Best of Boston

2011 Best Day Spa, West

La Residencia Spa

You could go to one of those fancy spas with the stark furniture and the green apples stacked perfectly so. But when you’re in need of coddling, a place that’s more welcoming than antiseptic is refreshing. La Residencia, located in a renovated two-story house with shabby-chic décor, has a cozy vibe. And a day there feels less like a clinic visit and more like a day with girlfriends—girlfriends who wax, extract, and massage, that is.

336 Elliot St., Newton Upper Falls, 617-244-2280, laresidenciaspa.com