When's the last time you had a wild lavender and seaweed sugar glow?
How about a warmed spice mud wrap?
You won't find these tasty-sounding selections on a menu at one of Chattanooga's trendy restaurants. Instead, they are two of the dozens of skin and massage treatment services offered at The Woodhouse Day Spa, a new luxury spa in Warehouse Row.
Owner Calina Burns says some of the services, such as the seaweed treatments, are services not typically offered in Chattanooga. Other services at Woodhouse include hydrafacials, facial treatments for acne and rosacea, waxing, pedicures, manicures, volcanic stone massage, yoga massage, duet massage, reflexology foot massage, stretch mark treatment, lavender scalp massage, and much more.
Treatments
Among the more unusual treatments offeredat The Woodhouse Day Spa:* Organic seaweed leaf wrap: Leaves of Atlantic seaweed cocoon the body to detoxify, moisturize, soften. 80 minutes, $155.* Wild lavendar and seaweed sugar glow: A blend of seaweed, lavender buds and organic sugar is used to exfoliate the skin. Afterwards, the client is given a shower and massage. $95 for 50 minutes. 50 minutes, $95.* The Woodhouse Experience: Aromatherapy bath, four-handed massage, minkyti facial, hand ritual, seaweed leaf pedicure. 5 hours, $475.* Restorative stem cell facial: Stimulates skin’s ability to protect and renew itself by replacing damaged collagen and elastin fibers. 80 minutes, $160.* Blissful Night sleep treatment: Begins with rainfall relaxation shower followed by a back, neck and head massage. Aromatherapy oils designed for sleep fill the room. 50 minutes, $105.
Having moved to Nashville from Palm Springs, Calif., in 1994 to work in property management, Burns says she couldn't find a local spa that offered the skin and body treatments she was accustomed to in California.
"It was a culture shock," she says. "I was spoiled. I was used to a 'real spa' experience, not one where you were tucked into a backroom of a hair salon while other people were having their hair styled.
"Getting a massage in the same area where there's the odor of hair chemicals and the sound of blow dryers is not the same as relaxing in a spa where everything focuses on making you feel good in a peaceful environment."
The spa industry as a whole has changed in the last 20 years; while some massage rooms in Chattanooga are located inside hair salons, there are a handful of spas in their own spaces - no hairspray to be found - and have services similar to Woodhouse, if not such a wide array of offerings.
Lynne McNees, president of the International Spa Association, which is headquartered in Lexington, Ky., says most people go to spas these days looking for a balance of mind, body and spirit.
"The No. 1 reason worldwide men and women visit a spa is to learn how to manage their stress," McNees says. "Learning how to create balance is essential to living a healthy life."
Last October, the association reported that the number of visits to spa establishments increased from 160 million in 2012 to 164 million in 2013. In 2014, the number of spas had increased by nearly 500 percent since an inaugural study was commissioned in 1999.
In 2008, Burns opened her own spa in Franklin, Tenn., after visiting her sister in Texas, where she was introduced to The Woodhouse Day Spa, a Texas-based franchise. She says she knew the spa would be a good fit in Tennessee.
"I opened the 20th Woodhouse spa, and now there's 65, with 350 more under development in the U.S., Canada and India. It is going global," she says.
There's good reason for the growth, Burns explains.
"Its success goes back the the founder, Jeni Garrett, and her vision of staying ahead and always being on the cutting edge of trends," she says. "We're focused on wellness. We strategically place ourselves in areas where we can align with those who appreciate and need our services."
Franklin and Chattanooga fit the bill, she says.
The 6,000-square-foot spa in Warehouse Row features more than 70 services for the body and mind, including signature seaweed treatments and water-based massage treatments, Burns says. The spa also carries several lines of skin treatments and sleepwear.
"Our staff understands how hard the people in this city work. That's why we've created an experience where they can leave behind the stress of their daily lives and focus on their health and well-being."
Chattanoogan Victoria Tropiano says she visited Woodhouse after getting a good deal for a 60-minute Swedish massage on Groupon.
"I've only been to a couple other spas, but neither experience was like the one at Woodhouse," she says. "They first took me to a locker room that looked more like a spacious lounge where I changed into a nice robe. I then went to a big room where I sat in a chaise lounge and was served tea. They even had my name written on a card by the chair."
Tropiano says her massage therapist had 22 years' experience.
"He was really professional and the staff made me feel like I was the only one there. They gave me so much attention and a lot of pampering," she says.
Also among the staff is a massage therapist who's also an Ironman competitor and specializes in working with athletes, Burns says.
"We provide a safe and comfortable space that's designed to achieve an overall sense of of well- being for each of our clients," she says. "Our treatments are unique and we do change up our menu of treatments periodically based on a trend or demand."
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.