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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
By Anne Connor There are few serious players in Wisconsin who haven’t heard of Kohler. A tiny, lavish hamlet nestled west of Sheboygan, Kohler is home to the American Club, which hosts four top-rated Pete Dye golf courses, including the walking-only, links-style Whistling Straits.
Perhaps equally well respected is the Kohler Waters Spa, a luxurious, nourishing oasis, where you can drop by for a treatment or spend an entire day.
Located next to the American Club hotel, the Kohler Waters Spa has been ranked No. 1 for treatments and services among resort spas by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, a ranking that complements the hotel’s five-diamond AAA ranking among resort hotels – the only such award granted in the Midwest.
If one is good, two must be better
Some resort owners would be satisfied with such accolades, but at Kohler, the mindset seems to be “If one award-winning spa is wonderful, wouldn’t two be better?”
Enter the new Kohler Waters Spa at Burr Ridge, a day spa located just outside Chicago off Interstate 55 (about 20 minutes from Chicago, or five minutes from Oakbrook Shopping Center). The spa anchors the end of the upscale Burr Ridge Village Center, which is also home to Banana Republic, J. Jill, Aeropostale, and the requisite Starbucks.
I took a day trip to the spa in May, a month of tornadoes and summer storms, and although the drive from Madison to Chicago was fraught with nasty weather, it meant that I was more than ready for my treatments when I arrived.
Entering an oasis
I stepped into the lobby of the Kohler Waters Spa and was greeted by a hostess and a décor of soothing whites, greens and blues, the latest extension of the popular spa in Kohler. The treatment menu was identical to those offered at the American Club and the resort’s St. Andrews, Scotland spa, but I was told by my aesthetician that they may diversify at a later date. People like consistency, she said, and they come to experience a “Kohler” spa.
My first treatment was the Deep Detox (50 minutes, $125), which bills itself as a purification ritual using Moroccan Rhassoul clay and a deep-sea algae infusion to detoxify the skin. A body polish with essential oils completed the first phase of this treatment. I was then directed to the most incredible shower to rinse off in: the WaterTile Ambient Rain overhead showering panel (made, of course, by Kohler), which “rained” onto me from the ceiling. I was so relaxed that my aesthetician had to knock on the door to let me know it was time to come out.
The Deep Detox was completed with a replenishing body moisturizer, after which I made my way to the relaxation room – a well-appointed lounge with chaises, magazines, blankets, and an ample supply of water, coffee and tea.
I was then called into the massage portion of the spa, where I was to undergo the Kohler Massage with a Restorative Nap (75 minutes, $150). I have visited many spas, and I am not exaggerating when I say this is the finest massage I have ever experienced. Perhaps it was the masseuse – she used deep pressure and focused on the areas in which I tend to carry stress (my right shoulder; my own little Rock of Gibraltar) and let me set the tone of the hour (a little idle chit-chat, but mostly quiet). I was so relaxed I easily drifted off into a light sleep for the last 15 minutes of our session.
Following my restorative nap, I was awakened with a gentle bell (why does this never happen at home?) and some warm, damp cloths on my feet. It was almost surreal. I rose, dressed and lingered in the relaxation room a little longer before making my way to my car, certainly more relaxed than when I arrived and ready to face the drive home.
Day trip or weekend?
Typically, this is not a trip I would make in a day. It would more likely be part of my repertoire if I were staying in Chicago or was heading to Oakbrook with friends. However, Kohler offers such consistently good service that for a weekend away, or even an overnight, you know you can’t go wrong.
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