Ten Thousand Waves: book the private tub, then stay for lunch.

Ten Thousand Waves is iconic for a reason. It's a Japanese-inspired spa nestled into the mountains on the road to the Ski Basin, and visiting has become a cherished family tradition for us — back when our kids were small, then through the awkward middle, and now as a thing the whole family does together when we're all in town.

The move is the private hot tub session. They offer extensive spa treatments and pampering, but our favorite way to enjoy Waves is a private tub — complete with its own cold plunge and its own sauna. You get the full contrast experience without any of the public-pool awkwardness, in a small wooden enclosure surrounded by trees. We take the kids every time.

Two things matter on the booking: do it well in advance (these sessions book up, especially summer weekends and ski season afternoons), and pair it with a hike beforehand. Sun Mountain in the morning, lunch at Pasqual's, then the tub at 3 — that's a complete Santa Fe day.

Stay for Izanami. Their on-site Japanese restaurant is a destination in its own right — sushi, the famous fried chicken ("tori no karaage"), Bento Box, Chirashizushi. We've eaten lunch there after a soak more times than we can count, and it's the most relaxed we ever get on a trip. Do it.

If Waves is full, the alternates are real. Four Seasons Spa, set inside the Four Seasons Resort, is exceptional and serene. Ojo Santa Fe Spa Resort is the other direction — natural thermal soaking pools, restorative treatments, lush surroundings. Both are good answers on the days you can't get the tub you want at Waves. But if you can get the tub at Waves, get the tub at Waves.