Tipping at the medical spa creates quite a bit of confusion. I already blogged blog tipping at the medical spa and quite a few people have asked questions. "I just had my third glycolic peel and it just occurred to me…should I be tipping?" wrote Dara. "I haven’t. It’s a very short appointment and very expensive. " Another person was getting laser treatments and wondered about tipping the esthetician. Many medical spas don't allow tipping because it interferes with their "medical" image. Others allow it, especially if they offer traditional treatments like facials, massage, even waxing. I would tip 15-20% for traditional treatments and glycolics if they are part of an overall facial. I like to tip, so even if it's s "quickie" and I liked the experience, I would probably give the esthetician a $10. For a more lengthy treatment using lasers, I would probably give him or her $20. How about you? Do you tip at the medical spa?

Atlantic City has a lavish new hotel spa called Immersion, brought to you by the same people who built the Vegas-worthy Borgata. But where The Borgata has a ground floor devoted to the pleasures of gaming (to which I, for one, am immune), The Water Club by Borgata is being called Atlantic City's first "non-gaming boutique-lifestyle hotel." What makes a $400 million, 800-room hotel "boutique" I'm not sure. Boutique used to mean small. But The Water Club has five indoor and outdoor pools, a two-story spa, six retail shops, and no casino in sight. High design includes limestone columns, rich marble detailing and plush handmade rugs interwoven with gentle water features to create alluring spaces that soothe and revitalize. The Spa at The Water Club, a 36,000-square-foot sanctuary with floor-to-ceiling windows and 180-degree ocean views, is a compilation of some of the latest spa trends - personalized tea service, Ayurvedic treatments, heated hammams, dry float soft packs, iPod docking stations with customizable music, men’s and women’s lounges with flat panel televisions, and oxygen-infused treatments. All the fun takes place in 16 "experience" rooms. I guess calling them treatment rooms isn't sexy enough anymore.