Rochester Business Journal
March 25, 2005
Winter is nearing an end, and you may be craving some warmth, pampering and relaxation. This is the perfect time to visit a spa.
Rochester is full of lush day spas-increasingly sophisticated retreats where you can have a refreshing facial, massage or other treatment. But we're also fortunate to have excellent getaway spas nearby. Some are designed as feminine and cozy, others modern and stimulating-but each bills itself as a place to forget your cares and relax into bliss.
Mirbeau Inn and Spa
About 60 miles east of Rochester is the picturesque town of Skaneateles, home to one of the most lauded spas in the country. The Mirbeau Inn and Spa, open since May 2000, has become so popular that owners recently opened Finger Lakes Lodging by Mirbeau just across the street to accommodate a growing clientele.
Mirbeau offers a wide selection of spa treatments and getaway packages. Spa director Linda Dower says clients who spend at least one full night are experiencing the "total spa experience." In addition to a massage or facial, this includes French country guest rooms outfitted with Essentiel Elements bath and body products, a boutique and award-winning food and wine.
In fact, the Dining Room at Mirbeau was named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Esquire magazine in 2000. And Wine Spectator gave Mirbeau the Award of Excellence in 2003.
Once every month or so, the Dining Room at Mirbeau hosts a wine dinner; specially prepared meals complement wines from various regions of the world. It also offers a wine dinner and spa package, so you can stretch out your luxurious meal into a whole weekend.
Mirbeau has two packages specifically for couples: It Takes Two, a relaxing side-by-side massage for two, and The Art of Living, a massage plus an herbal bath soak for two and a gourmet mini-meal by the fireplace.
The couples' treatments have become so popular, Dower says, that Mirbeau plans to add two more couples' rooms.
Mirbeau Inn and Spa
851 W. Genesee St., Skaneateles
(877) MIRBEAU
www.mirbeau.com
Finger Lakes Lodging by Mirbeau
834 W. Genesee St., Skaneateles
(315) 217-0222
http://www.fingerlakeslodging.com/
Spa Elan at the Lodge at Woodcliff
Lodge at Woodcliff will open Spa Elan in mid-April. The new retreat will have a "metro-Asian modern look," characterized by the opposite and balanced styles of the spa and the salon, says director and designer Melissa Endres. The salon will have a modern, sleek and spare look, whereas the spa will feel warm, comforting and relaxing.
Endres says she designed the spa to appeal to all five of the senses: Visitors will find flavored water and aromatherapeutic scents.
Elan's signature treatments will be Shiraz wine-based, using the grape's antioxidant qualities. It also will offer a Wasabi facial-which, Endres assures, does not burn or sting. Wasabi is said to have anti-aging and antioxidant properties and to help improve circulation.
Endres hopes special men's treatments, along with a unisex spa design, will draw men who might not normally feel comfortable in a spa or salon. Some treatments recommended for men are massages and body scrubs, including the Shiraz, deep tissue and foot scrub massages. But there are plenty of facial treatments that both men and women will find suitable.
Spa Elan at the Lodge at Woodcliff
199 Woodcliff Drive, Fairport
248-4870
www.woodclifflodge.com/spa/index.html
The Spa at the Del Monte
The Spa at the Del Monte, located in the Village of Pittsford at the Del Monte Lodge, has a soothing, hushed atmosphere. The entry is bordered by bright, modern shelves lined with colorful bottles of shampoo, conditioner and numerous other products. Tall, heavy glass doors separate the salon and spa, keeping the atmosphere quiet. Slate floors and faux columns give it a Mediterranean look.
Among the spa's treatments are a caviar facial, a hot-stone massage and a range of facials, body wraps and scrubs. Treatments created for men include a gentlemen's conditioning facial and a soothing back treatment. For pregnant women, there is a package-massage, body wrap and facial-and an aromatherapy retreat package, which features a massage, facial, scalp massage and aromatherapy bath.
The salon offers the usual hair and beauty services, including waxing. Here you'll find hard-to-locate beauty lines, such as Sonya Dakar, T-LeClerc and Sue Devitt.
The Spa at the Del Monte
43 N. Main St., Pittsford
419-3000
http://www.delmontespa.com/
-Laura Thomas Telford
03/25/05 (C) Rochester Business Journal