The Spa Turf Valley at Turf Valley Resort & Conference Center in Ellicott City, Maryland
Julie Register visited this resort spa in Maryland in August 2002

The Resort

Before we left for Turf Valley Resort & Conference Center, I suggested to my husband that he might want to bring his golf clubs with him - something to do while I visit the spa. Like our recent visits to The Grove Park Inn in North Carolina, Boar's Head Inn in Virginia and Sonesta Beach Resort Bermuda, he chose not to tow them along. Predictably, like the other visits, he took one look at the resort's golf courses and wished he had his clubs with him. There are 54 holes of golf at Turf Valley divided into three courses, the East Course (par 71), South Course (par 70) and North Course (par 71). We stayed in a lovely suite overlooking the South Course. At least Jeff had a great view to be a spectator.

Turf Valley Resort & Conference Center evolved from the Turf Valley Country Club in 1978 to a hotel amid the golf courses in 1988. In 1997, a large addition was built that included 50 new hotel rooms, a new ballroom, a state-of-the-art amphitheater and the spa (Maryland's first resort spa).

The Spa

The Spa Turf Valley is located on the lower level of the hotel midway between the indoor pool and fitness center.

On one side of the spa, you'll find a retail area and a salon where hair services (two stations), manicures (three stations), pedicures (three chairs), and waxing (one chair) are performed.

On the other side of the spa, you'll find the locker rooms (which have lockers, changing rooms, showers, sauna and vanities and are shared with the indoor pool), a co-ed relaxation lounge (serving snacks, water and tea), and eight treatment rooms.

There are two massage treatment rooms (Lavender Suite and Iris Suite), two facial treatment rooms (Bergamot Suite and Chamomile Suite) and two wet treatment rooms (Jasmine Suite and Patchouli Suite).

I had two treatments scheduled at The Spa Turf Valley but was to have a spa lunch first. My appointments were too late in the afternoon (2:30) to have a spa lunch served in the relaxation room, so I had it in Alexandra's restaurant. There was no "spa cuisine" per se, but I was very, very impressed with the food. I had Cream of Crab Soup and Crab Louis Salad, and they were both fabulous. Lunch was so good, we ate there for dinner and enjoyed another outstanding meal.

Spatip1: If you have a spa lunch voucher to use in Alexandra's, be sure to ask what is and isn't included. I asked for the spa menu and was told to order anything from Alexandra's lunch menu. I ordered soup and salad. It turned out that soup was not included in the spa lunch voucher, but dessert was (which I did not order). I paid extra for the soup.

Back at the Spa, my first treatment was a Customized Self-Renewal Facial with Sun, my esthetician. Sun spent a while examining my skin and asking about my skin care routine. She suggested that I modify the routine by using an eye cream twice a day instead of one and to use a washcloth to apply cleanser instead of just my hands. 

Spatip2: According to Sun, be sure not to use moisturizer under and around your eyes. The area will absorb moisture and appear puffy.

Sun started the facial by applying cleanser with light massage strokes to the face, neck, shoulders and upper chest. Next came a clay mask accompanied by steam for deep cleansing. While the mask was working, Sun pressed my legs - not exactly a massage, but it felt great. She removed the mask with warm towels. She then applied a light, jojoba-based oil with a pleasant aroma and massaged it in. This was followed by a moisturizing mask. While that worked, Sun applied warm oil to my scalp and hair and massaged it in. She then removed the mask. To top it off, Sun massaged moisturizer on my hands and lower arms. I left with my face soft and moist and feeling relaxed all over.

Spatip3: Sun suggested a recipe for a weekly facial I can make at home:

While I waited for my next spa treatment in the relaxation lounge, I chatted with the other spa patrons. There was a group of women who was preparing for a wedding that would take place at the resort that evening. Some were having manicures and pedicures, one was having a facial, one was having a massage and another was having her hair done. There was a mother who was treating her daughter to spa treatments for her 18th birthday - a facial and massage. Finally, there was a mother who was treating herself and her four-year-old to manicures. She said, "It's never too early to do things to make you feel good about yourself." I'd have to agree. I saw them after the manicures and the four-year-old was delighted with her nails. She danced and showed off her pretty newly painted nails and said they were beautiful.

Onna came to escort me to the Patchouli Suite where she would give me a Smooth As Silk Body Polish. She had me get undressed and climb on the wet treatment table (which could double as a hydrotherapy tub when the top was removed) while she stepped out of the room. She came back in wearing a bathing suit covered by an apron-like cover-up. We were both going to get very wet. I lay on my back, and Onna drizzled a relaxing warm oil (jojoba, wheat germ and sesame) in front of her hand as she rubbed it along my body. It was a nice technique. The sensation was simultaneous warmth and light pressure. She sprinkled salt and then a courser-grained salt all over (which felt cool in contrast to the warm oil) and rubbed it vigorously all over my body. I flipped over and she did the same to my back, arms and legs. She then turned on a hose and rinsed the salt off. She turned on the Vichy shower. First the water from the Vichy shower was cool, and she sprayed warm water from the hose. Then the water from the Vichy shower was warm and she sprayed cool water from the hose. This went on for 10-15 minutes and was a very pleasant feeling. When that was done, I got up and sat in a chair while Onna changed the linens. I got back on the table and she applied an invigorating warm oil (jojoba, wintergreen and eucalyptus) with the same technique she used before. She covered my eyes with a cool cloth, wrapped a light cotton blanket around me, and I relaxed for about 10 minutes. To top it off, she applied hand and foot relaxer to my hands and feet. It was one of the nicest wet treatments I've had.

There are two very popular spa packages that you might want to consider if you plan a visit to Turf Valley:

Golf Widow's Revenge Package: This package includes dinner (entree & dessert) for 2 in Alexandra's, overnight accommodations for 2, room service breakfast for 2, and

Pajama Party Package: This package includes overnight accommodations, dinner (entree & dessert) for two in Alexandra's, room service, continental breakfast and Mini Day Spa Service (Two of the Spa's Signature Services accompanied by a delectable Spa Cuisine lunch).

According to Onna, people come from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York to visit The Spa Turf Valley. Both men and women enjoy the spa, but women often visit it while their husbands attend meetings or play golf. Judging by the number of people visiting the spa when I was, I would say it was very popular. (The spa was not crowded or backed up. There was just a steady flow of clients.) According to Regina Ford, Director of Marketing, Turf Valley hopes to expand the Spa in the not-too-distant future.