10 best-kept secrets of serious spa seekers: just as there are newbies in golf and tennis, there are novice spa-goers as well. Here are the experts' top tips on how to make your Black Enterprise/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge Spa Weekend the best that it can be.

You made it! You're here at one of the country's most celebrated and luxurious spas, The Doral. The sweet scent of hibiscus fills the air. The soothing music of cascading waters wafts in from the distance. You've registered, unpacked, and turned off your cell phone. Finally, you're ready to seriously chill. So, what now? Whether it's your first time at a spa, or your twenty-first, here are some tips from the experts on how to make the most of your wellness weekend.

1. The Early Bird Gets to Chill First

Booking early is the best way to ensure that you get the treatments you want at the times you want most, but don't be discouraged if you've already missed that boat. Cancellations are not uncommon and they generally occur 24 hours in advance, so ask to be on waiting lists for your ideal time slots and check frequently for last-minute openings. Over the course of the weekend, some spots will inevitably become available.

2. Have a Goal

Contrary to what those hard-core competitive athletes may say, "spa" is not synonymous with "blah." In fact, many professional athletes are among the most avid spa-goers around, but the key is that they go to spas with goals, the same way they approach their sports.

Taking a lesson from the pros, you should have a goal for your spa package as well, keeping in mind that yours may differ wildly from your roommate's. Sparing is not a team sport, so be true to your own heart and rest assured that, whatever your goals, given the Doral's comprehensive facilities and helpful staff, they can be met this weekend.

If you've come simply to get away from it all, to rest and decompress, you're in the right place. So, go ahead: sleep in, read by the pool, watch movies in the comfort of your air-conditioned hotel room, luxuriate in the Doral's famous therapeutic hot and cold cascading waterfalls, and feel the stresses of your life simply wash away. Let your only exercise be a walk over to the Expo Hall, where you can enjoy late-afternoon cocktails each day, and then dance the night away in the BE/Pepsi Challenge's fabulous tented ballroom.

For those of you who have come to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit in a more active way, you're in the right place, too. If you can't wait to work out each morning (after your sunrise power walk), maybe try Pilates in the afternoon, and see the nutritionist in hopes of establishing some healthier habits to take back home, then put your gym shoes on and go for it!

Maybe you're here to be scrubbed, polished, and pampered, period. All you want is to spend each day going from treatment to treatment, leaving no pore unplugged, no muscle unrubbed. Or perhaps your deepest desire is for some combination of all of the above. No problem. You're in the right place for that, too, but before your desires can be fulfilled, you have to know what they are. So, the first question to ask yourself is, "Why am I here?" Only then will you be able to choose what's best from the vast assortment of enticing options offered.

3. Know Thyself 

If you're claustrophobic or dislike being confined, wraps--where you are bathed in moisturizer then swathed from head to toe in warm towels, like a newborn--won't calm you down, they'll freak you out.

If the scents inserted in print ads leave you gagging and gasping for air, aromatherapy probably won't be your thing.

If you're never drawn to the tub in your own bathroom, despite its whirlpool features and the gallon of fine bath salts you got from your company's Christmas grab-bag, you can probably skip the hydrotherapy treatments.

Maybe you love to be massaged for a little while (say, 25 minutes), but the thought of being rubbed for 80 minutes non-stop is your idea of purgatory. Or maybe it takes you 25 minutes just to relax, so you need the longest massages available.

Knowing what you generally like (and don't like) is key to creating a relaxing and enjoyable spa experience. While you should definitely seize the opportunity to explore new things (yoga or hot stone, anyone?), do it with an eye toward your own specific needs and preferences.

And remember, if you're allergic to oils or perfumes, tell the spa representative who books your appointment and then remind your therapist before she or he lays hands on you. One of the cardinal rules of spa going is this: The most incredible massage in the world becomes disastrous if it leaves you covered in hives.

4. Aim for the BMOC--Best Masseur on Call

When you book your appointments, you'll routinely be asked if you prefer a female or male masseur. You might also be asked if you prefer a deep or light touch. Respond honestly, but then ask the attendant a question or two of your own. For example, "Who's the most popular masseur? Who would you request if you were me?"

While all of the massage therapists at the Doral are highly trained and experienced, many specialize in certain types of therapies and are especially good at those. Find out who the specialists are in the areas you choose.

Some masseurs are known for their gentle, soothing touch, others for their deep, penetrating style. It's a fallacy that men are automatically better at deep tissue massage, so you shouldn't express a gender preference on that basis.

Although they will follow your cues, some masseurs tend to be more talkative, while others just focus on the work. Thus, the masseur your spouse raved about might drive you nuts. It's worthwhile to factor in the recommendations of friends, but remember that the Doral attendants have the inside track and can give you objective advice based on years of professional service.

5. Speak Up!

People tend to speak more softly in the spa--after all, it's designed to be a place of tranquility. But don't let the quiet, low-key atmosphere stop you from speaking up (albeit in dulcet tones) about your preferences or special needs and requests. This is the only way to help the attendants ensure that you get the best possible experience, and that's what they want to do.

Be sure to mention if it's your first time at a spa or getting a certain type of treatment, then care will be taken to explain things to you more thoroughly than usual. Also be sure to mention any injuries or medical conditions that you have, whether you think they will factor into the treatment or not. It's the pro's job to evaluate this, not yours.

Be sure to stop a therapist mid-stream if you are at all uncomfortable or dissatisfied. Lying on a massage table or in an aesthetician's chair is a bit like sitting at the hair salon. Even when the conversation is flowing, there's something slightly intimidating about saying, "I'd prefer it if you do it this way."

Well, you can go home and re-do your hair, but you can't give yourself a massage or professional facial, so help the pros get it right the first time. If your massage is too limp, tell the masseur that you would like more pressure. If it's too deep, ask them to lighten up. The truth is, experienced spa-goers always do this, so the professionals expect and appreciate it. After all, there's no way for them to know how they're doing unless you tell them.

Finally, no question is a dumb question. If you don't know, ask!

6. Come Early

All official spa materials request that you check in for your spa appointments at least half an hour in advance. Without going into any philosophical discussions of CP time and how ridiculous we can be, let's just explain why this is more for your benefit than anything and how you actually damage your own experience by not complying.

For starters, there's stress. If you're racing to make your appointment, you're going to be stressed, thereby defeating the whole purpose of the treatment, which is to reduce your stress level, not intensify it.

Second, the advance time is advised so that you can leisurely prepare for your treatment, which requires that you change into your robe and slippers and shower, at minimum.

If you check in 30 minutes in advance, you have ample time to step into the steam room or the Jacuzzi. The heat will help prepare your muscles for an optimally effective massage. If you'd rather cool off than heat up, you could sink into a chair in the waiting room, have a glass of soothing herbal iced tea, and simply close your eyes for a moment of meditation, clearing your mind of weight and worry, before your name is called. The point is, the earlier you arrive, the more relaxed and comfortable you'll feel, and the better your spa experience will be overall.

7. Come Prepared

Upon check in at the main spa desk each day, a spa attendant will provide you with a locker key. Inside your locker, you'll find a fresh white robe and slippers that can be used both in the shower and out. The locker is yours for the day, so you may as well make the most of it.

Whatever else you plan to do that day--work out, swim, play tennis or golf, go to lunch in the American Express Hospitality Tent--you should bring the appropriate clothes and shoes and keep them in the locker. This way, you don't have to waste time going back and forth to your room. The locker room, which is fully equipped with showers, towels and toiletries, can serve as your base for the day.

8. Seek, and Ye Shall Find Solitude

While it may be tempting to lounge by the Doral Spa's beautiful main pool each day, if it's solitude you seek, it can be found if you just look a little.

There are several private tanning decks behind doors marked in the locker rooms. These are often unoccupied.

The outdoor lap pool adjacent to the spa's indoor pool is also an oasis of calm. Frequented by few and more shaded than the main spa pool, it's a great place for reading, but keep in mind that there's no access to food or drinks. If you want to read or lounge outdoors while staying out of the sun visit the Spa Terrace. Most of the seating is nicely shaded.

9. Stay Informed

In addition to the regularly available spa services and activities, there are several special events designed exclusively for spa-goers of the BE/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge, including special fitness classes. Make sure that you check the calendar for the times and locations of those activities. If you have questions, call the BE Tournament Office.

10. Drink, Drink, and Be Merry ...

Drink a lot of water. Between the heat of Miami in late August, and the detoxifying that occurs in many of the spa treatments, keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day is important. Without it, you'll feel sluggish and unfit to enjoy all that the weekend has to offer. Luckily, Pepsi keeps coolers scattered throughout the Doral property overflowing with Aquafina water and other products that will help you replenish throughout each day.