Having just returned from my trip to Dubai, I am planning to rest over the weekend. But my husband Peter calls from the Spa at Grand Lake in Lebanon, Connecticut, where he had ridden his Harley-Davidson motorcycle for an overnight stay. He tells me the weather is so gorgeous and the scenery so beautiful that I simply must meet up with him. So I put on my jeans and Harley boots, hop on a train, and head to Hartford.
We spent several hours riding around the area, which looked and smelled like spring with its fresh, earthy scents. It reminded me very much of the area where I grew up in Illinois. Then we headed to the Spa at Grand Lake. This spa had been part of our online marketing program until last year. We had received a few consumer complaints about the facility and felt that we needed to remove it from the website, as consumer expectations were not being met. The management wanted to rejoin our partner program, so we decided that someone from the Spa Finder team needed to experience the property and program in order to ascertain their suitability.
Here is what we found out. The Spa at Grand Lake is a budget experience. The advanced age of the property is clearly reflected in its facilities, which don’t exactly scream “contemporary.” However, we were impressed with the extent of the fitness program and quite pleased with the meals – especially dinner. One night there was a very nicely done swordfish, the next night a choice of lobster or sweet and sour chicken.
The Spa at Grand Lake isn’t all that grand, but it is a good deal. It is rustic rather than luxurious, but for the budget price of under $200 per night including accommodations, three meals a day, all fitness programs, and a daily 30-minute massage, we can see how it would be a good match for some people. The one massage I had from Steve (very large guy with very large hands) was terrific, and Peter had a similar experience. Most telling of all, many of the women we spoke with had been going there for years.
So we decided to give them another try and invite them back onto our website, being sure that the writeup accurately portrays the experience so as not to create unrealistic expectations. Now, back to Manhattan and realizing that I’m not suffering from any jet lag!
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Have you heard of The Farm at San Benito? It’s a destination spa two hours outside of Manila in the Philippines. What a surprise – it is very luxurious in an eco-friendly way. I had heard that it is a five-star vegan detox place. I knew I would be able to handle the five-star part, but vegan and colonics?
A colleague just brought to my attention a magazine called 