Linden Spa at The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland
Julie Register visited this inn and spa on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in April 2008

St. Michaels, a Victorian resort town on Maryland's scenic Eastern Shore, has been one of my favorite shoulder season destinations since my first visit six years ago. This April my husband and I spent a couple of days in this sleepy little town right before the annual Food and Wine Festival, the unofficial start of "the season" (and the crowds). We enjoyed the almost empty streets and uncrowded shops and restaurants. We enjoyed visiting the quiet Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum which, once again, inspired me to read James A. Michener's Chesapeake. The highlight of this visit, however, was our stay at The Inn at Perry Cabin and our experience at the Linden Spa.

Hooper Strait Lighthouse at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Jeff, an oyster aficionado, stands by a few of the brands of canned oysters produced in the region over the years on display at he Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Click the links below to read more:

• The Spa
• The Inn
• The Suite
• The Gardens
• The Food
• The Town
• Photo Gallery

Linden Spa

Linden Spa at The Inn at Perry Cabin

Linden Spa Reception

Linden Spa at The Inn at Perry Cabin opened in June 2007. The 6,000 square foot building has the same Colonial style of architecture as the Inn. The spa is named for the row of Linden trees that line the brick driveway leading to the Inn. These trees were initially brought here from Europe by early settlers. Their white to light yellow blooms were coveted for their beauty, medicinal purposes and strong appeal to bees, thus providing a sweet harvest of honey and ample candle wax. Linden Spa's theme is “the botanical art of wellness,” harnessing the healing powers of local plants and herbs. I had an opportunity to experience this with the Five Flowers Solace treatment.

Vanity in Linden Spa's Women's Changing Room

*Lockers in Linden Spa's Women's Changing Room

Steam Room in Linden Spa's Women's Changing Room

Steam Room in Linden Spa's Women's Changing Room

I checked in at the Linden Spa Reception and was escorted to the women's changing room where I exchanged my clothes for a comfortable robe and sandals. I had time for a quick steam and shower.

*Linden Spa Hallway

Linden Spa's Co-Ed Relaxation Lounge features pressed plants from the Inn's property

I walked to the other side of the spa to the co-ed relaxation lounge where Jeff had already settled in. I loved this room! The walls were lined with pressed plants representing species of botanicals which grow on the Inn's lush grounds - an authentic display of the spa's botanical theme.

Linden Spa Patio

Entrance to the Linden Spa Relaxation Room from the Spa Patio

The relaxation room overlooked a spacious outdoor spa patio and the Inn's greenhouse beyond.

My therapist, Lakia, escorted me to the Linden double treatment room for the Five Flowers Solace. I was instructed to get on the table closest to the shower. The treatment started with Lakia slowly massaging a warm mud mixture all over my body. The mud was actually white clay that had been infused with five local flowers from the Inn's gardens and local farms - Rose, Blue Cornflower, Rosehip, Jasmine and Chamomile. This soothing, aromatic herbal mixture felt delightful. The bits of dried flowers in combination with the massage provided a light exfoliation. Lakia then wrapped me in a warm blanket to allow the mixture to deeply penetrate my skin. She gave me a lovely head massage during the wrap. When the wrap was done, I enjoyed rinsing off in the four-head shower. I returned to the other table where Lakia gave me a wonderful massage using essential oils of the five flowers. This treatment is said to have anti-inflammatory, soothing, softening, hydrating and anti-aging properties. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Marigold Treatment Room

Violet Treatment Room

Linden Spa's eight treatment rooms are named after local flowers and trees that are known for their healing properties: Linden; Bayberry; Violet; Lemon Verbena; Rose; Marigold; and Lavender. They are decorated in a palate of cream, browns and blues accented with botanical prints. Cork floors minimize noise.

*Linden Spa Boutique

Linden Spa Pool

The Linden Spa retail boutique is located at the spa entrance across from the reception desk. Products sold include Zents, Spa Ritual, Jurlique and Epicuren. Other features of the spa include a 20'x60' heated, horizon edge swimming pool centered in a richly landscaped brick walled garden with a large pergola style arbor as the focal point and...

a second floor fitness room with a universal gym and cardio equipment. There is a yogy studio with its own private garden in the main Inn building.

Other treatments on the spa menu include:

Body Treatments more detail Linden Ritual Soft as Petals Body Treatment Bayberry Prosperity Poultice St. Michaels Tri-Crystal Experience Fruit of the Vine Body Treatment Lovers Treatment Body Firming Mask Body Dessert Five Flowers Solace Body Massage more detail The Linden Intensive (2 or 4 hand) Soothing Massage Deep Tissue Massage Herbal Remedy Massage Hot Stone Massage Moon and Tide Pre-Natal Massage Reiki Facial Therapies more detail Botanical Complex Facial Youthful Renewal Facial Microderm Resurfacing Facial Anti-Aging Enzyme Facial Calming Lavender Facial Peel Me a Grape Facial Facial Upgrades Fruit Enzyme Peel Collagen Eye Treatment Anti-Aging Hand Treatment Lash and Brow Tinting

Expressly for Men more detail Facial for Men Only Hydrating Facial Extreme Regime Recovery Massage Exposed Scalp Treatment Men’s Manicure Men’s Pedicure Finishing Touches more detail Foot Beauty Ritual Classic Pedicure Classic Manicure Silky Smooth Hand Treatment Lash and Brow Tinting Head of Roses Reflexology Waxing Wellness Programs more detail Linden Yoga Yogic Journey Day Spa Packages more detail Spa Immersion Packages Romance and Relaxation Three Degrees of Relaxation Ohh, Ahh, Yumm Package Linden Spa will be offering new themed, mid-week, 3-night Spa Immersion Packages. Call the spa for details.

The mission of the Linden Spa is to be a sanctuary for rejuvenation and relaxation and for every guest that enters to feel their senses renewed.

Linden Spa Director, Jenny Farrand, offers these Tub Tea recipes to use at home:

SKIN SOOTHING TUB TEA
Great for sunburn or itchy winter skin.

• 1 Tbsp. Ginger Root
• 2 Tbsp. Green Tea
  (or contents of 2 teabags)
• 3 Tbsp. Organic Oatmeal

Mix green tea and oatmeal. Grind with mortar and pestle, food processor, or rub vigorously between hands to crumble. Add fresh grated ginger root and place in mesh or fabric bag. (Tip: The toe of an old pair of stockings works great too!) Fill tub 1/4 full with hot water. Allow to steep 5-10 minutes. Fill remainder of tub with cool water. Allow Tub Tea to gently infuse bath while you relax. Very mildly fragranced.

CHAMPAGNE DETOX TUB TEA
For the occasional overindulgence!

• 4 Tbsp. Epsom or Sea Salt
• 3 Tbsp. Rosemary (dried or fresh)
• 3 Tbsp. Dried Peppermint leaf (or 3 tea bags)
• 2 Tbsp. Lavender Flowers (dried or fresh)

Mix herbs together. Grind with mortar and pestle, food processor, or chop finely. Place in mesh or fabric bag, add salts. Fill tub 1/4 full with hot water. Allow to steep 5-10 minutes. Fill remainder of tub to comfortable temperature. Allow Tub Tea to gently infuse bath while you relax. A soothing, invigorating fragrance. For best results, do not rinse after bath. Lightly pat dry, and massage the entire body with moisturizing body oil. In a pinch, olive oil works great!

O Linden, Tree of Life
An ancient linden through my window glances,
sundappling the room with her breeze-toss't dances,
off'ring her blossoms to brew against tears,
bestowing such fragrance as has scented my years.
Soother of spirits, poetess of fantasies,
shade for the weary, enticer of honeybees,
oft' has she proved my subduer of strife.
O tree of joy, tree of reverie, tree of life.

Anna Keene Farris
circa 1887

The Inn

*The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland

*The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland

The Inn at Perry Cabin is an historic waterfront property located on 25 acres overlooking the Miles River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. The property was one of the English Crown’s original land grants in the New World. The original Inn, built in 1816, (now the north wing of the manor house) was designed and built by Purser Samuel Hambleton, a War of 1812 Navy veteran and aide-de-camp to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. The Inn, named after the renowned Perry who is famous for his declaration, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours,” was built to resemble the Commodore’s cabin (‘Perry Cabin’) on the flagship U.S.S. Niagara.

Orient-Express Hotels purchased the property in May of 1999. In 2002 and 2003, the company completed a $17 million improvement program. A spa was added in 2007. Today the Inn is designed in Colonial Revival style with connected, white-shingled buildings fronted by columns and complemented by lovely grounds, which include brick lanes and arches, gardens and pathways. With its wide array of cozy sitting rooms, common areas, courtyards and lawn furnishings, guests are encouraged to wander throughout the house and gardens, take afternoon tea, and enjoy the Inn as if they were at home.

The main wedding reception scene from the 2005 film The Wedding Crashers starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn was filmed at The Inn at Perry Cabin. The Inn also appears in the Fay Wray and Gary Cooper 1928 silent film The First Kiss.

The Inn at Perry Cabin has pet friendly designated rooms which are located on the ground floor in the signature or state room category. There is a pet fee, and guests are asked to sign a pet etiquette release, which ensures the comfort of the pet and other guests. The Inn’s VIPet program includes: pet packs - dog biscuits from The Inn’s Chef, a map of the area for walks, vet information, tips on dog safety; patio dining with pooch; and a special menu with items like Osso Bucco with Seasoned Vegetables.

The Inn at Perry Cabin has garnered many awards over the years including Condé Nast Traveler's “The World’s Best Place to Stay,” Travel + Leisure's “Top 500 Ultimate Guide – The Greatest Hotels in the World,” National Geographic Traveler's “56 Hotels We Love,” Zagat’s "Top Hotel in the State of Maryland,” Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report's “Top 20 U.S. Resort Hideaways,” AAA's Four Diamond Award, Coastal Living Magazine's “Inn Love” Top 21, Country Inns Magazine's “Top 12 in the United States (Inns),” Mid-Atlantic Magazine's “Top Five of all Hotels in the East,” and Brides Magazine's “The Most Romantic Honeymoon Spot” among others.

The Suite

The Inn at Perry Cabin has 81 guest rooms, each individually decorated in either a traditional style indicative of the historic section of the Inn, or in a style that evokes the contemporary Maryland seaside with a mixture of modern and period furniture and a palate of taupes, soft blues and ivories.

The Living Area of our Suite at The Inn at Perry Cabin

Half Bath near the Entrance to our Suite

Our suite was lovely and very comfortable offering a living area with fireplace, bedroom with a pop-up TV and DVD player and one and a half bathrooms. The Inn provided complimentary movies including all the Academy Award winners.

The Bedroom of our Suite

Pop-Up TV in the Bedroom of our Suite

French doors opened onto a deck with a view of the river.

View of the Miles River from the Deck of Our Suite

Table and Chairs on the Deck of Our Suite

Our spacious bathroom offered a large open closet with plush robes, a safe and iron, dual sinks, deep soaking tub and a roomy, separate shower.

Vanity in Our Bedroom complete with Fresh Cut Flowers

Large Open Closet with Plush Robes, Safe, Iron and Ironing Board in Our Suite's Bathroom

Vanity with Two Sinks

Deep Tub and Large Shower in Our Suite at The Inn at Perry Cabin

Nightly turndown service includes fresh cookies and a selection of mineral waters.

 

• The Entry Terrace - Designed as an outdoor garden “room” with teak furniture and slate floor, the plants of the season are placed to create privacy and colorful focal points to this outdoor space.
• Private Gardens - The hotel offers 8 garden rooms, each with a private slate terrace with tea table and chairs and a retractable awning for shade. Plantings on the terrace range from aromatic rosemary to seasonal flowering plants.
  
• Woodland Garden - A meandering path along Fogg Cove leads guests under a shady canopy of old magnolia, holly and cypress trees where Japanese Painted Ferns, Solomon Seel, Hostas, and Bears Breech nestle among other shade loving plants.
• Greenhouse - The Inn’s greenhouse is the nursery for many of the plants that will be showcased in and around the hotel, and also the main source for the many bud vases and bouquets that are used in the restaurant and other public spaces. Guests are invited to visit the hotel’s greenhouse at their leisure, where they will find a stock of bud vases and shears which allow them to create their own petite floral arrangement for their room.
• Kitchen Garden - Drawing inspiration from formal English gardens, The Inn at Perry Cabin’s kitchen garden includes herbs and lettuces accented with pansies, sweet peas, roses, and blueberries in a formed design that maintains year round beauty and provides a bounty for the hotel’s kitchen staff who can be seen in the early morning harvesting chives, rosemary, basil, mint and thyme.
• On the edge of the garden, an arbor draped with wisteria and iceberg roses creates a stunning entryway to the Inn’s outdoor pool.
• Wetland Restoration Project - The Inn at Perry Cabin’s Wetlands Restoration project demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the environment. Working with biologists and landscape engineers the restoration of the wetlands benefits the community and the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. The wetland project cost more than $500K and involved digging out of what had become an old dumping ground and removing years of trash (old car parts, land fill, etc). An inlet of water (tidal pool) was then constructed and the two acre area was planted and seeded with native grasses which now act as a natural filter for the bay’s water. The area attracts a variety of wild life and birds. An osprey platform was also constructed in hope that this endangered bird will choose this spot as her annual roost.

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Dining

*We enjoyed dinner and breakfast at a cozy table with magnificent water views at the Inn's award-winning restaurant, Sherwood’s Landing. Both meals were fabulous. The restaurant features continental cuisine accented with regional ingredients from nearby farms and harvested from the Chesapeake Bay. Master Chef Mark Salter has provided culinary direction at the Inn since 1993. His self-described approach to cooking is modern classical with an emphasis on lightness.

Sherwood's Landing has received numerous awards in the past including the prestigious DiRoNa (Distinguished Restaurants of North America") award, The Food Network's" Best of Water Front Tables" 2004, AAA Four Diamond Award, Mobil Four Star, Wine Spectator's"Award of Excellence," Bon Appetit's "Restaurant of the Month," Santé's "Certificate of Achievement Wine & Spirits Service and Hospitality," The Baltimore Sun's "Four Stars for Food & Beverage," and the Robb Report's “57 Favorite Restaurants in the Country.”

The Town

*St. Michaels dates back to the mid-1600s when it served as a trading post for area tobacco farmers and trappers. Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, St. Michaels’ economy was sustained by the Chesapeake Bay, focused primarily around the shipbuilding and the seafood processing and packing industries. Only in the last thirty years has the economy of St. Michaels shifted to tourism. Today, St. Michaels has been described as "Norman Rockwell meets Ralph Lauren" - a town with unique boutiques, antique shops and restored homes with quaint colonial and Victorian exteriors - a town where sailboats and bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation - a town where haute couture meets khakis and boat shoes.

In addition to the Food and Wine Festival, St. Michaels hosts the First Friday Gallery Walk (June through August), the Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival and Summer Seafood Festival and other events throughout the year.