COEUR d'ALENE - The Lake City is home to one of the top resort spas in the western hemisphere.

The Coeur d'Alene Resort Spa was among "The Top 240 Spas in North America, Hawaii, Central America and the Caribbean," chosen by readers of Conde Nast Traveler.

The results were published in the April 2010 issue of the magazine in its 16th annual Gold List of the top hotels, resorts and cruise lines and other vacation destinations. The Resort Spa ranked 47th, just behind the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Fla.

"It's pretty special," said Jerry Jaeger, president and co-owner of Hagadone Hospitality. "There are a lot of good names there."

Along with being ranked by MSNBC as the most romantic spa, and The Resort Golf Course as No. 4 in the world, The Resort provides an excellent overall package, he said.

Berni Campbell, manager of the spa, said The Coeur d'Alene Resort tracks many of the other spas on the list to make sure they are providing the service expected of top facilities.

"Our staff was in the top 23," she said. "We do focus a lot on our guest services. We are very pleased our staff treatment was recognized. We're ecstatic.

"I'm pretty sure we were not on the list before. To be 47th is fantastic."

The Resort Spa scored an overall 90.2, with the staff at 91.8 on a 100-point scale. The top North American resort spa, Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, Calif., earned an overall score of 96.1.

Conde Nast Traveler reported that Unites States spas have combined European and Asian treatments with fitness and pampering, making them unparalleled. There are 12,000 spas in the U.S., the magazine said.

Several Ritz-Carltons, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara, Calif., The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., and The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., were among the selections made based on respondents' ratings.

Jaeger said he has been to a number of the spas ranked above and below The Resort. The Broadmoor, ranked 37th, and Pinehurst in North Carolina, 45th, are considerably larger. The Resort also outclassed the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix by a couple of spots.

"To be above a number of Ritz-Carltons and Fairmonts is pretty heady stuff," Jaeger said.

The Coeur d'Alene Resort Spa topped Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and other high-profile spas including Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla.

"It gives all of us in Coeur d'Alene a real pride in the facility," Jaeger said.