The Lodge at Woodloch Unveils Pre and Post Natal Spa Treatments

I feel so lucky to have The Lodge at Woodloch located only about 30 minutes from where I live. I was there last December for an amazing massage and facial and spent some time in their whirlpool, sauna and indoor pool (with amazing waterfalls!) Having had 4 kids, I know how badly I wanted to just relax and be pampered during each of my pregnancies and now The Lodge at Woodloch has unveiled two new Pre and Post Natal spa treatments that will do just that for expecting moms and those moms who just have children clinging to your legs every second. Not speaking from experience of course.

Posted on October 20, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, Pocono Spas & Salons, skin care, Spa 2 Comments

Warm up to Winter with a Mud Bath at Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort

Ok, so it’s not winter yet, but here in the Poconos, there are plenty of nights where I could easily believe it was! Warm up to winter as you slide into a toasty mud bath or hot mineral springs pool at the world-famous Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort in historic Calistoga, California. Dr. Wilkinson’s features three thermal pools: an enormous 80 degree pool, a large 90 degree pool, and an 102 degree indoor pool, a gigantic “hot tub,” perfect for a soak or swim the year round.

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, skin care, Spa 3 Comments

Spa Travel – Interactive Map, Luxury SpaFinder’s “Spas We Love”

Once a year the editors of Luxury SpaFinder pen unabashed love letters to the spas that spark their passions – from Nam Hai in Vietnam to Royal Palms in Arizona.

To help you discover 60 of the world’s best spas, Luxury SpaFinder has created an interactive map as a fun way to scan the globe, pick a destination, and learn more about it. Using the latest version of MicrosoftR Virtual EarthT technology, you will be able to instantly learn details about the spa that’s perfect for you.

The 60 spas are sorted into six categories including:

* DAMN THE EXPENSE: PRICEY SPAS THAT PAY OFF: The bill may be as stunning as the decor, but these spas are worth every pretty penny. Luxury SpaFinder salutes its dearest indulgences, from the $8,000-$12,000 per night Private Reserve at Soneva Gili in the Maldives, accessible only by boat and with its own spa and butlers, to Mexico’s Las Ventanas al Paraiso, whose Total Spa Lifestyle Program/Fitness ($13,425 for four nights) includes your very own personal staff of trainers and therapists and a gorgeous two-bedroom suite with its own massage room.

* URBAN SANCTUARIES: CITY ESCAPES IN THE CITY: Sometimes sanctuary is only a cab ride away. Even the reception area of the spa at Prague’s Mandarin Oriental inspires quiet contemplation – in keeping with the 14th-century building it occupies, a former convent-turned-monastery. In Chicago, the Peninsula boasts the Miracle Mile’s largest hotel spa, where guests can enjoy a Thai massage in a glass-walled studio twenty stories above the city.

* CULTURAL IMMERSION: LOCAL FLAVOR: At Bali’s Hotel Tugu, the spa blends its own products, and the star therapist is a former laundry-room staffer who revealed a gift for a type of massage punctuated by prayer. Bathing is elevated to an art form at Japan’s Gora Kadan, which offers visitors an escape not just from the 21st century, but from the 20th, too.

Other categories include: Design Show Stoppers, Domestic Bliss, and Exotic Hideways.

The magazine’s contributing editors also chose spas they love in their respective areas of expertise: PoundWise columnist Susan Crandell “weighed in” on her three favorite fitness faves, and value-loving spa spy “Vera Value” fell hard for five deals she found.

Check it out at Luxury Spa Finder!

Posted on December 22, 2007 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, Spa 1 Comment

Review: The Lodge At Woodloch Women’s Retreat

Last Christmas my husband gave me a gift certificate to The Lodge at Woodloch. It is listed as one of Forbes Top Ten Most Luxurious Spa’s and it happens to be only about 30 minutes from my house. I finally got to use this gift certificate this weekend and treated myself to a facial and massage.

Before I even get to the review of the treatments, The Lodge at Woodloch has a fabulous Women’s Retreat (and a separate one for men) that is also worthy of a write up. You get a locker to store your clothes, bags etc. which is really not a “locker” at all. It is a gorgeous wood mini storage closet, complete with shelves and a hook to store your things. It has an electronic keypad, where you determine the lock code for safe, secure access to your things. In between storage units are oversized leather ottoman’s. On the other side of the storage units is a room filled with plush comfy seats, leather chairs, an entire glass window wall that looks out to a lake and a roaring fireplace. There is a counter with fresh fruits, nuts and teas available.

There are two hallways that contain 5 private shower rooms each with stone flooring in the glass shower stalls and has Rosemary scented Shampoo, Conditioner, Shower Gel and Lotion. A large vanity room joins both hallways and comes complete with hair dryers, curling irons, hair styling products and everything necessary to freshen up.

The Women’s Retreat also has a whirlpool in a frosted glass enclosed room. The frosted glass gives you small peaks of the outdoors with its fern stenciling. In a separate room in the same area of the whirlpool is a steam room, a sauna that boasts scents of lavender and an enclosed porch with a view of the lake. A pitcher of iced water and fresh slices of lemon await you on a table outside all of the rooms.

Further into the retreat is the Aqua Garden. It has a large indoor pool and a waterfall that cascades in to a multi-level whirlpool (one on an upper level and one below it). The Aqua Garden is surrounding by windows on 3 sides and just outside is the Horizon Whirlpool that is heated enough that it can be used in the winter.

The Women’s Retreat can be used by spa patrons for one hour before treatments and up to one hour after your treatments have completed. The Women’s Retreat alone is worth a visit to The Lodge at Woodloch.

Posted on December 2, 2007 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, Pocono Spas & Salons, skin care, Spa, Travel Beauty 9 Comments

Pedicure At Apple Day Spa

Before I headed up to New York last weekend, I made a trip to Apple Day Spa in Honesdale PA for a pedicure. I usually take care of pampering my feet at home, but I was in some dire need of alone time and there’s only so many pedicures I can give myself with the baby on my lap and my other 3 sons constantly vying for my attention.

I love the set up of their pedicure room. You don’t sit in a chair, it’s actually this very long bench that spans the wall with curtains on either side of you (each with its own sink) that you can pull out for privacy (as it looks like 10 other women can be getting pedicures at the same time). You are perched up on the wall above the sink. On this bench are fluffy pillows and a padded seat. You basically feel like you are lounging in bed as you soak your feet in the swirling water.Â Read more

Posted on September 15, 2007 by Shannon Nelson in beauty, Pocono Spas & Salons, Spa 1 Comment

Dorit Baxter Day Spa

Talk about putting the “spa” into A Girl’s Gotta Spa, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Dorit Baxter Day Spa while I was in Manhattan this weekend with my wonderful friend, Elke. We were simply coming in for a tour and were invited to partake of full body scrubs and a 30 minute massage, how could we say no?

Dorit Baxter Day Spa is one of the top Spa’s in New York City, which has been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times, New York Magazine, CNN and beauty magazines like Allure and W. It is located on 47 West 57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues on the 3rd floor. As I approached the spa off of the busy street, I wondered how anyone could offer serenity amid the commotion of taxi cabs, bustling pedestrians and the fast pace life that is New York City.

As we approached their door on the third floor, the atmosphere seemed to change. Once inside, it was calmly quiet and I even whispered my name to Dulari, the wonderful woman behind Dorit Baxter’s blog. There was tranquil music playing in the background and the set up inside spoke volumes about the Spa’s intent to relax and refresh you.

The Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub:

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the full body scrub, as I have never experienced any type of service like that before. Also, if you can believe it, I can be quite shy and was nervous about being naked on a table before a stranger. Dulari, put me at ease about how it would work and smiled as she told me how great my skin would feel afterwards. Shammi, the wonderful woman who performed the scrub, was so fantastic (and even laughed at my jokes) that after a while, I was really at ease about being there on the table in all my glory. The Dead Sea Salts felt wonderful and had warm essential oils with a lemon fragrance. When I told Shammi I had a terrible cold, she added Eucalyptus essentials oils for me to breathe in, and this helped ease the awful cough I walked in with.

The bed that I laid on was heated and felt great, taking away my aches and pains in my tired muscles. The lights were low and Shammi even turned them lower to help me feel more comfortable. Light relaxing music played in the background. I can understand why this body scrub is one of their most requested services.

The 30 minute massage:

After showering off the Dead Sea Salts, that revealed my glowing silky skin, I was escorted to a different room, where Alice performed a combination of Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage. Alice did such a wonderful job at relaxing me, I almost fell asleep! She worked out all the tension and stress in my upper back and neck and also performed some great massage on my face. The stress of being a mom with three busy boys quickly melted away. I really didn’t want my massage to end. It felt so wonderful to be pampered and taken care of.

Besides wonderful Spa Treatments, Dorit Baxter Day Spa also offers their own line of cosmetics and skin care. One of their top selling products is their Drying Lotion, which treats acne breakouts. Dorit Baxter also has innovative products, such as her Facial Shower Shield. For the convenience of travelers who come to the Spa or those interested in Dorit Baxter’s products, they offer an online store which ships straight to your door.