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Luxury spas in the Midwest

While Wisconsin in the winter might not sound as warm and inviting as a spa escape to Arizona, the dairy state has two must-try luxury destinations just a few hours north of Chicago: Kohler Waters Spa in Kohler (866-928-3777, kohlerwatersspa.com) and Aspira Spa (877-772-2070, aspiraspa.com) at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. Once you step inside these oases of tranquility, you will see why the weather outside does not matter.

 

Looking to get away from it all, possibly with uninterrupted quiet in an idyllic setting where people still keep their doors unlocked at night? Welcome to Kohler, home of the famous kitchen and bath giant and the Kohler Waters Spa. Popular spa treatments include Highland Fling, combining streams of a Vichy shower with the gentle flinging of warm water and an exfoliation using coffee granules mixed with mint oil followed by a chocolate body butter massage ($140 for 50 minutes, $160 Saturdays); Aquatonic, a facial performed while enjoying a warm Vichy shower massage ($140 for 50 minutes, $160 Saturdays); and Tropical Contouring, a full-body exfoliation followed by a lemon and geranium-scented contouring mask ($150 for 50 minutes, $170 Saturdays).

 

Extend your spa visit and spend the night in the spa’s Carriage House, or stay next door at the American Club, the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond resort hotel. For the ultimate pamper, request the Carriage House’s Immersion Suites, which include walk-in showers with massaging showerheads and whirlpool tubs. For the romantic at heart, order a nighttime bath with scented oils, candles, and champagne and strawberries. In-room pedicures, facials and massages are additional indulgences you can set up.

 

For a special treat, stop by Kohler’s newest addition: Craverie, which serves addictive chocolate, sea salt croissants and hot chocolate made with real peanut butter.

 

Last spring, Kohler Waters Spa opened a new day spa in Burr Ridge (630-323-7674), offering water treatments such as Go with the Flow ($115 for 50 minutes) that includes a body exfoliation, scalp and hair treatment, and foot reflexology all under the warmth of a Kohler Vichy shower. The day spa’s best feature: A 10,200-square-foot Circle of Tranquility with a whirlpool, cascading waterfall and three shower experiences: Quench, Envelop and Deluge.

 

Nestled on the banks of southeastern Wisconsin’s Elkhart Lake, considered sacred by Native Americans, the Aspira Spa’s feng shui designs and custom-built, circular meditation room take calm to a new level. The 20,000-square-foot spa, inside the AAA Four Diamond Osthoff Resort, uses organic products and specializes in treatments derived from the healing techniques of indigenous peoples.

 

Signature services include the Sacred Waters Massage ($145 for 60 minutes), where heated deerskin pouches filled with fresh water from Elkhart Lake are placed on the body’s chakras while you experience a Swedish massage. The Aspira Chroma Facial ($175 for 90 minutes) incorporates color therapy with lymphatic drainage and pressure-point stimulation, and the Balneotherapy Bath in Chromatub ($75 for 30 minutes) detoxifies the body by using marine minerals, nutrients, essential oils and healing lights while a therapist performs underwater body exfoliation, deep tissue massage and lymphatic drainage.

 

The spa's newest addition: The  Cedars Massage ($145 for 65 minutes) that uses fresh cedar to cleanse and purify the body by placing a bowl of cedar chips under the face and infusing them with oil and hot water, igniting an earthy scent, and wrapping the body with an aromatic cedar blanket.

 

Be sure to also indulge in the Aspira Spa’s indoor and outdoor whirlpools and Finnish sauna or take a cooking class in the Osthoff Resort's new cooking school, L'ecole de la Maison. If you are traveling with a significant other, book the spa's SpaSuite for a side-by-side couple's massage. Suite amenities include a  whirlpool bath, rainfall shower, fireplace and in-room treats such as champagne and chocolates.

  

Have a luxury travel find? Send an e-mail to Lisa at  lisadavismedia@yahoo.com.