Attention to detail. That's what comes to mind when I think of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pennsylvania. They sweated the small stuff so their guests could be delighted. I was. Every time I walked from my room in the Château Lafayette to the The Woodlands Spa, rather than walk out the front and across the way, I chose to take the longer route indoors through the Lodge and Heritage Court Shoppes. Why? To enjoy the details. I noticed something new with each stroll. Like the Toulouse-Lautrec outside Lautrec restaurant, the Calder in the Lodge, the Rockwells, the original Tiffany lamps, the bronze statue of Samuel Clemens sitting on a park bench, works by Neiman, Botero, Cassini, Remington,...all part of an eclectic and interesting art collection. And the largest free-standing salt water aquarium in the world complete with a piece of gold from a Mel Fisher treasure hunt. Every turn reveals an cozy nook - some with fountains and stained glass - inviting you to linger and relax. The art isn't limited to the inside. The grounds are filled with sculptures.

Nowhere is the attention to detail more apparent or more appreciated than in The Woodlands Spa. Details like the bridge that crosses the reflecting pool to the island oasis of the spa, the beautiful, heavy, and inviting carved entry doors, crystals hanging from the ceilings for their positive energy, a 3 story black granite monolythic fountain anchoring and dividing the separate men's and women's spa entrances, window treatments of tree branches (no doubt from the surrounding 1,500 wooded acres), the stream that runs in the hallway from the spa restaurant to the spa reception area echoed by video screens of running water imbedded in the walls, and the woven twig placemats under the water pitchers in the lounges all combine to make a warm, inviting, safe, earthy feeling. The attempt to blend inside and out - to combine the elements of earth, water, and light - is quite successful. The "good" feelings are attributed to the use of Feng Shui by Clodagh, who provided the interior design & landscaping when the spa was expanded and renovated in 1999. She was inspired by nearby Fallingwater, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous designs. Now 32,000 square feet, the three story spa houses steam rooms, saunas, whirlpool baths, a Swiss shower, a mineral pool, a water path, and 28 private therapy rooms where hydrotherapy treatments, facials, massages, body treatments, and body kurs are performed.

I tried two of The Woodlands Spa's signature treatments. The first was The Water Path ($65 for 25 minutes). I was taken from the lounge on the main level to an open area on the lower level via a glass elevator overlooking the lovely grounds. This area was coed and public, so a bathing suit was required. On one end of this softly lit area was the lower part of the fountain I saw as I entered the women's changing area. At the other end was an entrance to the indoor pool. In between was a large whirlpool, enclosed showers, and a long, narrow, trough-like shallow pool, divided in two lengthwise. This was first part of The Water Path. I was invited to step in at one end of the long pool and walk to the other end. The warm water came to my knees. The bottom of the pool was covered with pea gravel which was not particularly comfortable to walk on, but I made my way to the other end. A hand rail was available if needed. At the other end, there was a little wall I had to step over. Wow! The other side was freezing - filled with cold water! I walked on this side of the pool until I got to the other end, stepped over another wall, and returned to my starting place in warm water. I made this circuit a number of times until my feet were almost too sore to continue. I was then taken to the Swiss Shower where 12 jets of warm water massaged me. After that came the large whirlpool which turned out to be a mineral pool. As in most whirlpools, different seats had the whirlpool water jets aimed in different places. So I spent some time with the jets on my shoulders, then moved to lower back, then legs. The water was filled with minerals from the Sárvár Spa in Hungary, which is said to have curative properties. A final step was a return to the Swiss Shower - this time with cold water. The purpose of The Water Path is to stimulate circulation and improve immune functions while enhancing energy and a feeling of well-being. I certainly felt invigorated after this unique treatment. Apparently, The Woodlands Spa is the only spa in the United States that offers this treatment.

The other signature treatment I tried was the Woodlands Vitamin Facial ($105 for 50 minutes). This time I took the elevator to the upper level and was led through a lovely common lounge with a large central fireplace and a wall of windows, past the upper part of the 3 story fountain, to a quiet treatment room decorated with the same care as the rest of the spa. The facial was developed for The Woodlands Spa by Dermalogica using products that combine vitamin repair and hydroxy acid exfoliation. The treatment promised to "noticeably improve the skin’s elasticity, tone and texture on the face, neck, décolleté, and hands." I found it to be mild and gentle and it did brighten my skin. I would recommend this treatment. (If you have read about other facials I have tried, you will know I usually don't recommend them.)

The spa also offers:

• a 2,000 square foot salon featuring hair design, complete nail care, make-up application and waxing. It is in the same area as the boutique and reception desk.
• a 2,400 square foot fitness area which includes Cybex equipment, treadmills, Stairmasters, Cardio theater and Weights by Ivanco. Fitness classes are taught daily on a special spring loaded floor. Fitness instructors offer boot camp, cardio kick, physio ball, step aerobics and yoga. Other activities include fitness walks, water aerobics and hikes.
• indoor and outdoor pools. The indoor pool is located in the spa and the outdoor pool is located adjacent to the spa.
• a spa boutique featuring a selection of spa music and literature; swim suits; facial and body products; spa casual wear and fitness attire.

Finally, the spa offers a gourmet spa cuisine restaurant, Seasons, which uses a selection of regional and local ingredients nutritionally balanced to promote optimum vitality. A registered dietitian is available to consult with guests on a variety of health topics, including lifestyle, vitamins and minerals, weight control, energy and healing. The restaurant is every dieter's dream. The menu is divided into sections: The Hunter Plan allows for more total calories, healthy fats; The Gatherer Plan offers nutritionally balanced, more appropriately portioned for weight loss with <20% fat; The Vegetarian Plan is free of animal products and contains many essential nutrients for max energy and helps fight the aging process. The food is fabulous. I ate there a number of times and each time was outstanding. The food was delicious and the presentations creative and appealing. Once again, the decor wowed me. The chandelier is a huge mobile - fascinating to watch. Lovely sculptures line the windows which provide lovely garden views.

In addition to Seasons, the Resort offers many other restaurants, two of which we tried - Lautrec, a French Bistro featuring contemporary, lighter French cuisine with a creative flair, and the Golden Trout, offering regional American cuisine. Both were excellent. However, Seasons was my favorite.

Our elegant room in the Château Lafayette was wonderful. It was very spacious, had a trayed ceiling with a crystal chandelier that could be dimmed, remote control cable television, mini-bar, individual voice mail, in-room safe, a data port for computer access. and a marble bathroom with another dimming crystal chandelier and whirlpool bath large enough for two. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa offer other guestroom options including suites, townhouses, and homes.

In addition to The Woodlands Spa, the Resort offers a wide variety of activities including 36 holes of golf on two PGA-rated championship courses, an equestrian center which I had the pleasure to use, 14 specialty shops, a ski facility for both downhill and cross-country enthusiasts, the Shooting Academy and Sporting Clay Course, the Activities Center, swimming, fly fishing, an arcade, hikes, golf simulator, virtual reality, tennis, croquet, miniature golf, biking, boating, fishing, in-line skating, beach volleyball, an Adventure Center with climbing wall and ropes course, and much more. Not to mention the outstanding Nemacolin Kidz Klub Program which provides both full and half days of fully supervised entertainment and activities for children between the age of 4 and 9 and the Kidz Night Out for kidz between the ages of 4 and 12 every evening in the summer season, and every Friday and Saturday in the winter.

Attractions near Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa include Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, Laurel Caverns (Pennsylvania’s largest cave), Christian W. Klay Winery, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, and Ohiopyle State Park which offers environmental interpretive programs, picnicking, bicycling, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, kayaking and whitewater rafting available on the Youghiogheny River through Wilderness Voyageurs, Laurel Highlands River Tours, and White Water Adventurers.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa has won a number of awards for the resort and restaurants. The Woodlands Spa ranked in the Top Ten Spas In North America, 1999 Readers Choice Awards,
Conde Nast Traveler. I can certainly see why. My only improvement would be to add guest rooms in the spa itself and I was pleased to hear that they are already discussing this. My guess is - in great detail.

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the unlimitable superior who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God."
- Albert Einstein

in other words

"God is in the details."
-Mies van der Rohe

Spa Resorts in Pennsylvania
Day Spas in Pennsylvania

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa
1001 LaFayette Drive
Farmington, PA 15437
Telephone: (724) 329-8555
Toll Free: (800) 422-2736
Facsimile: (724) 329-6947
www.nemacolin.com

**

*photos by Julie Register
** graphics and photos courtesy of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa