Just say ahhhh ...
After The Abbey Resort finished a $40 million update of their facilities in 2005, the management turned their attention to the Fontana Spa. It was state of the art when it was built in 1989, but as the demand for resorts have increased nationwide, the spa needed to catch up with what visitors searching for serious relaxation and pampering demand.
The result was the brand new Avani Spa, an overhauled 35,000-square-foot facility with the $1.5 million renovations due to be completed by the end of September. But beyond meeting expectations, the spa works to provide a unique experience for individuals or groups looking for a little retreat from stress.
One of the most impressive aspects of the spa is how much you can do for a relatively small cost. You can get a $50 manicure or $60 pedicure and instead of going home after an hour, the treatment entitles you to spend the rest of the day lounging around their facilities.
For a full day make sure to bring a bathing suit and some exercise shoes as the spa features a variety of classes free during your stay including tai chi, yoga and aquatic kickboxing. If you prefer to exercise on your own, the posh fitness room has free weights along with a variety of cardio equipment all of which comes with its own cable television and headphones. By month's end, you can expect to also see spinning on the menu in a studio with a projector screen for virtual tours. The studio currently offers a particularly chill place to stretch with soft lighting from floor lamps.
If you're more interested in lounging than sweating, there's plenty to accommodate that, too. The plant-filled atrium sports a large pool that's only for spa guests so you don't have to worry about kids staying at the resort ruining your soak. Part of it is roped off for lap swimming, but you can also just float around in the warm water or turn up the heat in their bubble-filled whirlpool. The atrium is lined with plants and there are fountains around the pool making it a serene area to just lounge with a book or one of the provided copies of local newspapers while sipping a glass of juice or cup of tea from their complimentary bar. A full menu is available for breakfast, lunch or dinner that you can eat poolside or take outdoors to bask on the sun patio. More use of the outdoor space is planned for the end of the month, which will allow you to get a massage in a cabana.
If you want even more privacy, you can just hang out in the locker room. Both the men and women's sides feature a sauna and steam room, while women also have their own whirlpool and an inhalation room where you can sit and breathe in eucalyptus oil to clear up your lungs or sinuses if you're feeling under the weather. The tranquillity area, where you wait to be called in for your next service, also lives up to its name featuring a fireplace, comfy chairs and chill music.
Of course if you have the extra cash to spend, there's plenty of other great services you can enjoy while you're there. I tried one of their new treatments, the cafe trio ($185). An expanded version of their also new coffee wrap, the cafe trio starts with getting course exfoliating ground coffee rubbed all over your body to remove dead skin cells. It left my sensitive skin feeling a little tender but the next part of the treatment made it all worthwhile. Once I was mucked up, I spent 15 minutes soaking in a warm bath with some serious jet action and coffee blossom lotion that gave the water a pleasant minty smell. Leaning back and getting massaged by water, while sipping cold lemonade was pure bliss.
The actual wrap comes after, where a mix of coffee beans, clay and sea algae was rubbed all over me and I was wrapped in plastic and a blanket to keep my body temperature high so my pores would open and suck everything in. The coffee is supposed to be a near panacea, treating everything from acne to eczema. Maybe so, but it just made me feel like a baked potato. I was happy when my heating time was up to rinse off in the Swedish shower, a room where 16 jets of warm water shoot out at you at once that will remind you why you liked playing in fountains when you were a kid. After the rinse, the therapist rubbed me down with coffee blossom lotion and sent me on my way feeling relaxed and smelling nice.
One of the biggest additions to the spa was the sanctuary suite, which can be rented for up to 10 people for $100 an hour or $600 a day. Aimed at small retreats, bridal parties or just groups of friends who are looking for a special day out, the suite has its own hot top, a plasma TV and will soon add a private patio and fireplace. All services are available in room so you can continue to chat with your buds even while you're getting a massage. And having the tension worked out of every joint and muscle with a relaxation massage ($60-$155) will make you ready for any big event.
Avani Spa at The Abbey Resort
269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana, Wis.
(800) SPA-1000 or theavanispa.com
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, services available 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
While you're there:
Things to do
Paradise Golf Park, 511 Wells St., Lake Geneva, (262) 248-3456, paradisegolfpark.com
There's lots of golfing in Wisconsin, but if you don't have your own clubs just head to this 18-hole mini golf course, which is open until 10 p.m.
Where to eat and drink
The Fireside Dinner Theatre, 1131 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, (800) 477-9505, firesidetheatre.com
You can have lunch or dinner with a show. At the Fireside Dinner Theatre, you can catch "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" after a buffet or nightly set menu. Call for show times.
Novak's, 158 Fontana Blvd., Fontana, (262) 275-1400, novaksfontana.com
Grab a healthy, quick breakfast or lunch at this restaurant and deli, which offers cold and hot sandwiches and homemade soups and salads.