The Spa at The Breakers

Overall Impression Our visit to The Spa at The Breakers during a recent stay at the well known resort was a pleasure. Just before the middle of the day on a Tuesday we set out from our rooms in the main building of the hotel, reaching the spa courtyard in minutes. After showing our electronic room keys to the security personnel in the area just before the spa entrance we were allowed through. Double glass doors led to the spa reception where we saw several busy looking young ladies standing. After greeting us and finding our names in their schedule book one of them requested I follow her. She accompanied me to the ladies’ locker room located to the left of the reception. Another staff person accompanied my travel partner to the men’s lockers to the right of the reception.

An attendant with a musical island accent assigned me a locker and showed me around, explaining that at the time of my appointment my therapist would look for me in the waiting area, a lounge with cushy chairs, fruit, and self service hot and cold beverages adjacent to the locker room. I followed her instructions and after five minutes in the sauna sat down with a glass of cucumber flavored water to wait. After five minutes Leo, my therapist that day, arrived. The treatment room was two steps away from the waiting area. Within moments he had begun the massage.

My travel partner and I each had a 50-minute Personal Retreat Massage and were pleased with the treatments. After the massages we lingered in our separate sauna and steam rooms. Blessedly I had the entire steam room and sauna area to myself. After spending time in both I showered and returned to my room relaxed and ready for that evening’s gourmet dinner experience at L’Escalier, the hotel’s signature restaurant.

The following morning I scheduled a second massage for Thursday. Although there were more people at the spa Thursday when I returned it was still mostly quiet and relaxing. Two friendly ladies visiting from Texas entered the steam room while I was there and we chatted a bit. I had the sauna to myself. I look forward to a return visit to The Spa at The Breakers whenever we stay at the resort property again or if I’m in the area and in search of luxury pampering. Maybe next time I will try one of the signature treatments like the Orchidée Impériale Facial.

General Manager Amy Retay

Handicapped Access Yes. According to a spa representative there was “no need for special handicapped rooms as the spa is intrinsically accommodating in that context: everything is on ground level (no stairs), no braille signs as guests are escorted to treatment rooms, no need!”

Location At the The Breakers Palm Beach

Number Of Staff The spa had a staff of 80

Owned and m anaged The Breakers Palm Beach

Size There were 17 treatment rooms in the 15,000 square foot spa (20,000 square feet including outdoor facilities and the second floor Oceanfront Sanctuary)

Special Training Estheticians were trained in use of Guerlain’s skincare products. Consistent with the standards of the resort spa employees were assessed by the management for their dedication and passion for guest comfort to create a welcoming and calming ambiance, and evaluated for their technical expertise and skill in providing spa services. At the time of our visit, more than half of The Spa’s team members had been working there since it first opened in 1999. Representatives from Guerlain Paris visited the spa annually to retrain the team on technique and new product lines. The spa boasted a strong relationships with several massage modality trainers in Thai, reflexology, and cranial sacral techniques from around the country.

Year Opened-Renovated The spa was established in 1999.

Common Areas The spa had a Palm Beach residential design, mirroring the décor of the resort.

Amenities There was house brand shampoo, shower gel and conditioner in institutional dispensers in the showers. There were Cypress Creek robes and Zendals slippers in the lockers for guest use during their spa visit. There was a fruit bowl, two containers with iced water, one with cucumbers and another with pineapple; a variety of teas such as jasmine, green, chamomile, and mint.

Facilities There was an ocean view fitness center, beauty salon, lap pool, his and her sauna and steam rooms and an outdoor whirlpool. At the adjacent Beach Club, there are additional pools including a relaxation pool, active pool and main beach club pool, plus luxury rental Beach Bungalows and Grand Cabanas with dedicated concierge staff.

Pool There was an outdoor 25-meter three-lane lap pool with a four foot maximum depth.

Lockers And Bathrooms There were 96 lockers on the women’s side and 48 lockers on the men’s side.

Other Spa treatments had to be cancelled 24 hours in advance in order to avoid a 50 percent service charge. The spa received the Forbes Travel Guide/Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star Award every year between 2006 and 2010 (Mobil Travel Guide changed name to Forbes Travel Guide in 2009) and the 2009 Silver Sage Readers’ Choice Award from Spa Magazine.

Cleanliness Excellent

Date Of Review May 2010

Number Of Treatments Three

Reviewers Article by Elena del Valle

Photographs by Gary Cox

Treatments Experienced We had three 50-minute Personal Retreat Massage sessions, two on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Debby was assigned to my travel partner and Leo to me. A 27-year spa business veteran he had been with the spa 15 years. Although I was temped to try a facial I returned on Thursday for a second massage.

Would You Return? Yes