Spring Cleaning for Mind, Body, and Soul

The days are longer, the sun is out, blossoms are poking through the soil, and the air holds a promise of new life. At The Lake House we believe it’s just as important to brush off our own winter cobwebs as it is to give your space a good, deep clean.

Ready for a personal spring cleaning? While a spa day offers a well-deserved reprieve any time of the year, there’s something about spring that sparks the need for pampering — for sloughing off winter’s dullness and feeling reinvigorated for a fresh, new season.

Unwind at Willowbrook Spa in Canandaigua

Though only open a year (its anniversary is Memorial Day Weekend), Willowbrook Spa has quickly become one of the leading spas in the Finger Lakes. The Lake House’s welcoming sanctuary has become known not only for its impeccable design, which has been profiled by the likes of Architectural Digest and Elle Decor, but curated treatment menu that blends natural methods with cutting-edge therapies. (Learn more about the spa’s holistic approach here.)

Spa Director Victoria Lindsey, who’s been part of the expert team since the beginning bringing her wealth of knowledge as a massage therapist and high-end spa director to Willowbrook Spa, suggests several go-to treatments designed to rejuvenate tired skin, stretch out any stiffness, and leave you feeling refreshed.

For a complete mind, body, and soul reboot, the ultra-pampering 90-minute Detox Deluxe offers an intensive — but relaxing — combination of therapies, including guided breathwork and acupressure, a purifying massage, body scrub, infrared body wrap with scalp treatment, and tincture.

Winter weather often leaves skin feeling dry and irritated, no matter how much we try to moisturize. The 75-minute Skenoh Drench helps kickstart hydration with a restorative back, facial, and scalp masque for intense moisturizing.

After a day on Canandaigua Lake or exploring the surrounding great outdoors, repair stressed or parched skin with lush layers of healing botanical extracts with The Lake Effect. This 60-minute treatment that includes a body scrub and hydrating massage is meant to cool and calm the skin and replenish vital nutrients.

Though we’re done hibernating, ample sleep is always one of the best ways to feel restored. Designed to calm the mind and body alike, with slow rhythmic touch coupled with a grounding scalp massage, the 90-minute Deep Sleep offering incorporates an Amethyst Biomat to balance the body’s energy centers. Paired with a sleep-inducing tea and tincture, the night-time treatment is pure bliss, especially when you can quickly slip upstairs to your lakefront room or suite.

Of course, a popular pick to add to your treatment, or enjoy all on its own, is the spa’s signature 60-minute Sauna Ritual, making use of the private barrel saunas — which boast picture-perfect views of Skenoh Island, a tiny island in Canandaigua Lake whose name means “peace” in the Onöndowa’ga (Seneca) language. Saunas can be booked for individuals, couples, and small groups of up to four. (Bonus: The Lake House’s unique Sauna Garden is unlike anything in the area, with local flora and herbs that complement the spa’s essential oils.)

Willowbrook Spa isn’t the only place to welcome spring and feel restored in Canandaigua. Just like a much-needed massage can help us feel renewed, escaping one’s day-to-day routine and discovering something new can also help reinvigorate the senses.

“We have amazing parks, wineries, boat tours, Sonnenberg Gardens, waterfalls created by glaciers, Cumming Nature Center…,” says Lindsey when asked where visitors should go to further soothe their soul. “Upstate New York is rich with lush farmland and history that is just waiting to be explored.”

Willowbrook Spa is open to both the public and guests daily from 8am – 8pm (by appointment only). However, to make the most of your spa time and the surrounding region, a stay at The Lake House is a welcome getaway.

Further elevate your experience by booking an exclusive stay package.