Shannon M.
Yelp
A girlfriend and I indulged in a very affordable week-end getaway package to Kohler Waters and enjoyed ourselves immensely! She had been before (both to this location and to the one in Burr Ridge, IL), whereas I had never been, so this dual review is coming from both a seasoned pro and a Kohler virgin. :P
When we got there, I noted immediately how "on" everyone seemed to be. I have been to many, many spas, but not really ever a resort one, and when we were ushered out of the lobby it was if we were leaving our world and entering into a land of terminally smiling faces! (Amazingly though, the people did seem sincere, in a professional, rather removed way.)
Your troublesome thoughts should be drowned out by the white noise of the waterfall as soon as you reach the pool room in the lower level.
Having never been to a coed resort spa, it was a bit jarring to see all manner of people in their big puffy robes lounging and wandering around near the pool. (Especially the dudes slouched in their chairs, knees akimbo. Cover it up, man!)
If it's too crowded downstairs for you, you can always retreat to the 4th floor where there is a whirlpool spa, fireplace and more loungers (though full when we were there).
The place has a very circuitous layout, so you may be finding yourself wandering around through the rabbit warren of rooms and halls looking for the right waiting room for your treatments; mercifully, kind staff can be found to guide you.
So on to the treatments:
- My massage with Leslie was great. She gave me the choice of scents to incorporate into the massage cream (I chose the hollyhock, their signature scent) and conferred about pressure and other issues as we went along.
- I also had the Citrus Reviver treatment with Maddy. For this one I felt like Rose Royce's "Car Wash" should have been playing in the background as the soundtrack as I was scrubbed, buffed, polished and finally hosed down. Citrus exfoliants renewed the skin, with a neroli shea butter cream to soothe it; then the Vichy shower washes you clean, while cool stones in your hands wake up the nerve endings. The sound of the shower hitting the tiled floor is as relaxing as listing to a peaceful rainstorm.
- My friend had the Stretch & Flex massage with Kathleen. Similar to Thai massage in that you wear workout clothes, she said they were in touch about comfort level the whole time, and you could really feel the relaxation because of the pattern of pressure and release.
- While I was having the Citrus Reviver she had the Lavendar Rain, another treatment using the Vichy shower, which also makes use of aromatherapy but warm stones rather than cool. Her description was, in a word, "phenomenal."
A few sort of negative things:
- Being a week-end, it was crowded, no surprise. But there was really a premium on chairs (not just loungers, but actual chairs). I get that there's limited space, but when you're endlessly cycling around just trying to find a place to park it, not so relaxing. (Meanwhile you can pad around in your rubber sandals and sample the snacks: yoghurt raisins, raw almonds, cucumber water, and tea.)
- The clocks in some of the rooms were not obvious/easy to see (in the main pool/waterfall room the clock is clear and silver and not very large. It was almost impossible to see without being on top of it.) Since cell phones aren't allowed (which is my timepiece these days, don't know about you), makes it hard to keep an eye on the time for your next session.
- This isn't negative, but just a little odd: I've never been to any spa where they stayed on a "last name basis" with you the whole time. The entire time it was "Ms. M__", from everyone (clerks, hosts, therapists, etc.). Even when you went into the treatment rooms, there would be a small tray arranged aesthetically with a small flower and a card with your name (last, not even first and last). It just seemed kind of...formal. Not a bad thing, just distracted me a bit.
Overall, though, this was a great and restorative experience and I would love to visit again. It would be particularly nice during the week when space is less at a premium, though you may not be able to get the same packages, if that is what you are seeking. A quick escape from Chicago!