Islander: Pamper yourself at The Spa at Olde Marco

Tucked into a suite on the second floor of the historic shopping enclave once known as the Port of Marco, The Spa is now part of the Olde Marco Island Inn & Suites. But The Spa, which offers a fine selection of skin care and massage treatments, is open to the public as well.

According to The Spa's brochure, its goal is "to promote your health and well-being in a beautiful environment that centers the body's natural energy from within and without,"

The Spa's decor stays in line with the energy theme, incorporating ancient Chinese feng shui design principles. And there's definitely a tropical feel inside, with live palm trees, pillows with a monkey motif and parrot paintings. Just walk in the front door at 100 Palm St. and it's as though you've discovered an oasis.

Immediately your senses are entertained with the scent of an aromatic candle burning at the reception desk and filling The Spa environs. There's also the sound of running water coming from the courtyard pond, hidden from view partially by bamboo blinds in the facial room but readily visible from the windows in the "garden room" off the lobby.

Open since April 2002, The Spa offers a complete menu of skin care and massage services. All the products used -- including herbal cream, lavender milk, hand-to-heel softening salve, solar salt mineral bath and remedy oils -- are natural and organic. And manager Lisa Doyle, a licensed esthetician, said that staff customizes each treatment to fit the customer's specific needs.

"They lock in the time through their appointment, but the treatment is flexible and adaptable to their individual desires," she said.

Provided by Doyle, The Spa's skin-care services include the 80-minute "Exclusive European," which is described as "a deeply purifying, rejuvenating facial" with a skin analysis, deep cleansing, steam, exfoliation and extractions

A mask specifically tailored to the client's skin condition is applied by the esthetician, and the soothing toners and nutrient-rich cream of the mask are intended to hydrate, protect and restore the natural balance of the skin.

The European treatment also includes the application of cream to the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, calves and feet.

Other skin-care services include the 50-minute "Refreshing Botanicals" facial and the 80-minute "About Face" facial.

Licensed massage therapist Pina Olsen provides a 75-minute Calusa Beach Stone massage that uses "smooth basaltic stones from volcanoes deep within the earth."

Olsen also offers a 50-minute or 80-minute deep-tissue massage, which uses slow, deep and precise movements to release knots of tension and stress. And then there's the "Island Massage," which evolved from Hawaiian and Thai influences, or the "Deep Lavender Rub," which uses organic botanical products.

"Pina does an excellent job," Doyle said. "Her hands can go light as a feather and deep as a jack hammer."

The Spa also offers pedicures and manicures, and clients are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early so they can slip into a comfy robe and enjoy a warm aromatherapy foot bath in the garden room. During the foot-pampering experience, customers are offered herbal tea or water.

"What's becoming popular is our "Spa Spa Sisterhood" party, which we customize for any group that wants to reserve The Spa and come in for treatments together," Doyle said.

The parties are especially popular with wedding parties, she said. "Based on the arrangements, we can serve champagne, fruit, cheese and crackers as they bounce from treatment to treatment."

For those who long for luxury but don't have a lot of time, The Spa offers "dollar-a-minute" chair massages from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday in front of the Summer Day Market and Caf in the Marco Town Center Mall.

Recently The Spa hosted a free "Crystal Healing and Reiki" seminar with Mary Lambert and Jennifer Evans.

"We're going to go with the flow and go the way the universe directs us," Doyle said. "We offer very personalized and customized services for our customers. And we really love what we do here."

Her staff agreed the reason they are in the business is because delivering the treatment is as therapeutic for them as it is for those on the receiving end.

"The reason I went into this field is because it feels so good to get a facial and also to give one," said receptionist Daniella Vatter, who will graduate in December as a licensed esthetician from the Florida Academy of Massage and Skin Care in Fort Myers. "After all, you want your face to look good, as it's the first thing anyone sees."

	AT A GLANCE
	The Spa is open Monday through Sunday by appointment only. Walk-in customers are welcome when The Spa staff is at the facility. For more information, stop by The Spa at Olde Marco, visit the Web site at www.oldmarco.com or call 239-389-5145.

Gerry Allard, a 65-year-old retiree, has been going to The Spa for a weekly massage for a few years. "I get a very nice massage there. It's very relaxing and a pleasant atmosphere," he said. "I start with a nice foot bath, then the massage, which makes me feel better physically. The massages help my muscles along and keep me in shape to play golf and go fishing."

Michigan resident and Marco Island condo owner Terri Brown said The Spa is "always a great experience."

"I brought down the girls from my office (in Michigan) for one of their customized "Spa Spa Sisterhood" services," said Brown, who owns a mortgage company. "I treated them all to a day at The Spa."

And every time she visits Marco, she said, she goes to The Spa for a facial and massage.

"Oh my gosh, they're wonderful at The Spa. I mean, we have spas in Michigan, but no place are they as friendly as they are at The Spa on Marco. Lisa and Pina are awesome ladies, very professional and personable."

Local real estate agent Ben Struck, 25, said he definitely feels the health benefits of getting regular massages.

"They relax you, relieve tension and stress, promote circulation and allow your body to flow in harmony," he said. "No facials here -- just the massage, which my mom introduced me to when she gave me a gift certificate."

A valet for 15 years at the Marco Marriott, Nancy Allison, 61, gets a facial every month at The Spa. Since she started six months ago, she said, she and others have noticed the results.

"People say my skin looks so much better," she said. "I can't afford to not go."

The Spa is open Monday through Sunday by appointment only. Walk-in customers are welcome when The Spa staff is at the facility.

For more information, stop by The Spa at Olde Marco, visit the Web site at www.oldmarco.com or call 239-389-5145.