Every
couple could use a romance recharge, especially if you can't remember
the last time you spent time together without the kids. Or perhaps you
are expecting your first child and want to get in one last weekend
"babymoon." Whether you can get away for the whole weekend or just a
few hours, here are some nearby oases -- heavenly places you can go to
relax and reconnect.
Located less than an hour from Seattle,
the Salish Lodge and Spa is tucked away above the sacred and beautiful
Snoqualmie Falls. When you arrive, the complimentary valet service will
whisk your car away. Now you've left your parental cares behind and are
free to be lovers again. When you enter your exquisite wood- and
copper-accented room, with its wood-burning fireplace, oversized
whirlpool tub and king-size feather bed, you may not want to leave. But
the warm waters of the spa's therapeutic pools await you. So throw on a
bathing suit and one of your room's comfy oversized robes and trot down
to the spa, located on the fourth floor of the lodge.
Once there you'll be given a tour of pool area, the steam room and the
dry sauna. The spa is a quiet zone -- no talking above a whisper and no
cell phones. You could easily spend an hour or more relaxing in the
warm waters of the two pools. The views make the spa feel like a
well-appointed tree house for adults. For a truly divine afternoon,
book a hot stone massage or one of the spa's signature facials before
you arrive. The spa even offers special massages for pregnant moms and
"treatments for two" packages.
If lounging in the spa is not your partner's thing, consider booking
him or her an afternoon adventure through the hotel's adventure center.
He or she can play golf, go fly fishing with a guide, or enjoy a hike
while you are blissed out in the spa.
Several other Puget Sound area hotels offer "stay and spa" options,
including the luxurious Alexis in downtown Seattle, where you can treat
yourself to some pampering and then head out for holiday shopping. The
Alexis offers treatments in the Etherea Salon Spa; or, for a special
treat, book an in-room massage or facial through the hotel's concierge.
The Willows Lodge and Spa, located in Woodinville's Sammamish River
Valley, offers a highly-popular "Do Not Disturb" package, which
includes a romantic drawn bubble bath with floating rose petals.
Willows also offers a unique riverside experience for couples, who can
enjoy treatments together in a garden cabana in summer or a cozy lodge
suite in winter.
The beautiful Woodmark Hotel and Spa in Kirkland is the only hotel
located right on Lake Washington. Its newly-renovated rooms feature
views of the water, and the spa offers the latest treatments in skin
care. Hotel guests can take a complimentary spin around the lake in the
hotel's boat, a 1956 26-ft Chris-Craft called the Woodmark II. The
boat's captain offers hotel guests a "lifestyles of the rich and
famous"-style tour of the area's waterfront homes.
If you and your spouse could use some soaking and pampering, but are on
a budget or only have time for a quick escape, don't despair. For $60,
a couple can retreat to Banya 5, a Russian-style spa in downtown
Seattle, located on 9th Avenue near Denny Park. Banya offers a
family-friendly environment -- kids are welcome at any time. You can
sweat out your stress together in a sauna and follow up with a plunge
in a cold pool. Repeat the cycle until you feel relaxed, and then put
on a robe and hang out. If you want to splurge a little, Banya 5 offers
services including massage and a signature salt scrub. Check the
schedule on Banya's website for "co-ed" days, and make sure to bring
shower slippers, a bathing suit and a robe.
For the adventurous, or those who are nostalgic for the wilder days of
their youth, check out Tubs in Seattle's U-District. For less than $40
an hour, a couple can enjoy a private Tubs suite, which features a spa
with hydro-therapy jets, a state-of-the-art stereo system and a
Swedish-style dry-heat sauna.
Eric Wollan, a manager at Tubs, says "Each spa room is completely
detailed after each use. The water is tested for chlorine and pH and
adjusted accordingly. If the spa for any reason does not meet our
exceptionally high standard, it is drained immediately. Fresh linens
are stocked in each room after every use."
Iced beverages are available with room service, and Tubs is open from 7
a.m. to 1 a.m. -- so if you live or work near the U-district, you might
consider offering your spouse a different kind of "hot lunch."
Kathleen F. Miller is a Sammamish-based freelance writer and mother of two.
Resources
- Salish Lodge and Spa
6501 Railroad Avenue SE
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
425-888-2556 or 1-800-272-5474
www.salishlodge.com
Check the Web site for monthly spa specials - Alexis Hotel
1007 First Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
206-624-4844 or 1-888-850-1155
www.alexishotel.com - Etherea Salon and Spa at the Alexis
206-628-9605
www.ethereasalon.com - Willows Lodge and Spa
14580 NE 145 Street
Woodinville, WA 98072
1-877-424-3930 (lodge)
425-424-2900 (spa)
www.willowslodge.com
Check the Web site for monthly spa specials - Woodmark Hotel
1200 Carillon Point
Kirkland, WA 98033
425 822-3700 (hotel)
425-803-9000 (spa)
www.thewoodmark.com
Check the Web site for monthly spa specials - Banya 5
217 9th Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98109
206-262-1234
www.banya5.com - Tubs Seattle
NE 50th and Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206-527-TUBS
www.tubsseattle.com
