Chrysalis Inn spa: A place that's serious about relaxation

Most resort spas are pretty quiet. You might wander in and spy a masseuse flexing her fingers, waiting for the next client, or find someone slicing cucumbers behind a counter.

The Chrysalis Inn's spa is quiet, too, but there's a lot going on behind closed doors. With eight treatment rooms and 73 staff, the place really hums on a busy Friday.

To spa director Sandi Robb, it's a business that's serious about relaxation.

"I'm very passionate about what I do," said Robb, 40. "When I hire people, I tell them, 'We can change people's lives here.' "

She just oversaw a monthlong renovation of the spa, which included everything from fresh paint ("a fabulous green, I don't remember what it's called, but it's known to calm jet lag") to the installation of a special Rhassoul (named for a cosmetic clay from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco) hydrotherapy room with heated benches inlaid with agates. "There's nothing like it anywhere around here; there's a couple of them in Vegas," she said proudly.

A Colorado native formerly in the health-club industry in Seattle, Robb has worked more than five years at the Chrysalis, where she's overseen the spa for 18 months. "I love the family feel at the inn, we have a lot of people who've been here since we opened."

And for her part, whether a guest has just finished an Oceanic Detox Wrap (with heated seaweed, $95) or a Lomi Lomi (traditional Hawaiian massage, $120), "I want everyone to walk out with their jaw dropped, saying 'Wow!' "

— Brian J. Cantwell