Although I’ve occasionally experienced treatments using the Pevonia Botanica line at other spas (that also used other product lines), this was the first time that I was at a spa that exclusively used this line for all of its skincare and body treatments. I especially appreciated the gentleness and efficacy of the products on my aging, yet somewhat sensitized skin.

Both my esthetician and massage therapist were exceptionally skilled and trained. I didn’t notice any music wafting throughout the spa space, which I found to be pleasant, since many spas tend to miss the mark, often playing inappropriate selections. On another note (pardon the pun), sadly, (and as with so many other resort spa amenities), the demand for spa services at this resort exceeded availability of appointments; I heard many guests express their disappointment as they left the spa’s reception area, after learning they couldn’t book a treatment. Resorts should realize by now that most guests are spa-savvy and place significant importance on going to a spa once they arrive (perhaps when guests reserve their room, associates can encourage the guest booking a treatment and then transfer their call to the spa for appointment scheduling). The spa amenity is an operational profit-center, and as such, the resort will have to eventually consider expanding its spa amenity, by increasing the number of treatment rooms, thus affording its guests a continuum for this high-demand resort amenity.

Additional Property Stats: The resort "complex" is situated on nearly two and one-half miles of prime beachfront property. Because of its location, the resort can offer guests an endless array of activities and points of interest to enjoy. For one thing, golf, synonymous with Florida, has a strong presence here, appealing to duffer and expert alike (as the resort completes its own PGA designed entry, guests can play at an adjacent course). If golf’s not your thing, consider goofing off in the water pavilion, which includes its own beach, lazy river, waterfalls, whirlpool and enormous sixty-five foot waterslide.

There’s also an indoor atrium pool with two hot tubs. For the kids, besides the water stuff, there’s a structured and supervised program called “Kids’ Crew”; great for moms and dads who want to disappear for their own playtime. Sales groups enjoy massive, hi-tech meeting facilities, breakout sessions and boardroom (complete with a fifty-two inch plasma screen, ideal for video-conferencing. Speaking of business, guests can check their email messages, at the resort’s 24/7 Business Center; the resort offers complimentary Internet access. And for those special functions (large sales and conference groups, weddings, or reunions), the resort offers two enormous ballroom settings. Restaurant options include the Seaside Grille, outside Ocean Bar, and Loggerheads Lounge. The Seaside Grille offers an eclectic dinner menu with tantalizing and unique chef specialties, (as an aside, even though this is a resort, I think gentlemen should be required to wear jackets in an upscale dinner setting, such as this); breakfast and lunch are also served at the Seaside Grille. Room service is available 24/7. The beautiful lobby offers a cappuccino, espresso and pastry bar mornings, which converts to a sushi bar in the late afternoon.

The Lobby Bar serves nightly cocktails, while guests test their board game mettle. For the avid tourist and history buff, nearby to the resort is the U.S.’s oldest city, St. Augustine. Less than an hour’s drive from the resort, one day isn’t enough to take in all of the history and old-world charm. Home to, among other things, Ponce de Leon’s “fountain of youth”, one could say that St. Augustine was one of the U.S.’s first “spa” towns, because further inward, there are historical remnants of hotel buildings (now the university and a museum) from the late eighteen-hundreds that definitely resembled and represented what a traditional European “spa” town, including a casino (long-gone); the source of water, was the “fountain of youth”, and visitors and locals in the earlier days, took the cure, even if it were to try and remain forever young.

© SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL -JUNE 2005

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