6 splurge-worthy spas for max relaxation in San Antonio

Weekend plans sorted

The Thompson Hotel San Antonio

It can be difficult to embark on a "treat yourself" spree when tallying up the costs of self-care. Skimming the extensive (and often expensive) menu of available services at any given spa, special treatments can feel like a waste of money. Thankfully for San Antonians, we're surrounded by local spas offering much more than the standard massage or facial. From award-winning hotel spas to salons offering boutique beauty services, here are six San Antonio spas where the end result is worth every penny.

Mokara Spa
As the city's only Forbes four-star spa, the Mokara is widely recognized as one of the best spas in the world, not just San Antonio. And you don't have to be a hotel guest to enjoy a service at the 17,000 square foot spa itself, where prices will cost $100 and up, depending on the service. Spring for the signature facial treatment, where a trained esthetician will customize a skincare regimen to your own personal needs. They also have treatments like body wraps, pedicures, manicures, massages, customized spa packages, and more. Book a service here.

Loma de Vida Spa
Looking for a way to treat a mom-to-be in your life for Mother's Day? Treat her to the Babymoon experience at La Cantera Resort's Loma de Vida spa. The experience include's a couples massage, a baby belly facial for the mom in question, and a chance for her to take some time to float peacefully in the spa's outdoor pool and enjoy lunch or a snack in one of the private cabanas. The entire experience is $555, but the spa offers weekday discounts and those Hill Country views are worth it. Book a service here.

The Thompson San Antonio Hotel Spa
It's hard not to feel like Goldilocks when entering the Thompson Hotel spa, because everything is justright from the second you walk in. Pricing for spa services range upwards from $100, but the spa offers some cost-effective spa packages (the Relax and Recharge package includes a 50-minute massage and 50-minute facial for $350, for example), or the Thompson Hotel spa membership, which includes benefits like 2 complimentary day passes a month for friends and family, 20 percent off spa services, and more. Book a service here.

The Spa at Eilan
If you're looking for a couple's treatment, the Eilan spa has a lot of options, from the Soothe for Two Rasul service (essentially a private steam and aromatherapy session), a couple's hot stone massage, or a men's facial. The spa at Eilan also has a wide assortment of spa packages that include a facial and massage in the set price. If you've never tried a body wrap before, the Eilan spa has a signature Hanakasumi body treatment, which features the calming scents of cherry blossom and lotus flower. Prices start around $110, and you can book a service here.

Folawns Medical Spa and Salon
If you're feeling a bit sluggish after a long week, you might want to try something other than a standard facial or massage. Folawns Medical Spa and Salon offers vitamin B12 shots that'll give you a boost that's both more natural and more convenient than having to stop at Starbucks. For only $20 a shot, it also helps boost your immunity, too. Folawns also offers other treatments like hydrafacials, IV treatments, laser hair removal and more. Book a service here.

Beauty Haus SA
Have you ever felt like you walked straight into a TikTok reel? Beauty Haus SA's got you covered on that front, but they aren't just about the 'gram: The talented staff offers a wide assortment of relaxing treatments, from massages and facials to lash lifts, brow tints, lip plumpers, and more. This writer tried her first ever lash lift and tint at Beauty Haus. They're not kidding when they say you won't need mascara for at least 4-6 weeks, as long as you apply castor oil to your lashes. The starting price for the lash lift and tint starts at $75 dollars (prices vary based on the technician) but it's definitely a nice confidence booster. Book a service here.

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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is ridiculous and fun at the same time

Movie Review

The Transformers series has been one marked by near universal derision by the critics and (mostly) massive box office, highlighting the divide between those who watch movies for a living and those who just go for fun. Given that history, it seemed unlikely that the latest film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, would unite the two factions.

Like the last film, Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts is a prequel to the Transformers films directed by Michael Bay from 2007-2017 (Bay remains as a producer). Set in 1994, it features a way-too-complicated story involving something called the Transwarp device prized by three separate groups of Transformers: The Autobots led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen); the Maximals, animal-esque bots led by Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman); and the Terrorbots, led by Scourge (Peter Dinklage). One guess as to which of those groups is the evil one.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Mirage (Pete Davidson) in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is a former soldier in Manhattan who can’t find a job and tries his best to take care of his sickly brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez). Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) works at a museum on Ellis Island, where she encounters an artifact with unusual markings. Through a series of unlikely but still fun events, both of them are dragged into the conflict between the Transformers, with nothing less than the fate of the universe at stake.

Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and written by a team of five writers, the film is as ridiculous as any of the previous iterations, and yet somehow it becomes the most entertaining entry yet. Some of this has to do with the human characters, who are given engaging scenes outside of the ones with Transformers, allowing them to be relatable instead of just pawns in the robot battles.

The trifecta of Transformer groups turn out to be actually interesting, rather than an excuse to fill the screen with CGI nonsense. The Autobots, as usual, are the main heroes, and with Bumblebee using movie quotes to talk and Mirage (Pete Davidson) lobbing wisecracks constantly, they’re rarely unentertaining. Having the animal-like Maximals on board gives a new dimension, and the seemingly unstoppable Scourge makes for an intimidating villain.

That’s not to say, of course, that the film doesn’t devolve into chaos on multiple occasions. Several of the battles, including the final sequence, seem designed to be almost incomprehensible. But Caple and the visual effects team appear to have understood that clarity makes for a better moviegoing experience, and so even as bedlam reigns, there’s a level of focus to the film that other films in the series have not had.

Even though his character isn’t fully fleshed out, Ramos brings a kind of streetwise energy to the role that makes him stand out. Fishback is not given as much to do, but she’s still highly enjoyable. Cullen, who’s been voicing Optimus Prime since the 1980s, is still a commanding presence, allowing Davidson, Michelle Yeoh, Perlman, and more to bring their own unique flair to their characters.

It may be a low bar to jump, but Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the best film so far in the series, cracking the code of pairing humans with robots for a (semi)intelligible story. A late movie teaser will have fans geeking out over the future, but it’s best to enjoy this film for being as good as it is.

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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens in theaters on June 9.

San Antonio had the 3rd largest population increase in the U.S., new Census report says

POPULATION REPORT

We already know things are changing in Texas at large, but how about San Antonio? Now, six out of the 15 most populous cities in the United States are in the Lone Star State, and the Alamo City had one of the largest numeric population increases in the nation. The U.S. Census Bureau's latest findings add more validity to reports that less people are interested in living in the city proper, and are seeking residence in the suburbs.

San Antonio added nearly 18,900 new residents between July 2021 to July 2022, bringing the city's total population to nearly 1,473,000. That put San Antonio at No. 3 on the list of numerical increases (as opposed to proportional growth). For scale, the report lists Austin at 1.0 million. Fort Worth took the top spot with its gain of 19,170 residents, and Phoenix, Arizona earned No. 2 after adding 19,053 to its population count.

The top 10 cities with the largest numeric population increases are:

No. 1 – Fort Worth, Texas
No. 2 – Phoenix, Arizona
No. 3 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 4 – Seattle, Washington
No. 5 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 6 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 7 – Port St. Lucie, Florida
No. 8 – Cape Coral, Florida
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – Georgetown, Texas

New Braunfels also earned a nod in the report for being the No. 13 fastest growing city in 2022, and crossing the 100,000 population threshold. The city grew by 5.7 percent, adding up to 104,707 residents.

In an overall analysis of the 15 largest American cities in 2022, San Antonio ranked No. 7. Houston was the only Texas city that ranked higher at No. 4 with its population of over 2.3 million people. Dallas came in at No. 9 with a population of just under 1.3 million, and Austin barely made it into the top 10 with a population of 974,447 residents. Fort Worth ranked outside the top 10 at No. 13, with a population of 956,709.

The top 10 most populous American cities are:

No. 1 – New York City, New York
No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
No. 3 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – Phoenix, Arizona
No. 6 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 7 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 8 – San Diego, California
No. 9 – Dallas, Texas
No. 10 – Austin, Texas

The report additionally discovered that housing inventory skyrocketed by 1.6 million units between 2021 and 2022. Texas had the third fastest housing growth with a rate of 2.3 percent, versus Utah, which had the fastest growth at 3.3 percent.

San Antonio didn't make the cut in the list of the 10 most populous U.S. metro areas (as opposed to the cities, themselves), but Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ranked No. 4, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land ranked No. 5.

The full report can be found on census.gov.

The Disney Immersive Experience is now offering sensory-friendly viewings

A whole new world

The Disney Immersive Experience at Lighthouse ArtSpace San Antonio has found a way to be extra inclusive for Disney fans.

Starting on Saturday, June 17, there will be three sensory friendly viewings of the Disney Immersive Experience (you can purchase tickets for the specific sensory friendly performances here).

So what does a sensory friendly viewing entail exactly? For starters, the volume of the show is reduced for a more comfortable viewing experience for guests with special needs.

Other accommodations for the sensory friendly viewing include comfortable gallery lighting (and there will be no blackouts like there are in the regular showings), reduced guest capacity, sensitivity warnings at certain potentially agitating moments in the show, and quiet areas outside of the gallery (where the show takes place) so guests can take a break if the noise is too overwhelming.

After the first sensory friendly viewing on Saturday, June 17, the remaining two sensory friendly performances will take place on Sunday, July 16, and Sunday, August 13.

Every sensory friendly viewing will take place at 10 am. Make sure to select the correct time slot when booking tickets (the sensory friendly performances are also marked 'sensory show' on the online booking calendar.) The sensory friendly viewings are also priced exactly the same as the regular viewings.

The Disney Immersive Experience will be housed at Lighthouse ArtSpace until August 13, 2023, and tickets are still available for regular showings as well as the sensory friendly viewings.

:Inclusion is important to us with all of our offerings, but all the more so with Immersive Disney Animation, which is truly an exhibit where everyone should feel welcome," says Lighthouse Immersive producer Corey Ross via release. "These viewings reduce the sensory output of the show to offer a relaxed environment and judgment-free zone where the wonderful worlds and characters of Disney Animation Studios can be enjoyed by all.”

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