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A SPA FOR ALL SEASONS
In August 2001, the hotel converted its fitness center on the eighth floor into a full-blown spa. Yolanda Rodgers, director of The Spa at Four Seasons Chicago, was working at another spa in the area at the time of the change. She remembers the opening’s effect. “When Four Seasons opened up for business with its new spa, we were scared,” says Rodgers, who is nearing her first year at Four Seasons’ spa. “Now that I’m on the other side, I’m very happy. We knew we had to raise the bar when we opened because there is so much competition within this couple-block radius.” Four Seasons welcomes guests from all walks of life, including business travelers during the week and leisure travelers on weekends. Due to its child-friendly atmosphere, young families like to visit the hotel especially in the summer and on holidays. The Spa shares the hotel’s list of varied guests, and then some: The Spa is open to the public Sunday through Thursday. “Because we’re in a hotel, and because our spa is open to outside guests during the week, we get a full range,” Rodgers says. “For instance, we get a lot of business travelers. We’ll also attract a lot of couples and families. It’s a funny thing to see what we call the trade-off—where the mother is getting massaged and the dad’s at the pool with the kids, and then they trade off.” Teens frequent The Spa on the weekends for facials and nail services, Rodgers says. The Experience The Spa at Four Seasons Chicago believes that by nurturing the five senses—touch, smell, taste, sound and sight—individuals can truly tune in to their physical being, experience the world, and find inner harmony. The hotel and spa separate themselves from others in the area by the standards they keep. There is elegance at Four Seasons that can be found nowhere else, Rodgers says. “When our guests come and stay in our property here or anywhere in the country, they’ll know that they’ll have plush robes; they know if they’re exercising that they’re going to be getting water,” she says. “You’re not made to feel uptight or uncomfortable. There’s that elegance, but also you can feel like you’re at home.”
When it’s time for the service, a massage therapist picks up the guest and walks him or her through a health-history questionnaire so the treatment is performed with knowledge of the person’s medical history. “After the service, the therapist steps out, and you open your door, and you’ve got nice, refreshing water and a plate of grapes waiting for you,” Rodgers says. Then, if they like, guests can head back to the relaxation lounge. “I’m waiting for someone to give me a gift certificate to a place like this,” she says. “I want to be a guest in my spa.” For Body And Mind Four Seasons Hotel Chicago performs a full slate of treatments including massages, facials, body therapies, and hand and foot services. Not surprisingly, massages are most popular. “I think more than anything, it’s an easy service to get no matter where you’re at,” Rodgers says. “Massages are the ultimate in relaxation.” The Four Seasons Aroma Blend™ ($60-$195) is a signature treatment at the hotel. The Aroma Blend utilizes various acupressure and light-touch massage techniques as well as aroma and steam inhalation therapies to center the body. Other services on the massage list include a pre-massage salt glow for $60, a Swedish massage ($55-$195), Custom Sports Conditioning ($60-$195), and a Harmony Massage for Couples ($220-$300 per couple). From the facial menu, there is the Four Seasons Perle de Caviar™. Starting at $80, guests are pampered with a formula made mostly of caviar and pearl proteins. Tired skin is firmed, revitalized and rehydrated. Also, Evening Radiance ($125-$170) is designed to leave skin relaxed and velvety soft before that special event. Not to be left out, men can enjoy the Gentlemen’s Urban Defense ($105). A la carte items include an enzyme peel, collagen infusion and firming algae eye treatment. Another of The Spa’s signature treatments comes off the menu of hand and foot therapies: the Four Seasons Fleur’s Stone™ manicure ($55) and pedicure ($70). “An ancient hot-stone massage is incorporated in with the massage that happens with the feet and hands,” Rodgers says. “It’s quite a decadent experience. On top of that, our nail technicians have been with us a very long time, so the quality of the manicure and pedicure is outstanding.” Classic 30-minute manicures, at $30, are fit for the guest on the go. Or, for a more luxurious passage, they can try the Apricot Scrub with Orange Blossom Masque. Body therapies and polishes include the Four Seasons In One™, Four Seasons Elixir Paraffin Wrap™ and Four Seasons Crushed Pearls & Lavender™, each with its own regimen of fragrances and massage techniques for improved vitality. Sun Glow New last August is the All Seasons Sun Glow, a sunless airbrush treatment. As the story goes, the hotel’s general manager, Hans Willimann, saw the self-tanning system in action at another Four Seasons property and asked his staff to explore the possibilities of sunless at Chicago. “He was really happy with the results,” Rodgers says. Airbrush tanning is becoming popular with the hotel’s fitness club members who are taking care of their bodies, she continues. “They’re taking steps to make sure they’re looking good physically, and they’re carrying that over with the sunless tanning,” she says. “We’re also getting some of our older guests—in their 60s— who are doing evening events where they’re wearing cocktail dresses that might be backless or armless, and they want to look good.” The Spa uses an airbrush system from Hilton Head Island, S.C.-based Fantasy Tan. All massage therapists and estheticians are trained by Fantasy Tan to perform the service. Rodgers prefers airbrush units over spray booths because of the personal interaction and improved accuracy it delivers. “Because of the environment in which it’s happening, it’s a much more luxurious and elegant way of going about it,” Rodgers says. The Sun Glow begins with a thorough exfoliation and ends with the airbrushing of sunless tanning solution. A full-body application is $110; for the legs only, it is $60. The Spa performs a second session within 24 hours at a reduced rate. Staff recommend that everyone come back for a second session, and most all do. The treatment debuted last year amid plenty of press about celebrities and spray tanning. Now that the media attention has backed off a bit, The Spa is beginning to market the service more on its own. Rodgers figures The Spa performs about 20 treatments per month, depending on how busy the hotel is. “That’s pretty good for being a relatively new treatment,” she says. “We haven’t had an opportunity to have it for a summer, but I’m guessing it’s going to be equally as popular in the summer, only because people actually don’t sit in the sun that much any more.” The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago may be just one floor among many in the majestic city skyline, but a comfortable and elegant atmosphere combined with unique and satisfying services make it an enviable sojourn for summer, fall, winter or spring.
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In the Windy City, between the Chicago River and the Lake Michigan shore,
locals and visitors alike can tour the tallest skyscrapers in the world, peruse
some of the best shopping and sights in the land, and stay in the most renowned
hotels in the region. Among the accommodations is 15-year-old Four Seasons Hotel
Chicago, whose spa, despite all there is to do in town, gives guests reason to
stay inside.
Just like home, The Spa’s front-desk staff members are warm
and friendly, ready to greet guests when they check in. Guests then are escorted to one of the fully appointed locker rooms to change
and otherwise get ready. A steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi are available for those who
have time before their appointments. Next, guests are led to the relaxation
lounge—complete with throne-like chairs—where they have their choice of
beverages and fresh fruit. Calm music and ambient lighting fill the air. |