The Best Hotel and Resort Spas for 2006 have been identified in the following popular vacation categories:

– Family Vacations
– Bachelorette Retreats
– Urban Renewal
– Golfers
– Mother/Daughter Getaway
– Romantic Getaway
– Fitness

The complete lists shown on the following page are also available online at www.mobiltravelguide.com.

“Ironically, the stress of planning a summer vacation can sometimes outweigh the relaxation it is supposed to provide,” said Shane O’Flaherty, Vice President of Quality Assurance for Mobil Travel Guide. “We’ve sought to minimize that stress by helping vacationers wishing to enjoy a spa experience quickly pinpoint properties that have offerings and amenities specific to the kind of trip they’re planning.”

For example, guests at The Spa at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, a Mobil Four-Star property on the “Best for Family Vacation” list, can enjoy a luxurious spa experience at a resort offering activities the whole family can enjoy, including an on-site nature discovery center, nightly alligator tours, a children’s pool, and even a kids’ camp.

All the spas named have a minimum of a Mobil Three-star rating, earning them a “Best Spas in America” designation from Mobil Travel Guide. The ratings, determined by Mobil Travel Guide’s undercover, expert inspectors, are based on more than 450 objective criteria. Just two spas, the Spa Montage in Laguna Beach, California and the Spa at the Mandarin Oriental New York, earned the coveted Mobil Five-star rating this year. A complete list of the Mobil Star-rated spas for 2006, as well as comprehensive reviews on thousands of spas, hotels, and restaurants, are provided by HowStuffWorks and found at www.mobiltravelguide.com.