After more than 70 years on the corner of 54th and Fifth, Red Door Spa has moved the massage tables. And while the new five-star spa is just blocks from the old digs, it's a world away from the original spot's stark surroundings.
Occupying the top two floors of the Ferragamo building, the fresh space boasts 18 candlelit treatment rooms, a library for relaxing before and after treatments and a beautiful marble-accented locker room where guests can lounge in plush robes with cups of herbal tea.
Among the new amenities are a shop stocked with Elizabeth Arden's cultishly adored products (we love the Good Night's Sleep cream), a penthouse café and a sprawling rooftop sundeck. The sleek hair salon, run by former Frédéric Fekkai stylist Zahir Ziani, offers top-notch blowouts, cuts and colors.
The best treatments on the updated spa menu are the Ultimate Arden Facial ($265), which includes a youth-bestowing collagen mask; the 50-minute Desert Hot Stone Massage ($160); and the Body Glow treatment ($70), which smoothes and hydrates skin with an olive-oil-and-salt scrub.
Our favorite upgrade, though, is the hidden side entrance: It's invaluable for making a discreet exit after those lactic-acid peels.
Red Door Spa, 663 Fifth Ave. (between 52nd and 53rd sts.); 212-546-0200 or reddoorspas.com
