P.J. Thomas: West Coast luxury at a East Pa. spa
WHAT'S THIS, Rod Stewart and Marvin Gaye for dinner music? And is that really sea bass and fresh Roma pomodoro sauce generously spooned over linguini? Did the couple at the next table order red wine with their meal? And that can't be a chocolate dessert on a spa menu.
WHAT'S THIS, Rod Stewart and Marvin Gaye for dinner music? And is that really sea bass and fresh Roma pomodoro sauce generously spooned over linguini? Did the couple at the next table order red wine with their meal? And that can't be a chocolate dessert on a spa menu.
What kind of spa is this?
Owners John and Ginny Lopis spent two decades as an award-winning team designing and consulting for some of the country's leading spas. They've taken the best of projects such Canyon Ranch and The Doral in Miami and instituted those touches into The Lodge at Woodloch, a $37 million destination spa in Hawley, Pa.
Though there are several big-name spas in the West, luxury destination spas like The Lodge at Woodloch are less common here on the East Coast. Those accustomed to whispered tones and starvation menus will be delightfully surprised during their stay at this 75-acre wooded sanctuary.
"A spa stay doesn't have to be a deprivation experience," said Ginny Lopis. "We wanted to create a menu that was about good-tasting food that also happens to be healthy, rather than the other way around."
You won't see the calories or fat content printed on the menu in Tree, the spa's restaurant, where guests are treated to five-star meals of fresh fish, hormone-free chicken and organic vegetables.
Lopis said the key is portion control, rather than loading plates up with the super-sized portions so many Americans are accustomed to eating.
Here, it's all about understated luxury. The public areas designed with expansive walls of glass that usher the beautiful surrounding natural environment indoors. On one recent morning, guests were delighted by the sight of three deer munching on dried plants just steps from the lodge. They come surprisingly close, as if realizing they're safe here.
"We wanted to create an experience that was as comfortable for men as it was for women," John Lopis said.
Instead of the typical spa's sterile, Spartan white furnishings, there are green-apple-colored walls, lavender leather chairs and sturdy, stone-framed fireplaces.
Guests are provided an 18-page booklet filled with classes and services in six areas: Workout, MindBody, Outdoor Adventures, Creative Discovery, Culinary Exploration and Sports. A personal spa concierge helps guests select the activities and programs to achieve the right balance of luxury and stress-reduction.
Choose from a delicious range of body treatments such as the lavender dream massage or ancient Japanese, Chinese, Thai or Indian services. Well-trained therapists lead guests in and out of the 27 treatments rooms, where they are transformed into a near state of nirvana as stress is pushed, pulled and prodded from their bodies.
Early and evening meditation sessions contrast with t'ai chi, aerobics or kick-boxing classes that get the heart pumping.
The programs, classes and workshops conducted by health and wellness professionals range from the familiar - "The Secret to Effective Communication" - to the unusual, as in the class on communicating with your angels, spirit guides or departed loved ones.
Chef-hosted cooking demonstrations teach how to prepare healthy, tasty dinners using herbs, while classes on watercolor painting and drawing allow guests to tap their inner creativity.
Whatever you do, be sure to spend time in the aqua garden pool, letting the gentle rush of the hydro-massage waterfall pour over your tired shoulders. In warmer weather, outdoor choices include guided nature walks and hikes, birdwatching, kayaking and golf.
The Lodge at Woodloch in northeastern Pennsylvania is a three-hour drive from Philadelphia. Try to arrive before nightfall, because once you leave the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and I-80, the winding two-lane roads can be unnerving to navigate.
Each guest room and suite has a private patio or veranda. The rooms are luxuriously equipped with premium bedding, flat-screen televisions, oversized bathrooms and yes, if you must, free Internet access.
Destination spas are a real luxury, especially in these economic times, but special promotions, such as "For Moms in May," combine overnight stays at the lodge with meals, massage, spa credits and various classes to make visits more affordable. The "Moms" package starts at $495 a night per person, based on double occupancy. *
The Lodge at Woodloch, 109 River Birch Lane, Hawley, Pa. 18428, 866-953-8500 or www.thelodgeatwoodloch.com.
P.J. Thomas is editor and co-publisher of Pathfinders Travel Magazine for People of Color, a nationally distributed publication founded in 1997, and co-host of "Travel with Pathfinders" on WPGC-AM in Washington, D.C. Contact her at