In the Fall of 2003, I was all set to head for Dallas / Ft. Worth when my travel plans got turned upside down. I didn't make it to Texas that year. One of the things I regretted most was missing a chance to experience The Four Seasons-In-One, a new treatment at the spa at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas. Things have a way of working out for the best, though. I finally had an opportunity to stay at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas and experience The Spa & Salon after the 2005 ISPA Conference and Expo. The Spa & Salon underwent a total renovation in May 2004, which I would have missed had I gone in 2003.

After a very long weekend of meetings and lectures and many hours of walking the ISPA expo floor, I was worn out, and my feet were angry. I looked forward to a short escape to Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas before returning home. The 400-acre luxury resort is located in the rolling hills of Las Colinas in Irving - a short drive from the DFW airport and the location of ISPA conference. While the resort offers lots to do - two championship golf courses, four restaurants, tennis courts, racquetball and squash courts, four swimming pools, indoor and outdoor jogging tracks and a Fitness Center - once I got to my room high in the nine-story hotel tower, I decided to just stay put and relax. I took a long, relaxing bath using the wonderfully fragrant L'Occitane Lemon Verbena bath products, ordered a healthy salad for dinner from the room service menu, and turned in for a much-needed long night's sleep.

Refreshed and ready to go the next morning, I headed over to the 6,000 square-foot Fitness Center located in the Sports Club. An extensive array of exercise equipment, including Nautilus, Cybex circuit machines, free weights, indoor/outdoor jogging tracks, indoor and outdoor lap pools are available, and a full schedule of free exercise classes including aerobics, yoga, Pilates, and water aerobics are offered in addition to personal training and nutrition counseling. An underground walkway connects the Fitness Center to The Spa.

I checked in at the spa desk and was led past a dramatic 16-foot waterfall wall to the entrance of the Women's Locker Room. I was told I could relax anywhere in the spa and my treatment provider would find me. (A nice touch! Many spas ask you to be in a certain area by a certain time, which puts the responsibility of watching time on you.) During the tour of The Spa, I noticed a number of places to relax - a relaxation room on the other side of the waterfall wall, a wet area lined with lounge chairs and a whirlpool bathed in natural light from a large skylight over head, a cold plunge pool, steam room and sauna, and an outdoor pool and whirlpool. I changed into my bathing suit intending to make the morning water aerobics class. The class started at 9 am in the large indoor pool located halfway between the Fitness Center and Spa and my spa treatment at 10. I opted not to take the class but still had plenty of time to enjoy the spa facilities. I started with The Spa's lovely private outdoor swimming pool and heated whirlpool, which are available year round for sunning, dipping and relaxing. It is accessed by way of a private staircase inside the Spa's wet area. Warning! Before climbing those stairs, be sure to read the sign that provides the key code to re-enter The Spa. I didn't, and when I headed back to The Spa, I was surprised to find the door locked! I had to walk over to the main Spa entrance to get back in. I spent the remaining time enjoying the very large sauna, steam room with granite benches, and whirlpool. Towels are plentiful, and bathing suits are not required in this area. I enjoyed a hot shower, spun my bathing suit in the spinner then put it in the plastic bag in my locker. In addition, the locker had three hangers, one of which was padded, sachet and jewelry tray. I relaxed in the relaxation lounge next to the waterfall wall until my treatment time. Plenty of refreshments were available - apples, tea, coffee, Mind Over Muddle Elixir, cranberry juice, cucumber water and lemon water.

I was scheduled a Four Seasons-In-One, an 80-minute sensory journey through Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. My treatment provider picked me up from the relaxation lounge at 10:15, gave me a cup of hot tea and had me sit in the sauna again for 10-15 minutes to get ready for "winter." Had I known this would be part of the treatment, I would not have spent so much time in the heat circuit beforehand. She escorted to the treatment room. My first experience was Winter. Face down on the table, I was whisked with icy towels followed by a peppermint scrub on my back, hands and feet. Cool, moist towels washed away the scrub. Shea butter was massaged into the back of my legs. I was asked to turn over and sit up. A layer of ice was placed on the table where my back would soon rest. Cold! Cold! Cold! My feet soon joined my back and were wrapped in cold towels. The first sign of Spring was warmth on my neck, then an eye mask and warm towels on my hands and feet. La Natura Lemon Verbena oil was massaged into my arms and legs. Spring turned into Summer as my body was wrapped in a solar blanket. I actually appreciated the cool that remained under my back. My face enjoyed a lovely massage for the 10 minutes or so that I was in the wrap. I was unwrapped to enjoy Summer. Dry towels and sheets replaced the damp. I was treated to a fabulous massage that featured both Thai and Lomi Lomi modalities. My legs and hips were stretched and worked and forearms massaged with La Naturelle Cocovanilla Shea Butter all over. Summer gave way to Fall with a luxurious scalp massage with hot oil scented with clove. When it was all over, I sat in the steam room for a few minutes. While the actual treatment only lasted about 60 minutes, it was a great combination of body treatment and massage. For days afterwards, I would detect a slight scent of clove, and it would take me right back to the relaxed feeling I had after the Four Seasons-In-One treatment.

After my treatment, I enjoyed a delicious spa lunch in the wet area of the Women's Locker Room - a large salad with chicken and thin crispy crackers. Spa Dining is offered in both the women's and men's relaxation area of The Spa. Executive Chef Christof Syre offers a simple menu full of delectable and healthy cold cuisine. Light salads, soothing fruit smoothies, tasty exotic cheeses and vegetables, herbal teas and more. Lighter fare is also available through room service or at any of the Resort's restaurants.

While I enjoyed the Four Seasons-In-One treatment, the Hot Towel Massage and Crushed Pecan Body Scrub - treatments The Spa recently introduced, also tempted me. A number of the new treatments incorporate indigenous ingredients, and they all compliment the existing menu of body and skin care treatments. Some of the new treatments include: