Light spills in from a fissure in the rocky cavern's ceiling, dancing on the walls as it reflects off the aquamarine pool below. Water also tumbles from a skyward outcropping, slapping the warm mineral pool filled with a therapeutic blend of sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Despite its exotic beauty, this underground grotto isn't tucked into a mountainside on the Italian Riviera. In fact it's about a four-hour drive from Chattanooga.
The Grove Park Inn, in Asheville, NC, offers some of the most unique spa services in the country.Ranked among the best spas in the world, The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, N.C., receives regular accolades from top travel publications like Travel + Leisure, Fodor's and Conde Nast Traveler - just to name a few. The brainchild of Canadian architect Robert LaBlonde, the 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa is dug into a hillside in the Blue Ridge Mountains, featuring clandestine rock alcoves as well as breathtaking mountain views.
"It's just the easiest place to be - everything is right there for you," says Chrissy Jones, event coordinator with the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. She and her husband Drew honey-mooned at the Grove Park last summer.
The mountain resort was a far cry from their original tropical honeymoon plans, which were canceled the week of their wedding due to a passport snafu. As a result, Drew's parents surprised the couple with a three-night stay on the hotel's concierge floor, which granted them full spa access.
"After breakfast every day we would change into our bathing suits and robes and walk down to the spa," she recalls. "I think Drew spent the entire time floating in the pools. He still talks about it on a weekly basis," she laughs.
Of course, these aren't your garden variety swimming pools. Based on the ancient Kurs (luxurious bathing rituals) of European spas, the Grove Park's 10 pools are maintained at various temperatures, each offering distinct restorative properties. Underwater music lulls you into relaxation in the warm mineral pool, while thousands of fiber optic "stars" twinkle above the indoor lap pool. Hot and cold plunge pools increase circulation, while therapeutic waterfalls spill into an indoor hot tub, maintaining a precise water pressure to massage sore muscles. In the separate men's and women's treatment areas, you can linger in the eucalyptus steam room, inhalation room or dry sauna.
Spa services at Grove Park range from $199 to $285 for 80 minutes of soothing and exfoliating professional care.Designed around the basic elements of fire, rock, water and light, the spa is meant to engage every sense. Stepping off the elevator, you're greeted with a warm breeze gently wafting scents of lavender, sandalwood and rosemary. More than 20 water features calm the nerves, while fireside lounges beckon with overstuffed chairs, warm blankets and light snacks. And of course, this is all before you even step foot into a treatment room.
While Grove Park offers some of the most unique spa services in the country, Chrissy and Drew passed them up and basked in the relaxing ambiance instead. Half of the spa's square footage is dedicated to such amenities, with the price of one treatment granting all day access. The welcoming atmosphere is part of Grove Park's commitment to extraordinary personal service paired with Southern hospitality.
"It's absolutely the most amazing resort I've ever been to," says Chrissy. "The customer service is like nothing you've experienced."
Spa Services with a Smile
Color and Light Wrap with Aura Imaging:
This unique treatment begins with special light-sensitive photography, which captures the various wavelengths of your energy field and translates them into colors - also known as an aura. A therapist interprets the colors of your aura. Next, a soothing exfoliation and detoxifying clay body wrap is performed on their Sunspectra Color Pod table, during which music, light waves, heat and aromatherapies work to achieve balance and harmony. After a half-hour massage, a second aura imaging photo is taken to show the results. $199-$260
Fire, Rock, Water, Light:
This signature 80-minute treatment combines all the natural elements of Grove Park, promising to leave you feeling like you've spent the entire day at the spa. It begins with a full-body exfoliation using a blend of sea salts, olive oil and other essential oils, followed by a gentle Vichy waterfall massage and soothing lavender whirlpool bath. A volcanic clay body wrap is then applied, followed by a relaxing massage infused with sandalwood essential oil. $219-$285
Mountain Honey Wrap:
A treatment good enough to eat, this 80-minute wrap features local sourwood honey, warm body butter and a gentle exfoliant blended with lavender essential oil and herbal extracts to soothe you into blissful relaxation. Treatment includes exfoliation, wrap and half-hour massage. $199-$260