For years, the Windsor Court Hotel (New Orleans) has provided guests with an elegant escape from the hustle-and-bustle of the Crescent City. Most recently, it has become even more appealing to those who appreciate the finer things in life, thanks to a massive $22 million renovation. The entire property was updated, a project that included new decor in all 316 guestrooms and suites; a refurbished Club Level lounge; a re-concepting of the celebrated Le Salon; a refresh of The Grill Room, The Polo Club Lounge, the pool area, and meetings spaces; the addition of a lobby bar; and the debut of the elegantly appointed Spa at Windsor Court. “The Spa at Windsor Court is the finishing touch to our recent renovations that now provide a full-service luxury experience for guests,” says general manager David Teich. “As the only four-star, four-diamond hotel in New Orleans, we pride ourselves on offering guests the finest amenities and services.”
Taking a hint from the regal ambience of the hotel, the spa offers guests an experience fit for a king or a queen. There, they can bask in 4,500-square-feet of space, which includes Swarovski crystals that line the ceiling, mother-of-pearl tiles, calming colors, and soothing, warm accents. “We set out to achieve the look and feel of the hotel’s old-world charm with a bright, fresh face and a relaxing spa feel,” says Kelly Maack, CEO of Maack Management, the owner and operator of the Spa at Windsor Court. “In the New Orleans tradition, the spa is upscale but not uptight.”
The spa offers plenty of places for guests to relax and rejuvenate. Before and after services, they can enjoy the saunas and steam rooms in the women’s and men’s facilities or kick back in the picturesque outdoor pool, which is located adjacent to the spa. Other areas include the manicure and pedicure room, which features two manicure tables and two pedicure thrones; a single-chair salon; two state-of-the-art skincare rooms; three massage rooms with private showers; and the spacious couples’ Duet Suite.
Several treatments are inspired to make guests feel like royalty and to pamper them as they recover from their Big Easy adventures. The Monarch ($145, 50 minutes), for example, provides a detoxifying cure for Bourbon Street-induced ails with a dry-body brushing, a soothing aromatherapy massage, and a toxin-eliminating wrap, during which a scalp massage is performed. Also distinctive is a collection of facials that involve such techniques as oxygen therapy, LED light therapy, and microdermabrasion. The Royal Facial ($190, 1 hour 50 minutes) combines all three and also includes a deep cleansing, thorough extractions, a massage, and a hydrating mask to help whip skin into shape and get clients ready for their closeups (or just a night out on the town). The most requested services involve pampering the hands and the feet. According to Maack, clients’ top picks are The Princess ($45, 45 minutes for hands; $60, 60 minutes for feet; $100, 1 hour 45 minutes for hands and feet) nailcare service for women, which involves a soak, exfoliation, a massage, and a paraffin dip, and The Man(ly)cure ($40, 40 minutes for hands; $50, 50 minutes for feet; $85, 90 minutes for both).
The majority of the spa’s guests (70 percent) are hotel guests. But that ratio may change as the spa increasingly caters to locals with a 20 percent discount on services scheduled between Monday and Thursday and complimentary valet parking for spa guests. To accommodate clients, who on average partake in 25 to 30 daily services during the week and more than 50 daily services over the weekend, the spa employs an experienced team of 26 full- and part-time staff members. “To develop and retain a qualified, professional, and enthusiastic team is the number-one objective of our organization,” says Maack, who notes that the team is integral to the hotel and spa’s “guest first” philosophy.
Up next is a spa birthday party on May 9, when guests and the spa staff can celebrate a successful first year. So far, it seems like blowing out a candle and wishing for success may not be necessary, as Maack and her team seem well on their way to cementing the spa as a popular fixture on the New Orleans spa scene. “Our commitment to our guests is our guide to keep us ahead of our competition and first in our marketplace,” she says. “If we care for our guests first, the rest will follow, and we will thrive.”
Owners:
Kelly and Rick Maack
Spa Director: Sharla Martin
Creative Direction:
Megan Linney
Opened: May 2011
Client Base
60% female 40% male
Space
5,200 square feet; 10 treatment rooms
Cost of Spa
$2 million
Offerings
aromatherapy, body treatments, couples’ treatments, eyelash and brow tinting, facials, fitness, hair and scalp treatments, hand and foot treatments, makeup application, massage, microdermabrasion, nailcare, prenatal services, salon services, waxing
Most Expensive Offering
Four Handed Massage ($470, 80 minutes)
Product Lines
Bio-Freeze, Cellex-C, Cirepil, Clarisonic, Molton Brown, Moroccanoil, Naturopathica, Phytomer, Soulstice
Equipment
Continuum, Echo 2 Plus, Oakworks, PowerLight LED Light Therapy System, SpaBooker, TY Group, Zendals
Architect
Pio Lyons (New Orleans)
Interior Designer
Flick Mars (Dallas)
Spa Consultant
Maack Management (multiple locations)