2012 Readers' Choice Awards Crystal Winners

The votes are in, and our readers have spoken! Celebrate our 2012 Readers' Choice Award winners in the Crystal category: These luxury spas from six continents truly sparkle.

Best in North America

The award-winning Miraval, with its personalized attention, wellness programming, sumptuous casita-style guest accommodations and innovative Life in Balance Spa, has defined itself as an icon in the spa industry.

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Spa Time

Mind, body and spirit take center stage at Life in Balance Spa with Clarins, where design, along with select treatments, is inspired by the desert landscape. More than 100 body, facial and salon services are available, including the Sacred Stone Journey.

Food for Thought

Savory gourmet dishes emphasizing an organic diet rich in grains and low in saturated fats are on the menu here.

Best in South America

Located in Buenos Aires' La Recoleta district, not far from business and cultural landmarks, the Four Seasons Hotel features Germaine de Capuccini treatments, fine dining and 116 rooms and 49 suites, seven of them housed in an adjacent belle epoque-inspired mansion.

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Spa Time

You'll find pure indulgence at the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, where a menu of treatments based upon the Germaine de Capuccini natural product line relax and inspire. This includes the Porteño Tango: The signature ritual begins with a back exfoliation, followed by a classic Argentinian hot stone massage; massage techniques are choreographed to the beat of tango music.

Food for Thought

Major highlights of this resort include its three restaurants: La Mansion, where you'll mingle with other hotel guests and locals alike during brunch; Le Petit Mistral, which serves modern Argentinian fare and Mendozan wines; and Le Mistral, an Argentinian bistro with an upscale feel.

Best in Europe

We say oui to Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris; this eight-story hotel in the City of Light dates back to 1928 and is located steps from the Champs-Elysées. Interiors boast 18th-century tapestries and an impressive art collection, and private terraces overlook spectacular Paris vistas.

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Spa Time

This luxury spa dazzles with luxe amenities—saunas, whirlpools, an indoor pool—and a vast menu of treatments such as the signature "A Stroll to Versailles." Inspired by former Queen of France Marie Antoinette's beauty treatments at Versailles, this ritual begins with a steamed orange blossom body scrub followed by a massage, and concludes with a milky facial and, possibly the best part—macarons!

Food for Thought

Epicureans will enjoy the two-Michelin-star Le Cinq restaurant, which serves traditional French cuisine created with fresh, regional ingredients in a refined setting bejeweled in grey and gold.

Best in Australia

Gwinganna has long been a spa hotspot: Set on 500 acres of minimally altered rainforest and bushland along Australia's Gold Coast, the spa features numerous holistic programming and specialty retreats, gourmet organic cuisine, a 33-room Spa Sanctuary and an outdoor yoga deck built on Mount Gwinganna.

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Spa Time

Signature treatments balance with amenities like two separate facilities: the 33-room Spa Sanctuary and the Signature Spa Suites, which comprise indoor and outdoor treatment areas. Eco-friendly architecture and design (crafted with natural materials like timber, copper and blue stone) include couple's treatment rooms with spacious decks and glass showers; an amethyst crystal steam room; a Whisper Lounge; and an outdoor pebble garden.

Food for Thought

Delight in meals that include nutritionally balanced organic seafood, meat and vegetarian options in the hotel's dining room. Food requirements can be planned with the help of Gwinganna's chefs and nutritionists; guest packages include three meals daily, along with morning and afternoon tea.

Best in Africa

Said to be the honeymoon site for Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, this beachfront hotel off the eastern Umhlanga coastline, near Durban, includes a holistic spa surrounded by lush foliage, beach access, a cinema and family friendly activities.

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Spa Time

The crown jewel of the Spa at the Oyster Box, surrounded by tropical foliage filled with chattering monkeys and exotic birds, is its authentic hammam, currently South Africa's only one. Holistic a la carte treatments and extensive spa journeys using B | Africa products round out the spa experience.

Food for Thought

When it's time to eat, head to Grill Room for regional fare and freshly caught seafood, or the Mediterranean-style Ocean Terrace, famed for its curry buffet.

Best in Asia

Chiva-Som, meaning "haven of life," describes this beachside spa destination perfectly. Warm Thai hospitality, a tropical seven-acre locale and an extensive spa menu of healthy living treatments have made visitors from around the world travel to this destination near the Gulf of Siam.

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Spa Time

Services echo the spa's philosophy, balancing Eastern traditions combined with contemporary Western treatments, as well as "healing through water" techniques. Enjoy a consultation upon arrival to design your customized health plan and select among a la carte treatments or detailed programs from the holistic, medical or spa menus. Plus, refresh in the wet treatment areas: a watsu pool, exercise and plunge pools, hydro-Jacuzzi and Kneipp therapy.

Food for Thought

Dine on healthful dishes prepared with local herbs and spices at the resort's award-winning restaurants. Taste of Siam serves Thai spa cuisine, while Emerald offers international fare.