So, I have been fortunate enough to have gone to a few spas in my life, (who doesn’t like to get pampered from time to time?!), so when the marketing team for Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph reached out to me to ask if I would come by for the grand opening of their new Spa Suites, I assumed it was just like any other spa.  I pictured darkened rooms that would probably be on the small side, relaxing music, heated beds, white towels…you know, the standard.  Ok, well nothing about the Spa Suites at Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph is standard…

First of all, true to the name, each room is actually a suite, including a lounge area, an amazing bathroom, TV, room service, and a rain shower ROOM…I mean, you could have a party in the shower alone. It is so much more than that place you go to once a month to get your routine facial/massage – it is a whole experience that is so much more impressive than your average spa. I should note here at the beginning that every service includes extra relaxation time, so if you book a normal facial, your reservation will be for 1.5 hrs, the facial itself will last 1 hour and then you have 30 minutes to enjoy the suite and relax!

My friend and photographer Emma and I headed over to the Spa Suites to test out some of their new services, and not only did we get the low down on the new spa, we also got the most amazing facials. I find that sometimes people want to know ahead of time what their spa experience will be like, especially if it is their first time at a certain spa or their first time at a spa period. So here is the whole process that I went through, from start to finish.

I walked into the room and walked around like a kid in a candy store looking at all the great amenities. Then, after my esthetician Mila went through an overview of how the facial would go, she left the room to let me get changed. They provide a strapless, wrap robe with Velcro for you to wear for massages and facials, and also a big, normal terry-cloth robe for you to wear afterwards during your relaxation time. After I changed, I walked into the shower ROOM, (legit room…it’s huge), and sat down on this white stone lounge chair that was actually heated. I nearly fell asleep right then. Mila came back in and went into more detail about the facial that I would receive, mine was called the Pumpkin Enzyme Facial. Then she had me select the different oils that she would be using on me, by way of a sensory test (ie a smell test). After I had chosen the scents more appealing to me, we walked into the larger area of the room and I laid down on the table and was covered with a sheet and a blanket. From there, Mila went through the following steps:

1. Makeup removal
2. Hydrating Cleanse
3. Balancing Cleanse with a Clarisonic brush
4. Hydrating Enzyme Peel – this can be left on for a maximum of 10 minutes, but each esthetician carefully watches your skin’s reaction and may take it off sooner
5. My skin got a little red around 6 minutes, so she took mine off then
6. Neutralized my skin with a cleanser and then a warm towel
7. Face massage with the hydrating oil that I chose
8. Relaxation massage – here she also incorporated some rose quartz crystals, which are supposed to aid in cooling the skin after the Enzyme Peel
9. Applied a Lifting and Firming Mask. This mask was great – it was tingly and cool and for the 10 minutes it is left on your face, the esthetician will give you your choice of a scalp massage, a foot massage, or a hand and arm massage. I chose the hand and arm massage because I needed to be somewhere afterwards and couldn’t have greasy hair, and please believe I did not have my toenails painted… so thankfully they give you the option of which massage you like. But p.s. when I go back, I will definitely get the scalp massage and I will just bring some dry shampoo with me or use the relaxation time to take a shower because they provide you with a hairdryer!
10. Then she removed the mask with a warm towel
11. Applied toner
12. Applied a serum/oil mixture on my face
13. Applied eye cream
14. Applied a lip moisturizer
15. Finally, if you chose either the scalp or foot massage, she will apply the oil you chose onto your hands and arms. If you chose the arm/hand massage, she would have already done this.

And that’s it! Then she leaves the room to let you enjoy the next 30 minutes of your relaxation time/get dressed, order more champagne, etc. I recommend the chocolate covered strawberries and the crudité plate.

The spa is open from 8am to 8pm, you do not have to be a hotel guest to take advantage of the Spa Suites and the entire experience can be tailored to you. You can bring your own music if you would like, you can request additional relaxation time, you can pre-order food and drink including options such as champagne and strawberries. It seemed as though most requests could be accommodated, and if you have special requests you can call 614-227-0100. Head to their website for a full list of the services. They also sell gift certificates!!! (hint hint – Sweetest Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or a random Wednesday….all great ideas!) You can also buy the majority of the products that the esthetician uses on you – so if you end up loving the oils as much as I did, you can take them home with you!

And last but certainly not least, starting now, the Spa Suites at Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph will be giving away different services via their social media platforms, so follow them on IG, TWITTER, and FACEBOOK for details on how to win!

If you end up going to The Joseph for a spa experience of your own let me know how it goes!!! And if you would recommend the service that you received, because so far I have only had that one facial and I want to know what I should get next time!!!

XOXO – Em