Spa returns from fire as updated day resort
Stagflation? Recession? Bah! Sometimes you have to forget the troubles of a work-a-day world, milk the budget every now and then for a little extra and splurge for some special me-time.

Avanti Day Resort, in the Design Center on Route 9 south, Manalapan, now offers people a chance to do just that. Those who need to recharge their batteries can head to Avanti to be pampered, soothed or just generally cosseted.

Avanti Day Resort was formerly known as the Avanti Salon and Spa and had been at the same location since 1997 until a fire that is believed to have originated in a naildryer destroyed the former facility a year ago. The staff remained available to the spa's clients over the past year, albeit scattered among a few area locations.

Now everyone is back under the same roof. Spokeswoman Ellen Canto said that in addition to a sophisticated getaway, Avanti is also offering its guests "an accessible escape for those seeking unsurpassed services and unique treatments, all in an exquisite environment with countless amenities."

The newAvanti Day Resort is a brilliant re-creation of the former salon and spa, with new services available in a new atmosphere that proves inviting upon first glance. The business is owned by Luda and Victor Conti.

A club atmosphere marks the entry area complete with music with a techno beat, while a door away waits the languor of massage music that lends itself more to the meditative than dance.

Products offered for sale in the retail boutique include a skin care line imported from Hungary which is also used in the facial services available in the skin care salon treatments.

Canto said the new resort was designed so that guests enjoy a "cozy ambiance" that flows in tandem with the convenience and luxury of having a world-class day spa that features a full service salon.

Services available include medi-spa services, teeth whitening, barber services, and boutique shopping featuring unique home decor and jewelry.

Men's tonsorial services are offered in a Male Executive Retreat.

All guests are greeted at the concierge services desk and upon checking in may then enjoy the complimentary café.

Guests arriving for hair services may relax at the Color Bar which features a magazine reading area, a television and Internet service, or peruse the Kérastase ParisHair Spa which is a L'Oréal company.

Unique toAvanti are the Yumimassage chairs which, according to Canto, are a new trend in the beauty industry and can only be found in the United States at Avanti.

All of the massage rooms, those for individuals or couples, have special Z-1 massage tables. The Z-1 tables, also unique to Avanti, feature chromatherapy or color therapy and have a layer of gel and warm water underneath the cover so that clients feel like they are floating on warm water.

- Kathy Baratta