The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
Julie Register visits the Midtown area of Atlanta to volunteer at the annual 4th of July Peachtree Road Race and experience the new Spa at Four Seasons in July 2007

I was back in Atlanta for another 4th-of-July Peachtree Road Race. My husband, Jeff, and my daughter ran the 10K race with our friend from college, Frank, and his two sons. Frank's wife, Linda, and I volunteered with traffic control at the end of the race. Imagine drinking from a fire hose. That's what it's like having 55,000 runners funnel through the gates to pick up their well-earned T-shirts. We stood at the exit and tried to get them all to keep moving in one direction - not very effectively. It was like herding cats but fun all the same. This was the eighth time in about 11 years we've participated in the race then watched the fireworks at Lenox Square - the largest display in the Southeast. It's become a tradition for us. And I've made a tradition of visiting a spa in Atlanta before the race!

This year I visited the new Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. This spa had only been open three months. The 12,000 square-foot facility has nine soundproofed treatment rooms including a couple's suite, aesthetics room and nail suite.

I entered the hotel and walked to the back of the opulent lobby where the spa is located. The spa receptionist was escorted me to the changing room, which is located between the fitness facility and the spa.

She showed me to my locker, explained how to use the lock and invited me to use the steam room, sauna, and shower. I dropped my clothes off in the locker, wrapped up in a towel and headed toward the sauna and steam room. On my way, I picked up an iced wash cloth from the vanity.

After getting nice and warm, I showered, donned my robe and walked over to the spa's quiet room. The quiet room was warm and welcoming with subdued lighting and refreshments of cranberry and cucumber water and apples and dried fruit - pineapple, mango and apples. The comfortable chairs were provided an extra sense of privacy with curtained partitions.

My therapist escorted me to the treatment room where I would be receiving a 50-minute Pomegranate Polish. After I settled on the table, she gently massaged my skin with a pleasantly scented mixture of pomegranate extract, honey and almond oil. Tiny grape seed beads and soybeans did the exfoliating. The ingredients are said to be powerful antioxidants and, once absorbed into the skin, help to slow cellular aging. After the mixture was applied all over my body, my therapist started the shower and instructed me to rinse off all of the little seeds that clung to my skin. While I stood under the shower noticing that my skin was significantly smoother, my therapist removed the top layer of linens from the treatment table, revealing a fresh set beneath. I dried off and got back on the table for a soothing massage with pomegranate extract and shea butter that would hydrate my skin. As a final step, my feet were wrapped with warm, moist towels. It was a very relaxing treatment, and my skin felt great afterwards.

Other services the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta offers include:

As I checked out, I noticed the spa boutique sold Archapelago Pomegranate Sugar Scrub along with pomegranate hand cream and body lotion should I want to try it at home. In addition, the following body care lines were available: La Natura shea butter, Jamu, L'ocitane (the brand of the room amenities in the hotel), Esteban, Sparitual, and Aromatherapy Associates. Facial care products included Carita, Arcona and Sodashi.

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Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta offers 244 elegant guest rooms, including 18 suites, contained within a neo-classical tower of rose and marble granite overlooking Midtown Atlanta. There is a restaurant and meeting facilities. Men's and women's locker facilities in the Fitness Center each include their own saunas and steam rooms. The fitness studios include a complete range of free weights and extensive cardiovascular equipment. There is an indoor lap pool and whirlpool bath. Guests can enjoy a light spa lunch while sunbathing just steps away on the Sun Terrace.