Nemacolin Spa a breath of fresh air

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa is rich in a 21-year history that includes many alterations, including an addition to the spa that includes 12 additional treatment rooms, according to spa director Lisa Meinhofer.

The spa was named one of the “Top Ten Spas in North America” by Travel and Leisure magazine, and it was also named one of the “Top 40 Spas in North America” by Conde Nast Traveler.

Famous guests at Nemacolin include actor Robin Williams, author Jack Hanfield, and many Pittsburgh Steelers, including the longhaired safety Troy Polamalu.

The spa has over 50 treatments to choose from, including 15 different massages, including a Lomi Lomi and Dreamcatcher massage, which combine ancient Hawaiian and Native American massage rituals. Those specialized massages typically run from $150 to $250.

“The mystical massage is our most popular one,” Meinhofer said. “It’s an 80-minute customized massage that is unique to what each guest wants.”

Nemacolin has many experienced massage therapists, including a few that have been working at the spa for 15 years. “Our director of operations was also a massage therapist who worked her way up,” Meinhofer added.

Meinhofer feels that in today’s world, when life is pretty complicated, we need the spa atmosphere. “People are working two or three jobs, have children and other complications in life, and I think that this is a kind of place to get away from that,” she said. “When a person walks through out door, they can erase what happened to them beforehand; any bit of relaxation counts.”

Meinhofer, who grew up in New York City, said that people tend to come to Nemacolin to get away from the chaos of city life. “People in the city tend to be surrounded by noise, and coming to Nemacolin, you are worlds away from noise. The only noise you get are animals, golfers and other people that are relaxing,” Meinhofer said. “There is tension from getting into the car to drive alone, and once you arrive here you are free to roam and to use our shuttle service all around the property.”

Relaxing and making time for yourself is all about your priorities, Meinhofer said. “Some people go out and have a beer with friends, or get into the bathtub with some essential oils and burn a candle,” she said. “Even two partners can massage each other.”

The spa’s prices typically fall in the middle range. According to Meinhofer, they are fair for a resort, as Nemacolin has resort-like amenities including a junior Olympic swimming pool, Jacuzzi and fitness center. “Resort spas typically charge more than city spas,” she said.

The best way to book appointments to the spa is by calling 1-866-344-6957, or if you’d like hotel reservations, visit the resort’s website at www.nemacolin.com. Weekends are the busiest for the spa, and the best time to call is one to two weeks in advance, Meinhofer said. The average stay at the resort is two to three nights, and many come for conferences as well.

Nemacolin is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, approximately three hours from Pittsburgh and about four and a half from the D.C. metropolitan area.