By Request Social Spa-ing

What’s Hot: Social spa-ing.

Where to Get It: Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie in Los Angeles.

Why Have It: “It’s a two-in-one: Not only are you participating in a special occasion, but you walk out feeling pampered.”

Details: When La Prairie opened its fourth spa worldwide at the Hotel Bel-Air this past October, its director, Nicole Weigand, noticed that people weren’t making appointments just for themselves. “In the last six months we’ve really seen this huge shift from the individual spa experience to the group spa experience,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot more couples, a lot more parties and a lot more groups, rather than just the individual looking to run away from the world for a few hours.” Caviar facials might not seem ideal for catching up on relationship statuses or figuring out who is going to pick up the kids, but it’s been doing well for the 4,134-square-foot retreat, which includes a 22-karat-gold light fixture, climate-controlled rooms and the Enclave, a space that can hold up to 10 people and features its own private entrance, sitting area and courtyard with a waterfall. The menu reflects the recent demand for social spa-ing, with four treatments designed with couples in mind, and another, the Day of Pampering, well suited for larger parties. Weigand, who also oversees the La Prairie spa at the Beverly Hills Hotel, believes the recession played a role in this buddy relaxation boom: “Once we had a little bit of strain on the economy, people looked at spa-ing like a luxury worth giving up. But if they had a reason — or a party, or a partner — to celebrate, or to celebrate with, it makes people feel a little bit better about indulging themselves.” Though some may prefer to spend a few hundred dollars on a massage in the company of friends, solo visitors haven’t gone extinct just yet; half-joking, Weigand notes that “anyone who is older or has been married for a long time might want to get away on their own.”