Escape Daily Stresses at La Quinta Resort and Spa
by Anne Dimon
At a growing number of resorts, you can take
the first step on the road to living better, longer -
and have your vacation, too!
One of the first things you notice when you pull up to the entrance of this legendary desert hideaway is the wide arc of blooms that sweeps across a meticulously groomed landscape. Complementing this manicured tapestry of color is the sound of trickling waters, gurgling from fountains and trickling over miniature waterfalls. The welcoming scene sets a mood that is simultaneously reenergizing and calming. Very Feng Shui.
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Located just outside Palm Springs at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, the legendary La Quinta Resort & Club dates back to 1926 when it was a private and sophisticated enclave for Hollywood celebrities. Stars may no longer flock here to seek solace, but the sprawling resort with its village-like groupings of Spanish-style casitas continues to offer a refuge from the stresses of daily living.
Since 2000, one of La Quinta’s points of distinction has been the WellMax Center for Preventive Medicine. As Eastern wellness philosophies continue to mesh with Western medical practices, the word “preventative” is establishing its place in the North American health vernacular, and medical clinics and wellness centers such as WellMax are helping to define a new and growing travel niche. Think about it. At an increasing number of such resorts around the world, you can take the first step on the road to living better, longer - and have your vacation, too!
This state-of-the-art preventative medicine clinic offers comprehensive scientific testing to determine such things as genetic predispositions to certain medical conditions - heart diseases and cancer, for instance. Clients are given nutritional analysis, mental and physical fitness testing, interior body imaging, bone density, lung scans plus routine medical tests and blood work. Of course, this isn’t a walk-in clinic. You can’t just pop in and book a brain scan. Clients typically sign-up for a two-to-four-day program consisting of 12 to 20 hours of in-clinic time.
Deborah Schrameck, director of client services, says, “we look at the whole body in a holistic manner – emotional, physical, blood work, plus medical procedures.” She says clients range in age from 25 to 80 and “we’re seeing an increasing number of younger people becoming interested in the preventative approach to health care.” She stresses that this is not a “doctor’s office” but a “wellness facility.” People with appointments are not “patients” but “clients” who are escorted to a boardroom instead of assembling en masse in a crowded waiting room. “We don’t want that herded in and out feeling,” says Schrameck. She says, “typically just three to four people may overlap.” Tied into a vacation, she says a complete package could start at about $6,000 U. S. and “you leave with an extensive notebook of your health history and profile.”
Schrameck invites me to sample the WellScan – a computerized test based on 12 biomarkers of aging. Among other things, the sophisticated system tests muscle reflex, lung capacity, ability to memorize and visual and auditory reaction time. I liked this test. Based on percentile scores, I clocked in at 11-years younger than my chronological age! Maybe all those anti-aging spa treatments I’ve been having over the last few years are actually working.
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Following the testing, it was time for a little well-deserved lounging by the pool, however, in the name of anti-aging, I shunned toasting poolside and headed off to La Quinta Spa to get my California tan from a can - the Sun Kissed Body Bliss. But first, the signature Celestial Shower, a one-person shower stall open-to-the-sky and towering palms trees. This incredibly relaxing 30-minute treatment offers a body an overhead rain shower, a waterfall feature, plus about a dozen jets strategically positioned to give the body a hydro therapy massage.
While I can’t say this spa is on a physical par with some of the ultra-luxurious spas of Scottsdale, for instance, La Quinta Spa is spacious, has it’s own private garden area and offers a full menu of services including the signature Cahuilla Sage Wrap and the Mountain Dunes Clay Wrap. Sage was used by the local Cahuilla Indians as a cleansing agent, for calming and enhancing the respiratory system, the local red mountain clay has been utilized for centuries for its nourishing and detoxifying properties. For guests looking for a power workout, the adjacent Fitness Center and Mind & Movement Studio has cardiovascular and strength-training equipment plus daily classes such as yoga, Pilates, cardio workouts and aqua-robics. Many guests also come here for golf and tennis. Scheduled children’s activities and a handful of interesting boutiques are other draws.
That night in Morgan’s restaurant, I ordered the WellMax-recommended Cascading Salad but couldn’t resist devouring the accompanying mini loaf of hot sourdough bread smothered in sweet whipped butter. Ah well. Just as a book begins with the first word, the journey to wellness begins with a few small steps.
Anne Dimon is a travel and spa journalist and
founder/editor of www.traveltowellness.com
