“ We are owned by Kohler Company which has been in the water experiential business for over 140 years and that gives us a lot of brand identity , as well as an opportunity to really emphasize our niche in terms of therapeutic water treatments ,” says Jean Kolb , director of wellness business at Kohler Co . “ Everything the guest comes in contact with relative to water is a unique experience .”
Done in an elegant , classic design with butter-colored walls and residentialstyle furniture , Kohler Waters Spa boasts 21 treatment rooms , a 30-foot relaxation pool with eight-foot waterfall and a glass-enclosed rooftop deck with a fireplace , sauna , plunge pools and lounge . The 25,000-square-foot facility is housed on two levels of the Carriage House , a 55-room annex of The American Club , which allows full access to the common areas of the spa . Some of its unique treatments include a WaveMotion Body Treatment ( it is one of only three spas in the country with a WaveMotion table ), an Acoustic Bath featuring VibrAcoustic technology and the RiverBath , a treatment using eight soft color hues and whirlpool jets . Recently , the spa also installed two Vichy showers custommade by Kohler .
“ We saw some things in the market place , but didn ’ t like a particular one so we called plumbing … they made a custom Vichy shower for us with everything that we wanted on it ,” Kolb says . “ Not a lot of spas have that resource so we are pretty fortunate .”
Five-Star Status Although Kohler Waters Spa ’ s unique services are a big part of its claim to fame , the road to achieving five-star status took a concentration on consistency in the spa experience .
“ You can build the most beautiful facility and not walk away having a great experience . Forbes is all about the experience and the level of customer service ,” Kolb says .
After reaching out to Forbes in 2008 , the spa underwent blind service evaluations to decipher where the operation excelled and where improvements were needed .
“[ We excelled in ] technical execution and overall sense of luxury ,” says Kolb , adding that the evaluations also showed that the spa “ needed improvement in ‘ anticipating guest needs .’”
After working with Forbes trainers for more than three years , the spa finally reached five-star status in November 2012 .
“ What I love about Forbes is that it ’ s a little bit about the facility and a lot about customer service and the experience ,” Kolb says . “ They rate over 8,000 spas annually … It ’ s a pretty big honor .”
“ What I love about Forbes is that it ’ s a little bit about the facility and a lot about customer service and the experience .”
January / February 2013 ■ PULSE 15