The Florida Spa Experience: Then and Now
The Fountain of Youth has always been in St. Augustine, Florida, where Don Juan Ponce de León found the natural spring he thought the native Taíno people of Puerto Rico referred to in their tradition. It was the height and healthy appearance of the Timocuan tribe that convinced the explorer that he was in the right place. A century ago, industrialist Henry Flagler began developing The Sunshine State, from St. Augustine to Palm Beach. St. Augustine’s Lightner Museum occupies the site of one of its earliest spas, which housed the world’s largest swimming pool, steam rooms, and saunas. Tourists of all kinds still visit Northeast Florida to turn back their biological clocks, only now their options are more diverse. From the white haven of Debbie’s Day Spa & Salon on Anastasia Boulevard in St. Augustine, where antique furnishings in the 11 treatment rooms evoke a bed and breakfast, to the spa at Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, where a new 30,000-square-foot The state-of-the-art spa is scheduled to open in September, this is the place to pamper yourself.
The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club dates back to 1928, but guests would never suspect it. This thoughtfully designed getaway offers golf, tennis, fitness center, and a spa within walking distance of your room. The constant rhythms of the tide welcome you: the beach is right outside your door and visible from your terrace. The European-style reservation frees guests from a permanent check-in at the reception. Government and Mrs. Jeb Bush and Bruce Springsteen have stayed here. You will dine on the delights of chef Herman Mueller, who has catered to the White House.
The current spa will soon give way to one with 22 treatment rooms and two for couples, five water treatments, grottoes, a central relaxation courtyard and an element where you feel as if you’re sitting on a glass of Alka-Seltzer. Spa staff have traveled to study treatments and menus from Baden Baden to the South Pacific. The motif of the new facilities will be bamboo, stones and waterfalls, the exterior roofed with orange clay tiles in keeping with the complex in general. The Inn and Club also has 15 clay tennis courts, whose underground irrigation system ensures that the game is not interrupted by maintenance. The 8,000-square-foot fitness center has 75 ocean-view stations and 60 classes, including Pilates and spinning.
The Inn and Club experience is that of a walking town, no need to drive to access amenities. Be sure to take a day trip to St. Augustine, where sites like the original Fountain of Youth, America’s Oldest House, and resplendent Flagler College are worth a visit. Between your relaxing stay at this resort and your exploration of DeLeon and Flagler era healing sites, your visit to the St. Augustine region will be rejuvenating.