A Little Bit of Paradise: La Residencia Spa

is located in a lovely Newton Upper Falls home with an inviting garden, a quaint outside seating area and plenty of free, off-street parking. But it is the lush, comfortable, elegant interior that is the real secret to La Residencia.

Inspired by her time spent living in Spain, owner Jane Aransky returned to the US determined to reproduce the feel in Majorca’s Hotel La Residencia and in homes that she saw there.

“I created this this way,” explains Aransky, “because in most of Europe every house looks the same on the outside. But when you walk through the door, a new world opens. This is what this is.”

Aransky has what her husband, Peter, calls “intelligent hands.” Her Signature Facial – which runs a full 90 minutes, compared to most spas’ 45- or 60-minute treatments – is a fabulously relaxing combination of cleansing, exfoliating and massaging underscored by the most heavenly scents you can imagine.

A few years ago, Jane went back to school to get a Master’s in Counseling Psychology so that she could better address the emotional needs of her clients as well as their physical ones.

With this in mind, Aransky – who has already done a good deal of outreach to cancer survivors – wants to start offering specialized massage treatments to the recently bereaved. The idea that those who are suffering a loss “aren’t getting touched enough” resonated with Aransky to the point that she hopes to initially offer free services to those in need.

But really, aren’t we all in need of some sort of relaxation? La Residencia offers a full menu of facials, anti-aging treatments, massage and body treatments, waxing, makeup lessons and application, nail services and full spa packages. Aransky and her staff are willing to work with clients to make a visit to their spa a true escape from reality.