip away.

Here's what we found.

The Art of Touch Day Spa

225 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Sugar Hill. 770-904-2991, www.artoftouchdayspa.com

It's serene. Mixed scents of geranium, eucalyptus and spearmint greeted us at the door.

Owner and former massage therapist Tracy Ann Unsworth opened the full service spa in 2005.

Unsworth lives in Smyrna, but discovered Sugar Hill was an ideal area for her brand of pampering. She created a Grecian old-world theme with seafoam green walls and white molded ceilings. The rooms are decorated with tranquil waterfalls and Greek statues. And the hallways are flanked with ancient Rome drapery.

Nancy Wilson, 63, of Suwanee had just received a Swedish massage, when we arrived.

"I'd notice the spa's sign when I would drive past and one day I decided to come in and make an appointment," she said. "I haven't had a massage in a while, but this is the best I've ever had."

Prices at the luxury spa are as low as $15 for a lip wax to more than $300 for a full day of spa indulgence.

When you arrive

Visitors change into a cream waffle-weave cotton robe with a wrap skirt underneath and slippers, and wait for their service in the dimly lit and plush "relaxation room."

I was greeted by Sheila Hyatt, the esthetician, who escorted me to the spa room for my facial.

The One-Hour Facial

I'm not much of a facial girl. In the past, a massage seemed to be more of a relaxing choice. On the rare occasions that I have a facial, I forgo the extractions. All that picking would backfire on my sensitive skin. Hyatt preferred to do the extractions but pleasantly accommodated my request.

• Step 1. A helpful consultation. Hyatt inquired about skin care products and any problem areas. For instance, I learned that the oil build-up in my T-zone area may be resolved if I use an exfoliant regularly.

• Step 2. After I reclined under cozy covers on the massage table, I fell into a relaxed state. Light ambient music played overhead in the low-lit room.

• Step 3. Eye covers were placed over my lids and Hyatt turned on a bright light to analyze my skin closely.

• Step 4. The lights went dim again and the eye covers were removed. Then the esthetician applied a skin prep scrub to exfoliate my skin and remove dead skin particles. Just above, a warm steamer blew soothing hot air into my face. From behind the top of the table, Hyatt applied a cleansing lotion to my face and paraffin to my hands, which were slipped into warm mitts.

&bull Step 5. A massage around my face, neck, shoulders and arms. I drifted into a light sleep.

• Step 6. This is when extractions would normally happen. Hyatt moved on to apply a mask containing vitamin C.

• Step 7. A foot and calf rub were followed by a hand massage as the mitts were removed. I came out of my daze and accepted that the hour of relaxation was nearly over. The mask was removed and Hyatt gave my face a light moisturizer.

• To recap. It was as relaxing as a one-hour massage.

Pedicures

During one-hour treatments, clients sit in a comfy room on soft cream chairs that face a water wall window, which has a quiet self-contained waterfall system. (The waterfall feature was not working on our visit.) Feet soak over river rock stones placed at the bottom of a copper basin. Near the end of the treatment, the lower legs are rubbed in shea butter cream and wrapped.

Hydrotherapy treatments

A variety of mud and detox treatments are offered in the hydro tub, which sits in a blue-tiled room with a bar of shower heads above. The tub is designed with 72 air jets to relax the body. "A lot of men book this before or after a massage," Unsworth said.

MORE LOCAL FULL-SERVICE SPAS

Lulu A Day Spa

401 Pilgrim Mill Road, Cumming. 770-888-0046, www.luluadayspa.com.

• Beautiful Back. Think facial for your back. The skin is cleansed, exfoliated and receives a mask before the extractions. The cost is $35 for 30 minutes; $75 for 60 minutes.

Spa Degas

The Art of Skin Care, 9700 Medlock Bridge Road, Duluth. 678-473-7766, www.spadegas.net.

• Eyelash extensions. Technicians dip either individual or a cluster of lashes in glue and place them on top of the client's natural lash. The cost is $200.

• The spa offers a membership for $25 per month. Clients can receive unlimited one-hour massages or 1 1/2- hour aromaplasty facials for $30 per visit versus $75 for nonmembers.

Michel's Salon and Day Spa

1000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suwanee. 770-932-1001, www.michelsdayspa.com.

• Reflexology. When pressure points are touched during this foot massage, energy is released throughout the body. "It's an old Oriental massage," said co-owner Geni Nejem. "All the nerves are connected and it relaxes the whole body." The cost is $60 for 60 minutes.

• Hot stone massage. Heated stones are placed on the body in a specific order. The therapist massages the body as the stones are removed. The cost is $90 for 75 minutes.

Skin and Body Harmony

1324 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain. 770-925-8505, www.skinandbodyharmony.com.

• Chocolate Body Treatment. It's not an actual chocolate rub down. But chocolate fanatics can pick their favorite oil scent such as raspberry cherry chocolate or chocolate cake, which will be used for a body scrub or a mud wrap. The cost is $85 for 60 minutes.

"If [the client] chooses a wrap, we will paint on the mud and allow it to absorb the body's impurities. Then it's removed with warm towels," said owner Dawn Warner. "With a scrub, the whole body is exfoliated ... and we apply a thick moisturizing body butter."

Nordstrom Day Spa

Inside Nordstrom at Perimeter Mall, 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-394-1141, www.nordstrom.com.

• Men's fitness facial. Reminiscent of an old-school barbershop facial, this is a deep-pore cleansing with hot towels wrapped around the face. A blue hydrating facial mask is also applied with a hand and foot massage. The cost is $95 for 60 minutes.

Renew Day Spa

4347 Shallowford Road, East Cobb. 770-998-8592. www.renewdayspa.com.

• Skin Glow Body Polish. Clients lie in what's called the Vichy wet room, on a table with six shower heads above. A soft dry brush exfoliation is given, followed by a sugar scrub with lavender, tangerine or other scents. The scrub is rinsed with a hand wand and followed by an eight-minute soak under the "rain" bar. Clients move into another room where an oil is applied. The cost is $85 for 60 minutes.

Spa Sydell

Park Place at 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody; Cumberland Mall at 1000 Cumberland Mall, Atlanta; 10593 Alabama Connector, Alpharetta; The Forum at 5155 Peachtree Parkway, Norcross; and Gwinnett Place, 2255 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth. 770-255-7727, www.spasydell.com.

• Pre-natal massage. A Swedish massage for expectant moms who are past the first trimester help alleviate back and leg pain. Trained therapists position the client with a prenatal pillow to support the baby. The cost is $90 for 60 minutes.

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By LORI JOHNSTON / For AJC Gwinnett News

SPAS A LITTLE FARTHER OUT

Tranquility isn't simply a name at lake location

There's a slight sense of sadness before we reach Tranquility, the new spa at Lake Lanier Islands. The lake looks dismal with its long, parched shoreline. Thoughts about the drought lead to other frustrations, from hectic fall days to holiday to-do lists that loom ahead. Those large stress knots in my neck are pleading for an afternoon of pampering.

Tranquility opened this summer, taking over the former golf course clubhouse at Lake Lanier Islands. The staff is creating a relaxing spot that was hopping with others seeking serenity. My mother and sister joined me, giving us a girls' day that we had anticipated all week.

Checking in, we were asked to fill out a sheet with any ailments or special concerns. My desires weren't of a medical nature, just of a mental one — a comfortable thick robe, stress-relieving massage and time to chill out. All those were easy to come by, just as I would expect from a high-end spa.

The robes and sandals, which come one size fits all, were located in lockers, found in an antechamber on the other side of the spa's entryway. The only wrinkle: the location of the lockers. There's often a traffic jam. It's just like working in a kitchen where there appears to be plenty of room. But just when you start trying to do something, there seemed to be a major traffic jam with people coming from all directions.

A waiting area adjacent to the changing facilities offered hot tea, water and cookies. It had a cozy feel, but the size could make it a problem on busy days as well. Instead of formal dressing rooms, the changing area is a restroom next door with two bathroom stalls and a shower. Items like razors and shampoo are available, along with soft towels, and there's a large countertop with room for freshening up makeup or hair.

Once I pulled the robe around me, those minor inconveniences didn't seem to matter. The room my female massage therapist led me into was dim and warm, just right for a 50-minute Swedish massage, which costs $90. Remembering a previous bad massage where the therapist asked me questions the entire time and talked about her life, I braced for a chatty therapist. Instead, once a few simple questions were out of the way, there was no conversation, just the low sound of music. While she worked on the physical signs of my stress, I worked on pushing aside thoughts of deadlines and to-do lists. By the time a mask was placed on my eyes to block out the light, I was smiling. The pressure the massage therapist used was perfect (in previous massages elsewhere, I've had to ask for a lighter touch). The oils weren't too overwhelming either. I was nearing restful sleep, just as the treatment ended. I was allowed a few minutes to savor the experience before leaving the room.

Back in the waiting area, I embraced more robe time in one of the four upholstered chairs, enjoying the chance to read magazines without my 21-month-old, Ty, wanting to point to all the pictures. Unfortunately, there's no whirlpool or steam room.

Then it was back to the restroom to change, where I was happy to realize that my shoulders were knot-free. We wanted to experience the spa's waterless manicure and pedicure, but no nail technicians were working the Saturday of our visit. (To help conserve water, the waterless manicure and pedicure skip the soaking of your hands and feet in a tub of water. Spa officials say it helps polish stay on longer, too.)

Unable to linger any longer, we stepped out of the spa as dusk was approaching. We caught a glimpse of the start of the Magical Nights of Lights display, putting a finishing touch on our day of Tranquility.

Lake Lanier Islands, 7000 Holiday Road, Buford

• Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, closed Monday

• Treatments: Facials, $50-$135; massages, $35-$180; body treatments, $40-$125; makeup services and hair removal, $12-$90; nail services, $5-$60 (waterless manicure $30, pedicure $40); packages, $135-$525.

• Cancellation policy: 24 hours in advance, or charged 100 percent for the services

• Info: 678-318-7887, www.lakelanierislands.com/spa

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By H.M. CAULEY / For AJC Gwinnett News

A state for serenity: N.C. offers relaxing getaways

Hiking, boating, golfing and swimming have always been part of the lure of Highlands, N.C. But for a lot of folks, a relaxing weekend retreat doesn't involve strapping on a backpack and grabbing a walking stick.

If it's pampering, indulgence and an escape from the ordinary you crave, Highlands has that, too, all under one roof at the Old Edwards Inn. This opulently refurbished resort offers all the mountain activities, but there's also a top-notch day spa where the crowd that goes in for sipping iced cucumber water while having a pedicure will find all the services they could want.

Everything about this resort on the busiest corner of the main street drips elegance, from the fresh roses in the public and guest rooms to the heated towel racks and tile floors in the bathrooms. After a $50 million expansion, there's not much left of the former Old Edwards.

At the spa, guests are steamed, scrubbed, wrapped and moisturized. The elegantly appointed space is two floors of dark woods, chandeliers and quiet where cellphones are banned. The treatment rooms, off a wood-paneled, oval foyer, include a couple's massage room with a soaking tub, lit by flickering candles. The spa's claim to fame is its "rainforest rejuvenation room," an ornately tiled steam chamber where guests loll for 45 minutes amid scented steam, hot and cold shower sprays and pulse-point water jets. An array of scrubs and muds are provided for guests.

One of the spa's signature treatments is its Mountain Metamorphosis, in which guests are gently massaged with a fragrant blend of herbs, then lathered with moisturizers before being gently wrapped in warm sheets. After being unfurled, it's a good time to try out the spa's nap room, a quiet space with two curtained beds where guests may stretch out that feeling of total relaxation.

The spa staff also delivers lunch and beverages to a terrace, so there's no need to change out of the soft robe while eating. Hair and nail salons are housed in separate areas near the spa as well. In between treatments, guests are invited to enjoy the gender-segregated steam rooms, saunas and whirlpools.

Guests of the inn also enjoy a mineral water swimming pool, hot tub and fitness center. But you don't have to check in to head to the spa or dine at Madison's, the lobby restaurant with dishes such as lobster with sweet corn risotto, roasted duck breast with potato and leek souffle or champagne-braised trout.

• Treatment prices: $20-$425

• Directions: Take I-85 north to I-985 north that becomes U.S. 23; right on Larry McClurrie Highway/246 that becomes N.C. 106; right on U.S. 64; the Inn is at the corner of U.S. 64 and Fourth Street in Highlands.

High Hampton Health Club

A short drive from Highlands takes visitors to Cashiers, where the High Hampton Inn has been part of the mountain scenery for more than a century. This rustic wood lodge, known as a family destination, sits amid 1,400 pristine acres that include lakes, gardens, a golf course, tennis courts and hiking trails.

Guests mingle around the two-sided stone fireplace in the spacious lobby before and after buffet meals in the dining room, where multiple tables are laden with soups, salads, desserts and entrees such as fried chicken, rainbow trout and prime rib. After filling up, watch the stars from the wraparound porch.

Adjacent to the grounds is the Hampton Health Club with a fitness center, steam showers and spa. Guests and day-trippers can check in for a range of skin care and relaxation services featuring Babor botanical products. Guests relax with flavored iced water or herbal teas in between manicures and pedicures, warm river stone massages, body polishes and herbal body wraps. The signature treatment is a mineral body masque that starts with a gentle exfoliation followed by a coating of cool mineral mud.

Veteran spa-goers will find all the treatments they favor on the menu • with an additional attraction. The spa employs a masseuse specially trained in the art of ashiatsu, an ancient form of barefoot massage that uses the feet to apply relaxing strokes. The pressure and weight are controlled by the masseuse, who holds onto two parallel bars mounted in the ceiling above the massage table. Sound kinky? Just the opposite: It's one of the most relaxing ways to be massaged.

• Treatment prices: $20 to $150

• Directions: Take I-85 north to I-985 north that becomes U.S. 23; right on Larrry McClurrie Highway/246 that becomes N.C. 106; right on U.S. 64; right on N.C. 107.