The Old Course Hotel shares five-star status with Kohler Co.’s American Club, both members of Leading Hotels of the World, but similarities stop there. The only hotel on the Old Course, the building dates from 1968. A small amenity spa built by previous Japanese owners needed more than updating. According to Kohler chief architectural engineer Herb Quast, “We wanted far more of a focus on water, as both a showcase for our hydrotherapy products and a way to more effectively bring the coastal location inside the spa.” Having created the first Kohler Waters Spa in the company’s hometown, Quast arrived with a small team of Kohler designers. Where previously the facilities were on two floors, with just three treatment rooms, the new spa flows across 13,616 sq. ft. on the hotel’s garden level, encompassing 11 treatment rooms and an expanded indoor 20-meter swimming pool. The concept was developed with British design firm Corporate Edge, known for the award-winning Cowshed Spa at Babington House in the U.K.

Panoramic views of the Old Course enhance the spa entrance. Flanked by a glass-walled fitness room and relaxation lounge, reception desk personnel greet guests and operate the small boutique.

Beyond, looking onto the pool, are a salon featuring Jane Iredale mineral cosmetics, Jessica nail care and their new Jessana spa line, and Phytomer’s Fleurs skin care. The Kohler exclusive men’s line JMK (“John Michael Kohler for Him”) will debut here, as well as “Waters,” a signature line of body products developed for Kohler.

Signature treatments harness healing power of water blended with minerals from seaweed and algae. Soaking in Kohler’s overflowing infinity bath, called “SOK,” colored lights enhance the mood with “chromatherapy.” The ultimate experience is called “Cooler Near The Sea,” contrasting hot and cold as water and ice cubes increase circulation throughout your body.

Under a Vichy shower, I was scrubbed by a therapist, deluged by jets of warm and cold water. Finishing touch is a soothing application of heather-infused oil.

The Old Course Golfer’s Tonic includes a relaxing massage of the back, and work on leg muscles to ease tension, followed by a soothing foot treatment that includes exfoliation, deep massage, and heated masque. For anyone feeling below par, this is a true tonic for body and spirit.

Creating a totally separate experience, the spa was designed to generate profit for the hotel, says general manager Jonathan Stapleton. Whereas previously the pool and Jacuzzi area were included in the hotel room rate, guests now pay for a day pass, 20 pounds (about $30) which is waived when you book treatments. “One of the biggest advantages of creating the Kohler Waters Spa is that we can justify the entry fee.

” A veteran of the UK spa industry, Stapelton came to the Old Course Hotel after a stint at Champneys Health Resort.

Adding a distinctly Scottish edge, a brand-new line has been developed with locally-sourced heather. These signature products will be featured in seasonal treatments, explains spa manager Andrea Molloy. “The Kohler Waters Spa in Wisconsin has its own Hollyhock products, and the heather line was developed for us because Kohler wants to bring a bit of local heritage to each of its spas.”

Discovering a source of water right on the hotel property may lead to a new venture, bottled at the source in St. Andrews. “The water is of such a high quality that we can probably produce and sell our own brand,” says Stapleton. With every brand of Scotch available at the rooftop bar, Old Course Hotel offers the best of both worlds.



© SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL - SEPTEMBER 2006