Located about 45 minutes outside downtown Portland, The Allison Inn & Spa (Newberg, OR) serves as a perfect base for those looking to enjoy a few days exploring Willamette Valley’s wineries. Apart from imbibing, most visitors head to Oregon’s wine country to relax, and the property offers The Allison Spa to help them do just that. The spa features 12 treatment rooms, a spa terrace and gardens, an indoor swimming pool, and a private spa suite, The Sky Suite, for small gatherings. “Our precious environment and holistic treatments have made The Allison Spa the ultimate spa experience of the Pacific Northwest,” says spa director Tara Calton. “We invite guests to smell, touch, hear, and sample the flavors, drawing on all senses to create a memorable experience. Whether they’re planning a special event or simply a day to rejuvenate and indulge, The Allison Spa offers lavish and effective therapies that remain true to nature.”
According to Calton, most guests who visit the spa are looking to relax, de-stress, and be pampered. It is also popular with couples interested in carving out some quiet time together. Not surprisingly, the treatment menu is designed to offer a variety of options to help guests achieve these goals. “Staying true to our environment, we are committed to nurturing the whole being and offering the purest quality of eco-therapies, amenities, and products,” says Calton. “Our menu, presenting blends of living energies, has been inspired through Oregon’s fertile soil and abundance of ecological elements—flowers, fruits, herbs, water, and Willamette’s beloved Pinot Noir.”
Wine enthusiasts, of which there are plenty, can opt for the Divine Wine Facial ($115, 60 minutes; $165, 90 minutes) or the Grape Seed Cure ($175, 90 minutes), both signature services of the spa. It’s “Pinotherapy” at its best. Those looking for another locally inspired treatment may want to try Northwest Elements ($120, 60 minutes; $170, 90 minutes), a facial designed to heal and improve skin’s elasticity. It involves a nutrient-rich algae mask from nearby Klamath Falls, as well as a heated stone massage of the neck, shoulders, and face. It’s one of the spa’s most popular treatments, as is the Mimosa Massage ($110, 60 minutes; $165, 90 minutes), another signature treatment. It uses Champagne oil to leave the skin silky smooth and concludes with a non-alcoholic mimosa.
A heavenly hideaway for couples, the spa is the perfect place to experience Together ($210, 60 minutes; $310, 90 minutes), a side-by-side couples’ massage. It also features various bridal packages for those planning to tie the knot. Recommended for the bride the day before the ceremony, the Bridal Bouquet ($290, 4 hours) features a 60-minute shea butter massage or custom facial, a brow-maintenance wax, a manicure and pedicure, a spa lunch, and a polish touch-up on the day of the wedding. The Groom ($175, 2 hours) includes a 60-minute therapeutic massage, a gentleman’s manicure, and a hair trim and style. After the wedding, the happy couple can enjoy Ever-After ($740, 4 hours), which pampers with two 60-minute wraps, a 90-minute couples’ massage, a choice of manicure and pedicure for each, a spa lunch for two complete with chocolate truffles, and a long-stem rose for the new Mrs.
Employing approximately 45 staff members, most of whom are full time, the spa accommodates about 20 to 40 clients on most weekdays. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 70 to 90 clients is the maximum. According to Calton, her biggest challenge is keeping up with evolving trends, as well as figuring out which are best suited for the spa’s clientele. “We are still very young and learning many wonderful details about our guests,” says Calton. In the meantime, she and her staff are focused on staying true to the property’s philosophies, which weave an organic, evolving, and playful thread through all that it has to offer. Here, spa-goers don’t need to forego efficacy to enjoy lavish indulgence. The warm, friendly staff; the comfortable Northwest elegance; and the connection between the natural surroundings and the services offered all conspire to make an experience at The Allison Spa one to cherish.
Owner: Joan Austin
Spa Director: Tara Calton
Opened: September 2009
Client Base
74% female, 26% male
Space
15,000 square feet; 12 treatment rooms
Offerings
aromatherapy, body treatments, couples’ treatments, eyelash and brow tinting, eyelash extensions, facials, fitness, hair and scalp treatments, hand and foot treatments, hydrotherapy, makeup application, massage, nailcare, nutrition consultation, outdoor treatments, Pilates, prenatal services, reflexology, salon services, waxing, yoga
Signature Service
Grapeseed Cure ($175, 90 minutes)
Most Expensive Offering
Ever-After ($740, 4 hours)
Product lines
Alo Sport, Amber Products, Aromatherapy Associates, Blinc, Bonny Doon, Cain & Able, Clarisonic, Éminence Organic Skin Care, Escama Studio, FarmHouse Fresh, Get Fresh, Green Girl, Inphorm, June Jacobs, Jurlique, Kevin Murphy, Lash Food, Lindsay Phillips, Moonstruck Chocolate, Moroccanoil, Organic Male OM4, Rebootle, Rume, Smith Tea, Victoria’s Lavender, Voluspa, Youngblood, Zoya
Equipment
Chadsworth & Haig, Harms Software, Oakworks, Silhouet-Tone, Technogym, Yeah Baby
Architect & Interior Designer
GGLO (Seattle)
Spa Consultant
Judy Singer, Health Fitness Dynamics (Pompano Beach, FL) and Greg Hagin, LHConnects (San Francisco)