Spa Review: Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
At the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, they recognize that not every person wants the same thing when it comes to luxury and service. It’s why they customize individual experiences for people—a philosophy that extends to their spa and wellness center.
Spa Profile: The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
The spa is committed to providing experiences that meet the needs and desires of each of their guests, whether it’s customizing a massage or providing private access to a starlight swim with champagne for a couple.
Luxury Stays and Getaways: Personalized Experiences at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Here’s what you’ll love about the Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago:
The staff is genuinely welcoming and helpful. My nail technician told me she feels like her co-workers are family and it shows in how they treat each other and the guests.
Luxurious locker rooms include ample vanity space, sauna, steam room and large showers. Each locker is stocked with Natura Bisse Barcelona shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and body balm.
Each treatment is customized to the needs and desires of the guest, and signature aromas are combined with guidance from the guest.
Men are welcome—and not just an afterthought. Services are designed for male needs whether it’s the Vintage Bourbon Massage, the Bourbon Hand and Foot Detailing (both served with a glass of signature single-barrel bourbon) or a Gentleman’s Maintenance Package that includes a back exfoliation, massage, and a facial designed for a man’s complexion.
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COVID-19 Safety Updates and Protocols:
The hotel has launched an enhanced global health and safety program called “Lead With Care.
Masks are required throughout the spa and during massages and nail treatments. Facials have been temporarily suspended.
The property provides access to off-site COVID-19 testing during a guest’s stay.
Team members receive temperature check and screening every 24 hours.
Updated precautions are available on their website.
My friend Cheryl and I arrived at the Four Seasons Spa on a Saturday morning—the day Chicago reinstated its indoor mask mandate. We were greeted warmly by a receptionist who seemed genuinely happy to see us. She accompanied us to the locker room and introduced us to the attendant who prepared our lockers and brought us robes and slippers that were comfortable and appropriate to our sizes.
The spa’s design is carried through from the rest of the hotel, lots of white with warm browns and white roses blossoming in many of the corners. The spa has a Mediterranean aesthetic with artwork throughout and wooden lockers opening up into areas with large showers and comfortable vanities. Even the amenities hail from Barcelona.
There is a large pool (one that was used in “Home Alone 2”) and a circular hot tub that was out of commission when we visited. The locker room contains a Eucalyptus steam room and a sauna for loosening the muscles before treatments.
When I exited the locker room, my massage therapist was waiting for me at the reception desk. She took me back to the treatment room, explaining the upcoming massage and showing me the metal box where I could put any jewelry, keys or other personal items.
Together, we discussed the different aromas they had—centered around spring, summer, autumn and fall. Since it was August, I chose summer—a citrusy, energizing blend. Masks were required during the service, but I was allowed to pull it down long enough to breathe in the aromas.
I undressed and lay on the massage table, sticking my feet out of the blankets. When she returned, I asked if I could keep them out and talked a little bit about my heat intolerance. She immediately turned down the heat on the table and when she later gave me a pillow, it was not heated like they usually do—which made it that much more comfortable and enjoyable for me.
Throughout the Four Seasons, the emphasis was on personal service and this was just one more evidence of how they did that—her adjusting the protocols of the service to meet my individual preferences.
No two massages are ever alike, with each therapist having his or her personal touches within the spa’s requirements. My therapist was amazing. She managed to work my sore neck without hurting it and throughout the massage, inquired about pressure in a way that wasn’t invasive and didn’t disturb the tranquility of the massage.
She started with a tour of my body, briefly touching each part and assessing my needs before starting in on the work. It was massage as ritual and I felt very drawn into it, transported to the world which is spa where there is space for self-care, space for wellness.
When she was done, I felt new flexibility and comfort. Banished was the soreness I had been experiencing prior to this trip and my exhaustion had dissipated.
After I donned my robe again, she escorted me to a relaxation room that was dimly lit and filled with comfortable chairs and recliners. She brought me a Green Goddess smoothie, a glass of water infused with strawberries, cucumbers and mint, and a bag of unsalted almonds. The cushions on the wall soundproofed the room and the music played softly, making it easy to stretch out the blissfulness of the experience I’d just had.
While I had to leave for a packed day, I returned on Sunday morning to receive a pedicure and manicure. My primary care physician back home had recommended that I schedule regular pedicures, even going so far as to say she would prescribe it for me—though it still wouldn’t be covered by insurance. So, I was eager to have my dry feet treated.
The nail technician showed me several different kinds of polish and we settled on Dazzle Dry, which is vegan and vitamin B5 fortified. It has the long-lasting qualities of a gel, but it doesn’t tear your nail apart when you remove it. It also dried quickly and with a shine. A week after my treatment, my finger and toe nails were still in perfect condition despite my doing a lot of cleaning throughout the week. They made me smile every time I looked at them.
The nail technician began by washing my feet and working on one while the other soaked in the still waters of the pedicure chair tub. The jets were turned off, but the water was still warm and comfortable. After cutting my nails and attending to my cuticles, she began a brown sugar scrub to exfoliate my feet and lower legs, followed by a moisturizer which she gently massaged into my feet and legs. She was then ready to begin her expert paint job, which left my toes shiny and sparkly.
We moved over to the manicure table and she repeated the process with my hands, evening out my nails which were of all different lengths. The exfoliation and moisturizer left my hands soft and no longer feeling dry or itchy. She applied multiple base coats, two coats of color, and then two top coats.
It was a lovely way to end my spa weekend and a service that got to come home with me as a constant reminder of the luxurious treatment at the Spa at Four Seasons Chicago.
Cost: Magnificent Mile Massage (50 minutes/$160); Dazzle Dry Manicure and Pedicure ($70-$110)
Insider Tip: The infused water in the relaxation room is heavenly and it is a perfect place to rest post-treatment and let the whole experience sink in. The Four Seasons specializes in customizing experiences. They say on their website that “We can arrange virtually anything” and the staff is ready to do just that.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Address: 120 East Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-280-8800
For more information and to book a service, visit the website. Follow on Instagram: @fschicago
[Images by Bridgette Redman]
Bridgette Redman, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at www.bridgetteredman.com