They’re so adorable when they’re asleep — angelic faces, peaceful and serene. A toddler? A kitten? Maybe a puppy?
Nope. It was my 19-year-old niece, Meaghan. Wrapped in a fluffy white robe with her blonde hair gathered in a soft bun, she reclined on a creamy, golden chaise longue in the tranquil ladies’ drawing room at the Omni Mount Washington Resort.
What’s wrong with this picture? Absolutely nothing. I simply couldn’t recall seeing Meaghan so relaxed. Like many 19-year-olds, she’s a whirlwind of activity — school, work, friends, gym, texts — from morning until night. Yet in that moment she was still.
My sister Nancy, Meaghan and I arrived at the Omni Mount Washington Resort the previous afternoon. It was early spring, and our plan for a girls’ getaway was simple: settle in and relax the first evening, rise early the next morning for a few runs on the slopes, then spend the afternoon at the spa.
But Mother Nature had other ideas, warming the air and sending steady drizzle that turned prime spring skiing trails into mud by morning. So we adjusted our plans: the spa beckoned.
Set in what is now New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, the Omni Mount Washington Resort is a true grand dame. Built by Joseph Stickney, a New Hampshire native who amassed wealth through coal and rail interests, the hotel opened on July 28, 1902. From the start it ranked among the most luxurious of its era, drawing affluent guests from Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
Now part of Omni Hotels & Resorts, the property recently completed a three-phase, $60 million renovation and expansion that included a 25,000-square-foot spa designed to blend with the hotel’s Old World ambience. A long, spiral staircase leads to the spa entrance, marking the transition from the hotel’s lively public spaces to the calm of the spa.
We arrived about an hour early for our treatments — Swedish massages for Meaghan and Nancy, and a deep-tissue massage plus a lemon verbena body polish for me — so we changed in the women’s locker room and slipped into swimsuits before heading to the alfresco whirlpool. Billows of steam wrapped around us as we sank into the perfectly warm water, soothing tired muscles while the snowcapped Presidential Range provided a peaceful backdrop.
Eventually our fingertips wrinkled and we emerged, showered, and stretched out in the ladies’ lounge to await our treatments.
The spa offers both a co-ed lounge and separate men’s and women’s relaxation rooms. The co-ed lounge is a heavenly space in creamy tones of beige, brown and gold, furnished with intimate seating areas. The women’s drawing room follows the same soothing palette and features billowy, full-length curtains that can be drawn around chaise longues to create semi-private relaxation nooks.
The spa uses a line of custom-blended Mountain Mist products inspired by flora native to the White Mountains, including candytuft, nettle and rosemary. While Meaghan and Nancy enjoyed their Swedish massages, I began my treatments with a lemon verbena body polish. The sweet citrus fragrance filled the room as my therapist exfoliated my skin with a blend of lemon verbena, aloe, oats and shea butter. After a refreshing shower, I returned to the table where a soothing lemongrass and ginger oil was applied.
Feeling dreamy as I made my way to the deep-tissue massage, I was surprised when the therapist asked if I often had headaches. I do, though I was headache-free at the moment. “Remind me to show you something when we’re done,” he said.
Fifty minutes later, completely relaxed, I was curious to learn the simple remedy. The therapist told me to hold the fleshy area between the thumb and forefinger of one hand with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand.
“Do you feel that it’s a little puffy, like a pillow?” he asked. I did. “Press gently until that deflates. You’ll feel it.” I did, and it helped.
Since that visit I’ve used this acupressure technique many times. It won’t erase a severe headache, but when I catch a headache early it provides noticeable relief and brings a sense of calm — sometimes even a touch of serenity.
Omni Mount Washington Resort and Spa
310 Mount Washington Hotel Road
Bretton Woods, NH 03575
tel 603 278 1000