| Boar's Head Inn, a Country Resort at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia | |
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The Inn
On our road home from Atlanta, my husband and I took a short detour east from our drive north along the Blue Ridge Parkway to stop at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Boar's Head Inn seems right at home in this historic part of the country, neighbor to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland and 200 year old Michie Tavern. The original portion of the inn was constructed from an 1834 water wheel grist mill which operated successfully until the Civil War. Over a century later, it was dismantled and reconstructed on its present site. The resort was named after a London inn, popular during Shakespeare's time, when the boar's head was first known to symbolize hospitality and good food. The inn's public rooms are furnished almost entirely with vintage antiques. Following a $10 million restoration in 2000, Boar's Head was invited to join Historic Hotels of America, an elite program managed by the National Trust, in recognition of its historic integrity, architectural significance, and outstanding preservation efforts. It's now a 171-room, 573-acre estate with three restaurants, a championship golf course, a sports club and spa.
We had the good fortune to stay in the Hunt Club, a building between the main inn and the Boar's Head Spa. Our room had a balcony that offered lovely views of the Spa and the lake. We dropped our luggage off and headed right over to the Fitness Center at the Boar's Head Sports Club to reinvigorate our travel-weary bodies. We found bikes, treadmills, steppers, ellipticals, free weights, a power rack, Cybex equipment and noticed they offered chair massage in the trainer's office. An hour later, feeling like ourselves again, we strolled around the lake on the way back to the room and appreciated the early-evening calm. Back at our room, we showered then sat and chatted on the balcony in our plush terry robes until it was time for our dinner reservations. The meal at the award-winning Old Mill Room was superb. We enjoyed it so much, we stayed for their buffet lunch the following day even though we had planned to leave earlier. However, that could also be attributed to morning spa treatments that put us in a relaxed, unhurried state of mind.
The Spa
Opened in March 2001, the 5,000 square foot Boar's Head Spa was designed to resemble an elegant farmhouse complete with an active spring housed in a copper-roofed cupola in the main foyer. The stone and running water create the illusion of a natural spring trickling into the heart of the Spa. Separate Men's and Women's Dressing Rooms offer different thermal therapies. In the Men's Dressing Room, there is a steam room and sauna. In the Women's Dressing Room, there is a whirlpool tub. Both dressing rooms have doors that lead to the swimming pool and outdoor whirlpool. There is a Quiet Room which has it's own patio overlooking the lake where you can relax indoors or out before and after treatments. There are manicure and pedicure rooms and six treatment rooms (one is a wet room with hydrotherapy tub and showers). Treatments range from massage therapy (reflexology, aromatherapy, stone and craniosacral) to hydrotherapy and aesthetic treatments such as botanical wraps, facials, salt glows, manicures, pedicures, hair removal and make up application. Business is so brisk, Boar's Head has already begun brainstorming possible expansion plans.
The Spa is ideal for guests of the Inn but also available for day visitors. Many people from Richmond and Washington, D.C. come to Boar's Head Inn for the day - a spa treatment and/or a game of golf at the Birdwood Golf Course and meal at the Old Mill Room.
I was scheduled for an Aromatherapy Massage ("Pure essential oils of flowers and herbs enhance a massage that heals, beautifies and soothes.") and my husband for a Massage ("Relax while your skilled therapist restores balance with a personalized massage. Techniques include Swedish, deep tissue and pressure point."). We arrived at the Spa about a half hour before our appointments. We checked in at the reception desk, were given medical forms to complete and lead to the separate dressing rooms. We met again in robes and slippers in the Quiet Room where we drank lemon water and relaxed.
My therapist, Connie, came into the room with an assortment of Young Living Essential Oils to choose from for the "aromatherapy" part of the treatment. I choose "Joy," a blend of Lemon (Citrus limon), mandarin (Citrus reticulata), bergamot (Citrus bergamia), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), rose (Rosa damascena), rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii), Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), and jasmine (Jasminum officinale) which is said to "produce an uplifting magnetic energy and bring joy to the heart." When diffused, it can be refreshing and uplifting. Connie left to prepare the room and Sue came in to get Jeff. Then Connie came back for me.
In the room, I saw (and smelled) that she had put some of the "Joy" into a bowl of warm water and the scent had diffused into the room. I got onto the treatment table and Connie explained what she was going to do. It was basically a sampler of treatments. She started with foot reflexology that ended with a few drops of "Joy" massaged into my feet. She then did range of motion movements to release my hips (which felt great!). After that, she gave me a nice full-body massage. Finally, I turned on my back again and she did a little bit of craniosacral therapy by sliding one of her arms under the small of my back and resting her other hand lightly on my abdomen. Then she moved the top arm under the center of my back and left both arms there for a few minutes. I have never had this done before and found it interesting. I had a preconceived misconception that craniosacral therapy only involved the skull.
Jeff and I met back in the Quiet Room. He reported that Sue had given him a Swedish massage just like his therapist at home (high praise!). We headed back to our room, packed, had lunch at The Old Mill Room and checked out. Well rested and well fed, we headed west until we met the Skyline Drive (speed limit 35 mph) where continued on the beautiful, slow journey north.
What You Need to Know About The Spa
Arrive 20 minutes prior to your appointment
Boar's Head Inn offers a number of overnight Spa Packages. Here are a few of them that were available at the time of our visit (check with the Inn for availability and current prices):
Rekindle the
Romance
From
candlelight dinners to quiet lakeside strolls along moonlit paths, Boar's Head
Inn is the perfect place to fall in love all over again. Package includes:
• Two nights' accommodations
• Champagne welcome
• Candlelight dinner one evening in the four-diamond Old Mill Room
• Soothing 30 minute massage for each person at the Spa
• Breakfast in bed each morning
$179 per person, per night.
Based on two night stay, double occupancy.
Taxes, gratuities, and resort fee included
Fun and
Fitness
We've combined the best features of the Inn and Sports Club in one
fun-filled package, which includes:
• Two nights' accommodations
• Welcome gift
• Breakfast for two each morning
• Dinner one evening in the Old Mill Room
• Relaxing 30 minute massage for each person at the Spa
• One hour tennis or golf lesson per person
• Complimentary use of Sports Club fitness equipment
$202 per person, per night.
Based on two night stay, double occupancy.
Taxes, gratuities, and resort fee included
It's All About
You
When
all you can spare is a day away from the hectic pace, nothing renews like spa
pampering. Package includes:
• One night's accommodations
• Welcome gift
• Breakfast for two in the Old Mill
Room
• Spa Lunch
• Day One - 60 minute Aromatherapy Massage
• Day Two - Your choice of Spa Manicure/Pedicure, Reflexology
Massage, or Body Glow
• Complimentary use of fitness facilities, sauna, and hot tub
$334 per person, per night.
One night stay, double occupancy.
Taxes, gratuities, and resort fee included
The Great
Escape
Make
Boar's Head Spa your Fountain of Youth with three days of soothing treatments.
Package includes:
• Two nights' accommodations
• Welcome gift
• Breakfast for two each morning
• Spa Lunch daily
• Day One - 60 minute Aromatherapy Massage
• Day Two - Your choice of two: Enzymatic Sea Mud Wrap, Body Glow, Body Therapy
Hydro Pack Wrap, Hydrotherapy, Express Facial, or Back Therapy Treatment
• Day Three - Your choice of Spa Manicure/Pedicure or Reflexology Massage
• Your choice of one New York Times Bestseller
• Complimentary use of fitness facilities, sauna, and hot tub
$310 per person, per night.
Based on two night stay, double occupancy.
Taxes, gratuities, and resort fee included
Putt and
Pamper
Just
think...he hits the links while she has her nails done.
Or...she fine tunes her short game while he enjoys a massage.
Or better yet...both enjoy a round of championship golf and then treat
themselves at the Spa.
Whatever your preference - recreation or relaxation - the two of you really can
have it all! Package includes:
• Two nights' accommodations
• Breakfast for two each morning
• Unlimited golf at Birdwood
• Complimentary cart rental and club storage
• Unlimited use of the driving range
• Choice of two 45-minute Spa treatments: Massage, Facial, Manicure,
Pedicure, Reflexology, or Hydrotherapy
• Complimentary use of Sports Club fitness equipment, pools, sauna, and hot tub
Package available through August 31, 2002.
$160 per person, per night.
Based on two night stay, double occupancy.
Taxes, gratuities, and resort fee included
Other activities to do while at Boar's Head Inn include Hot Air Ballooning ($165 per person) and Touring Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland and 200 year old Michie Tavern (Presidents' Pass Tour - $25 per person).
Boar's Head
Adventures
In conjunction with the Outdoor Wilderness Leadership School
(OWLS), these are a variety of special
programs designed to give you a little taste of the great outdoors. Enjoy a special summer room rate of $139 when you customize your stay with
activities such as basic rock climbing and rappelling, guided mountain bike
tours of the Blue Ridge, kayak instruction, and hot-air ballooning.
Photos copyright 2002, Julie
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