Mobile Spas to Die For!
Diamonds and Strawberries! Oh My!

By Jen Kay

For those who can't relax long enough to relax, Spa on Location may be your only hope. If your stock answer to the question of self-indulgent luxury is "I don't have the time", you may have to cook up another excuse. There is a new sector of the spa industry that understands the needs of their most time-pressed clients. This is an increasingly common situation with scores of women running their own businesses, often stretching the work clock to its limit, relegating luxury to some undetermined point in the distant future.

Although many spas of note are located just outside of Los Angeles, the drive through downtown, or the 405 guarantees a less than Zen journey to any oasis in the quasi-desert. Instead, technology and demand has prompted a few exclusive (and clever) spas to offer mobile services. Save the gas money and pony up for an extra service instead, perhaps "The Dream Girl Massage" which uses a million dollars in diamonds as part of the ultimate-in-excess spa experience.

As is the case with Spa on Location, these professionals offer paradise encased in the form of a thirty six foot RV. Set up a party from two to a thousand guests, with all the beauty essentials arriving at the location of your choice in the Spa on Location "Mobile Oasis" RV. Standard services for the basic spa party include mini-pedicures and chair massages performed by licensed massage therapists.

Hand chosen by founder Maria Aparis these massage therapists have specialties ranging from sports therapy to facial massage. Maria is quite an effervescent and savvy one woman show. She's got her hands in everything from personally training new massage therapists to handling the PR, developing new business plans, and coordinating company expansion. No wonder she owns a company specializing in mobile spa relaxation treatments. Surely, she is her own best customer.

Such luxury would be the perfect wedding present on the big day for any bride-to-be, as services offered include eyelash extensions, spray tanning, make-up, hair styling, and of course, a bevy of other services to boot. The RV features a "Zen Room", complete with running fountains, plush bathrobes, and aromatically therapeutic scents. Calming herbal teas with the slightest naughty touch of freshly chocolate covered strawberries are served by Spa on Location technicians.

Facials, manicures, pedicures, tanning, facials and waxing are actually on the low end of the extravagance spectrum in this case. Spa on Location is most noted for their "Dream Girl Massage", which lays one million dollars in diamonds along the spine, while a skilled (and trusted!) technician utilizes them in stone therapy to help loosen and relax the muscles. This is a specialty by order service that has sparked a good deal of media attention.

Spa on Location partners with Heart on Fire Diamonds, who literally secure the precious diamonds en route with extra security and an armored Brinks truck. S.O.L. has recently brought this extravagance back on the menu, albeit with a slightly less conspicuous entourage. Currently, they have no plans to include the "Aspiring Girl" Cubic Zirconia Massage that would more likely appeal to change purse of the rest of us non-Hollywood starlet types.

Notable clients include the cast of Desperate Housewives, who generally favor the Swedish massage, according to founder Aparis. N.F.L. athletes trust Spa on Location for their licensed sports therapy and deep tissue massages. The approach is very individualized, tending to the specific needs of each client. Maria's friendly and relaxed demeanor is a contrast to others who traverse high society circles, and she ensures that those who work for her company share the same ethic.

Maria Aparis has earned a reputation as being a stickler for detail, clearly a necessary skill when catering to those who always have the option of going somewhere else. As the premier prep spa for the Oscars and the Victoria' Secret Fashion Show, Spa on Location has fostered loyalty from the most beautiful women in the world. Luckily, the feeling of Hollywood royalty is surprisingly affordable, and rolls in front of your house, painting your envious neighbors the most delightful shade of green.

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