A spa resort is the ultimate destination for relaxation, recharging and rejuvenation. Whether you want solitude, romance, or girl talk — there’s always a good excuse for a spa getaway to invest in you. There are several spa resorts in PA and I’ve had the privilege of frequenting a few of them.
My college friends and I made it a point, nearly every year to have a spa weekend, where we could girl talk for not just hours, but days, all while having facials, massages and soaks in the hot tub. I have not visited all three spa resorts on my favorites list but some don’t need to be experienced to know how amazing they are.
These are the three best spa resorts in Pennsylvania.
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Woodloch Spa Pool; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
1. Woodloch Pines Resort – The Lodge at Woodloch Spa
Woodloch Pines Resort is a year-around, all-inclusive family resort in the Pocono Mountains. Less than three hours north of Philadelphia, the Woodloch Pines Resort features indoor and outdoor pools, snow tubing, ice rinks, go-carts, nightly entertainment for kids and adults, bumper cars, arcade games, hiking trails, a petting zoo, fishing, tennis, daily activities and much more. Woodloch is an excellent spa resort in PA that the entire family can enjoy.
There are a variety of accommodation options including hotel rooms, suites and multi-bedroom, vacation rental properties. All-inclusive meal plans and full access to all of the resort’s amenities are available when staying at any of the accommodation options.
The Lodge at Woodloch, which is where the spa is located, is a separate hotel property situated within the Woodloch Pines property. The Lodge features luxury hotel accommodations ideal for girl’s getaways or couples. The adults-only hotel features next level accommodations and mind and body activities like painting, gardening, sound baths, journaling, birding and yoga. The Lodge also features the resort’s spa. The spa is available to guest of The Lodge and overall Woodloch Pines Resort, however only The Lodge guests have the additional access to the mind and body activities.
Spa Highlights: Tranquility and peace are hard to avoid upon entering this luxury spa. The bright and modern spa brings calm and peace around every corner. There are 27 treatment rooms where only the best in facials, massages, body treatments and therapies can be found. But it’s the hydrotherapies that I enjoyed most at Woodloch. It starts with the free, fruit and crystal infused water found throughout the spa, and there were several saunas, steam rooms, an indoor pool and whirlpools from which to choose. The Aqua Garden features a hydromassage waterfall wall that gives a full body massage when you stand underneath the flowing water. The year-round outdoor whirlpool is the largest of the whirlpools and offers an excellent view of the surrounding serenity of the tall Pocono trees.
There are fireplace lounges, quiet lounges and lounges for having a good girl chat. There is a Himalayan salt sauna and even a Snow Room to really rejuvenate your body and mind.
Reasons to Visit this Spa Resort in PA: Whether you are seeking a family-fun vacation or an adult’s-only getaway, the spa at Woodloch can offer you a taste or an immersion of true spa tranquility.
2. Nemacolin – Woodlands Spa
About 90 minutes south of Pittsburgh, spa enthusiasts will find the luxury resort, Nemacolin. I have not had the honor of visiting Nemacolin just yet but it is high on my list of musts. There are a few different accommodation options at Nemacolin but all feature some level of elegance and luxury. Some of the resort activities include skiing, snow tubing, ice skating, bowling, axe throwing, Jeep off-roading, dog sledding, horseback riding, clay shooting, bird hunting, fly fishing, art and cooking classes, golf, indoor and outdoor pools, a kid’s arcade, ropes course and ziplining and of course the spa.
Spa Highlights: The Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin takes a holistic approach to relaxation. Along with the traditional yet luxurious massages, facials and body treatments, Nemacolin features the Holistic Healing Center at the spa where guests can also indulge in things like IV infusions, acupuncture, salt water float therapy, cryotherapy and more.
Reasons to Visit this Spa Resort in PA: Unique and luxurious activities, accommodations, and spa treatments.
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The Hotel Hershey; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
3. The Hotel Hershey – The Spa at The Hotel Hershey
Less than two hours west of Philadelphia and just five minutes from Hersheypark, sits the historic Hotel Hershey, an upscale yet not-too-fancy spa hotel. While The Hotel Hershey is not an adults-only hotel, it’s more adult focused, whereas the nearby Hershey Lodge is more geared toward family needs. The 276-room Hotel Hershey was designed with Milton Hershey’s Mediterranean-vision in mind. In the hotel’s atrium area there is a grand fountain, ceramic tiled floors and a ceiling mural that makes you feel as though you’ve left this spa resort in Pennsylvania and entered a Spanish courtyard.
Guests can enjoy the seasonal outdoor pool and water slide, indoor pool, kid’s club, Hershey gardens, tennis, hiking trails, daily activities and more. There are traditional hotel guestrooms, as well as detached multi-bedroom cottages that allow for more space to spread out if you have a large group. A hand full of hotel guestrooms allow direct access to the indoor pool, which gives you premium poolside lounge options.
FEELING STUCK IN YOUR BUSINESS?
As you can imagine the dining options at The Hotel Hershey are superb! There are several onsite restaurants that feature a variety of cuisine from Italian, to a steakhouse to upscale American cuisine. My personal favorite is the Iberian Lounge, for small bites and the best chocolate martini’s in Pennsylvania. It’s a cozy lounge with a large fireplace and even larger cocktail menu. If you order a Signature Chocolate Cocktail it comes with whatever piece of chocolate the drink is designed around. So if you have the Hershey Kiss Martini there will be a mini Hershey Kiss inside the drink as well.
Spa Highlights: The Spa at The Hotel Hershey is upscale, yet casual. I have visited this spa numerous times and the chocolate details make it one of the sweetest spas on Earth! There are a variety of massage, facial and body treatments that include some sort of chocolate ingredient. There is hot chocolate and candies to be found in the quiet lounges, and the smell of chocolate pumped into the aroma lounge. I like to think of the spa at Hotel Hershey as affordable luxury. If you are new to spa resorts and want to dabble in indulge, Hotel Hershey is a great place to start.
Reasons to Visit this Spa Resort in PA: Chocolate martinis, chocolate facial and complimentary chocolate bar at hotel check-in.
