29 Spa at The Mansion on Peachtree in Atlanta, Georgia
Julie Register visits this new wine-themed spa in Buckhead in July 2008

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This 4th of July holiday was like many others for my husband and me. We participated in the Peachtree Road Race with good friends from our days as students at Georgia Tech. Linda and I were two of ~3,000 volunteers. We collected chips from the runners' shoes while Jeff, Frank and son Andrew ran the 10K race with about 55,000 other runners. Each year we watch the fireworks at Lenox Square, the largest show in the Southeast and the oldest in Atlanta. Each year I try to visit a new spa in Atlanta. The stars aligned this year for the perfect experience.

The coveted Peachtree Road Race Tee Shirt

A few weeks before the race, Linda (who lives in Roswell - just north of Atlanta) told me about a new hotel in Buckhead that had just opened - The Mansion on Peachtree - and its unique wine-themed 29 Spa created by Lydia Mondavi. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, a book I had picked up at an airport on a recent spa trip, so I was immediately intrigued. Lydia, a fifth-generation Atlanta native, spa consultant and one of the creative forces behind Medusa Wines, is married to Robert Michael Mondavi, Jr. (Rob) who is son of Michael Mondavi, grandson of the late Robert Mondovi and Partner and Winemaker of Medusa Wines and Spellbound Wines and Partner and Vineyard Operations, New Brand Development Manager of Folio Wine Company. I knew of other grape seed-based spa products and treatments. I knew that grape seed-based spa products are full of anti-oxidants. I didn't know that Lydia had created a product line and spa based on the by-products of her family's wine business. What a perfect combination! I couldn't wait to experience it.

This 42-story Mansion on Peachtree, a Rosewood Hotel & Residence, houses an intimate 127-room ultra-luxury hotel and 45 exclusive residences. The hotel had just opened in June. To our excellent good fortune, the residences were still under construction. More about that later...

The Mansion on Peachtree in Atlanta, Georgia*

After check-in, we were escorted to our 12th-floor room, one of 96 (the other 31 are suites), and were introduced to its many features. The room was beautifully decorated with detailed millwork, lush carpeting, plush velvets and satins in soothing neutral shades and Makassar ebony furniture. A luggage niche topped with highly polished New St. Laurent marble was conveniently located next to the roomy closet. The bed was the most comfortable I've ever slept in.

One of the most unique features (and my favorite) was the television. Push the button on a remote control and the painting hanging over the desk slides up to reveal a 37" LCD flat-screen television behind it.

The bathroom featured marble vanity tops, dual wash basins, polished chrome fixtures and a walk-in marble shower. I particularly enjoyed the deep soaking tub complete with LCD television, the remote-controlled shades and the 29 Spa bath amenities.

The room also featured a Bose® The Wave® music system, DVD player, digital CD player/alarm clock, multi-line cordless telephones, Internet access, safe and mini bar. A complimentary newspaper of choice is delivered in the morning, housekeeping service is provided twice a day and complimentary bottled water is offered at turndown.

We were surprised when "our" butler delivered iced tea and brandied pecans to our room. To be honest, I didn't quite know what to do with a butler. The butler can unpack your luggage, iron your clothes, draw a bath, run errands and a multitude of other services. I had the butler do a bit of ironing, although I could have done it myself with the ironing board and iron that were in the closet. The butler delivers three complimentary food and beverage services daily - continental breakfast with coffee or tea with wake-up call, mid-day snack, and hors d'oeuvres with an evening cordial. The staff of butlers at the hotel was trained by one of the staff of Great Britain's royalty.

Another surprise came when we were invited to join the other hotel guests on the balcony of an unfinished residence on the 33rd floor for champagne and to watch the fireworks across the street at Lenox Square. Not only could we see the fireworks across the street, we could see them downtown, at Stone Mountain and a number of other locations. It was a stellar, one-of-a-kind, experience.

The next morning, Jeff and I got up early to use the fitness center. We had the lovely 4,500-square-foot facility on the 4th floor to ourselves. A trainer was on hand to show us how to use the Technogym® equipment.

We finished our workout and headed downstairs to 29 Spa, a 5,000-square-foot, 14-treatment-room facility that spans the entire third floor of The Mansion on Peachtree. 29 Spa was inspired by the beauty of California's Napa Valley and takes its name from the picturesque road that runs the length of this world-famous grape growing region - Highway 29. As we got off the elevator, an elegant 29 highway medallion greeted us. Beautiful photographs from the 2007 grape harvest and crush decorated the walls throughout the spa.

We followed the hallway to the left to 29 Spa's reception and waiting area.

Jeff was scheduled to have a massage, and I was looking forward to A Perfect Pairing, so we headed off to the separate men's and women's changing areas. My first impression of this area was of subdued elegance and the spaciousness. There were a number of locker alcoves, vanities, a large shower area, a beautiful wet area, an outdoor terrace lounge and a comfortable indoor lounge.

After exchanging my clothes for a cozy 29 robe and spa sandals, I enjoyed soaking in the whirlpool and warming up in the steam and sauna. I stretched out on the lounge terrace. Harriett, the spa attendant, anticipated my every need and request. It was very relaxing.

When it came close to the time for my treatments, I moved into the indoor lounge. I enjoyed a cup of grape seed anti-oxidant tea while I chatted with the other woman in the lounge. She had just come from Perfect Pair, A Couple’s Retreat and said she had been waiting for a spa of this caliber to come to Atlanta and was thrilled when 29 Spa opened. She had been to 29 Spa each week since it opened and planned to continue the practice. She felt it offered real value for the price of the services. She also said that even though she lived less than 10 miles from The Mansion on Peachtree, she and her husband stayed in the hotel over the 4th as a mini-vacation. They also enjoyed the fireworks from the 33rd floor.

Soon my therapists, Tina and Tiffany came to escort me to the treatment room. I settled in the warm treatment table and noted the exquisite sheets (silk and organic cotton) and silk duvets. The Perfect Pairing - Mondavi's Favorite is a synchronized massage with two therapists. Tina and Tiffany used warm grape seed oil which felt lovely. As one therapist worked on my head, the other therapist worked on my feet. As one stretched and massaged my right shoulder, the other worked on my left lower back. And sometimes they both worked in perfect synchronicity.

At the end of the massage, Tina and Tiffany used hot towels to remove the oil, which felt very nice and put me into a deeper state of relaxation. As they laid my robe across the table, I noticed it was warm. They said it had been kept in a warming drawer during the treatment. What a nice touch!

When the treatment was over, I returned to the indoor lounge and enjoyed a glass of Spellbound Petite Sirah. I don't think I've ever had wine before noon, but felt it was fitting under the circumstances and definitely added to my deep state of relaxation.

Afterwards, I compared notes with Jeff. He was equally impressed with 29 Spa. He thought his massage with Keisha was excellent (he rarely uses that word, by the way). He particularly appreciated the work on his legs to help quickly recover from the race.

29 Spa's treatment menu offers choices in four categories-skin care; body care; hands and feet; and hair and scalp. Each draws inspiration from wine-making with treatments such as Secret of the Vine, Sommelier's Selection and Stomping Grapes. In respect for Atlanta's drought, 20 Spa offers a waterless mani/pedi that uses tea tree oil for its anti-bacterial properties. Services 29 Spa at The Mansion on Peachtree include:

I was very impressed with both 29 Spa and The Mansion on Peachtree. The facilities and services were flawless - something I don't often see in well-established properties no less one that has only been open for a month. I was also impressed with the 29 Spa products. My friend Linda Bankoski says integrity is when all parts touch - as in seamless integration. 29 Spa and The Mansion on Peachtree have integrity.