K There are sensations like standing in the Celestial Shower under the brilliant desert stars that can t be explained; they just have to be experienced.

SL Resorts six spas fit together like pieces of a puzzle that reflects the development of spas in the United States. From the first masseur hired at La Quinta Resort & Club in 1946 to the establishment of La Costa Resort & Spa as the nation s first full-service resort spa, they continue to grow and expand the concept of the spa experience.

La Quinta has moved through the eras of Hollywood glamour, even serving as the inspiration for Frank Capra s It Happened One Night. Treatments stand between the ancient Native American treatments and cutting-edge modern concepts. Designed by TAG Gaylean, the 23,000-square foot spa makes creative use of the desert and dramatic scenery as well as the more than 40 interior treatment rooms.

Spa Director Cristina Cascio says she feels privileged to be there. When I come to work in the morning and I look at the mountains, she says. When I work with the extremely talented people here, I know I am very fortunate. The guests know (it s special here) too. There are sensations like standing in the Celestial Shower under the brilliant desert stars that can t be explained; they just have to be experienced.

Claiming the title of the nation s first full-service resort spa, La Costa Resort & Spa opened in 1965, reinventing itself in 2003 with the new Spa at La Costa designed by Sylvia Sepielli. Spa-goers declare essential intentions to indulge, invigorate or inspire. The new Athletic Club is an 8,000-square foot high tech fitness center, home to the United States Golf Fitness Association. The Spanish colonial style spa attends to principles of feng shui, and the Chopra Center (founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon) that brings Ayurvedic principles to La Costa.

Although the Arizona Biltmore Spa was opened in 1998, the same year Spa La Quinta was unveiled in its present form, the resort itself actually predates La Quinta. The only spa resort in whose design Frank Lloyd Wright figured first opened Feb. 23, 1929. The list of luminaries included stars like Irving Berlin, who created masterpieces poolside (including, strangely enough, White Christmas). In the 1990s the resort took its current shape, first with a three-part $50 million project completed in January 1996, including elements as diverse as a luxury residential complex and a 92-foot water slide.

Spa Claremont at the Claremont Resort and Spa on San Francisco Bay also defines the spa experience with seven journeys. The 20,000 square-foot sanctuary was recently renovated and capitalizes on its urban setting with lounge areas and hydrotherapy baths with panoramic views of the city. The idea of the full-day retreat in an urban setting is central to Spa Claremont, where guests who reserve more than two spa treatments enjoy Club privileges for the day at the fitness center, group fitness and wellness classes, and two swimming pools.

California s other KSL property is also located near an urban center San Diego where pampering treatments include some designed for beachgoers, and treatments to relieve sore surfing muscles or soothe sunburned skin. The Spa at the Del (Hotel del Coronado) offers an impressive range of treatments, from Ayurvedic to mud therapy, herbal and body wraps and a menu of teen treatments, nurturing the spagoers of the future.

Going even further west, the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa redefined Hawaiian spas when it opened in 1991. Also designed by Sepielli; it remains the largest and most comprehensive resort spa on the islands. The combination of traditional regional Hawaiian techniques with European, American and Eastern treatments is the exact wave of the present, with roots in the region, but drawing on the world.

The six spas appear in the top picks for Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Zagat, Shape, and Elle. They continue to grow to meet the changing needs of spa-lovers. We have a very exciting role to play in inner and outer healing, Cascio says. It is a story that goes on and on, and whenever we find that we have achieved something wonderful, another door opens and we see a new place to go.

For more information visit www.kslresorts.com.