Spa Day – rebeccawanderlusting

Last year, my dear friend Amber and I started a tradition of enjoying a spa day in the bleak winter months. This year, it took a little extra planning but we finally made it happen. We found a great Groupon for a massage and exfoliation at the Four Seasons Spa in Chicago that we couldn’t pass up, so that’s where we ended up this past Thursday evening.

We met after work and ran into some bad rush hour traffic, which means we didn’t have a ton of time to relax prior to our massages. However, as soon as we walked off the elevator into the spa, we were instantly calm. We rushed into our cozy robes and slippers and quickly utilized the steam room and showers. The locker rooms, as you’d expect from a five-star hotel, had every amenity we could possibly need.

After only a few minutes in their small but peaceful relaxation lounge, my massage therapist, Leslee, picked me up for the massage. After a quick consultation, I chose the lavender oil (please, help me relax!!) and the massage began. My wonderful massage therapist sought out every knot in my back and worked them out. I felt like a new woman afterwards.

I met Amber back in the relaxation lounge, where we sipped the fruit infused water and melted into the couches. Once we could finally move again, we made our way to the locker rooms to change and then on to the pool area. Let me just say, the pool at the Four Seasons is absolutely gorgeous.

There’s a large hot tub nestled into one end of the pool, lounge chairs all around the perimeter, and a view of Michigan Avenue through the windows. The pool area was mostly empty, save for a family of three and us. It was a beautiful setting to sit and catch up. We wanted to order dinner by the pool and were provided with the “Spa Menu”, which included much healthier options than the cheeseburgers we were craving.

Even though we were forced to eat healthier than we wanted, we were still happy to be able to eat poolside. The food was just alright, the setting made the dinner much more enjoyable. We ended the evening after polishing off our meals, and wandering serenely back through the hotel lobby. It was a perfect spa night, and a great antidote to a long week of work.

How do you treat yourself? Have you ever been to the Four Seasons Spa?

I don’t often get to treat myself, but I fully understand the importance to do so (and you should too!). Today I treated myself to a Spa Day. My very good friend, Amber (you may know her as the mom of adorable Manny the Frenchie), and I made appointments to get pampered at the Mario Tricoci Spa on Michigan Avenue a few weeks ago and today was the day. I had been so looking forward to this! Amber picked me up bright and early this morning and we drove over to the Gold Coast, specifically, the 900 North Michigan Building. We checked in at the Front Desk twenty minutes early for our appointments
and were shown into the cozy locker room. We changed into the provided robes and slippers and waited in the lounge for our massage therapists. I was greeted by Judith, and she was absolutely amazing. The massage was wonderful and so relaxing; she really fixed all of my aches and pains (computer neck is an actual thing that happens, apparently). Afterwards, I met Amber in the “Quiet Room” where there was comfy couches and mood lighting.

I tried to soak it in but soon it was time for me to rinse off, change, and head to the nail suite for my pedicure. The Spa is fairly large, so I had to stop at the desk to ask where exactly I was supposed to be. A very friendly guest service agent showed me up to the nail suite where I was greeted by my pedicurist, Gwen. She very sweetly brought me a cup of green tea and got to work on my feet. I have to say, I don’t typically have very pretty feet but after this pedicure, they looked pretty dang good. I chose a handsome purple polish by the name of Bahama Mama.

Afterwards, I had some time to relax and read (“American Gods” by Neil Gaiman”) while I waited for Amber to finish her second appointment. I waited in the lounge where there were apples, hot tea and lemon water. In hindsight, I should have booked more time between my massage and pedicure so I could have enjoyed the quiet room a little more. I should have known better though, because I used to work in a spa, so I know a thing or two about spa etiquette. Here are a few tips to ensure your own spa day goes off without a hitch:

Always, always book your appointments in this order: massage, facial, nails. Do you want to put your facial fresh face in a face cradle? No you do not. Do you want to worry about wet nails while you’re enjoying a facial? Nope!
Arrive early for your appointments and enjoy the amenities in the spa, especially the steam room.
Typically, if you’re doing a shorter massage (50-60 minutes) the massage therapist will be pressed for time to do a whole body massage. Let them know what areas, if any, are hurting so they can make sure they work on them
Try to tip your massage therapists, estheticians, and nail technicians with cash if you can

Once Amber was finished, we settled up at the front desk and went to Frankie’s Scaloppine on the fifth floor. There, we had some dynamic pizza and good conversation, both agreeing that we need to do this more often. It was a perfect day.

Where do you go for your perfect Spa Day? What do you like to do to pamper yourself?