My latest travels brought me to the gorgeous Eaglewood Resort and Spa. I was having a pretty stressful week and could not have asked for a better place to unwind and relax. Huge thanks to Eaglewood for hosting me and for the spa treatment that finally got that knot out of my back!
But let me back up a bit. The Eaglewood Resort and Spa is located just outside of Chicago in Itasca, Illinois. It is conveniently close to the Woodfield Mall and lots of fun stuff in Schaumburg if you are looking for things to do. If you are looking to just escape and relax (like I was) everything you need is right there at the resort.
The relaxation starts as soon as you enter. The staff is super friendly and accommodating and the lobby feels like walking into an old friend’s living room. My room was in one of the towers and had a beautiful view off of the really large terrace. The room was super spacious and had a great desk where I could get some work done if needed.
The highlight of my stay was definitely my trip to the spa. The spa is located in a separate building that also houses the pool.
(Fun fact – you can use the pool even if you are not staying at the resort as long as you have an appointment at the spa.) That building also has several exercise rooms and a rec room with a pool table and even a bowling alley.
I checked into the spa and was shown to the locker room when I changed into a comfy robe. I retired to the aptly named relaxation room and sipped on some lemon water. I could actually feel myself beginning to unwind as I watched the water cascade down the fountain.
I had been having a pretty stressful few weeks and a nasty knot had developed just under my left shoulder blade. No matter what I tried, I hadn’t been able to loosen it. I had high hopes for this treatment.
My aesthetician gathered me from the relaxation room and led me into the treatment room. I had opted for a 90 minute combination Reiki and massage treatment. If you are not familiar with Reiki, it is where a trained therapist “feels” the recipient’s energy and helps to manipulate it by clearing blockages and directing energy to where it is needed most. Recipients can often feel actual heat as the energy moves and blockages are cleared. My aesthetician talked to me a bit about my needs then explained that she would be giving me a deep tissue massage and stop and use Reiki whenever she felt it was needed.
I cannot say enough about how perfect this treatment was for me. She immediately identified my “problem areas” and the knot in my back was loosened in record time. Then she discovered some really tight muscles in my lower back that I wasn’t even consciously aware of. She loosened those up and I felt an immediate relaxation of my entire back. She explained that my chakra in that area was experiencing some blockage and suggested some things I could do to help keep it cleared. (I’ve been doing them since I got home and the tightness has not returned!) I absolutely loved the combination of muscle and energy work and would choose that treatment again in a heartbeat!
I returned to the relaxation room and silently wished my trip to the spa could last all day. They do offer a ton of treatments so if an entire spa day is in your schedule, you can absolutely make it happen. They offer nails, make up, facials, and even couples massage if you can pull your significant other off of the golf course!
Want to take a bit of the spa home with you? The spa shop has everything from high end beauty products to fun bath bombs to essential oils to the comfy robes you wore in the spa.
Next, we headed down to try one of the resort’s restaurants, Prairie River. There were storms headed our way, so we opted to eat inside, but the patio seating is absolutely beautiful. We were treated to an appetizer, entree plus dessert and every bit of it was absolutely delicious. The portions were very generous (not always the case in these nicer resorts and restaurants) and I loved every bite!
For an appetizer, I chose lobster sliders – they were as good as anything I ever had back home on the East Coast! For dinner, I opted for the Crusted Alaskan Halibut and it was perfect!
I was pretty full but managed to try a few bites of the amazing red velvet cake served in a fancy martini glass with strawberries.
If you need a beautiful place to get away and relax or if you are passing through the Chicago area and have an extra day or two, I cannot recommend the Eagle Resort and Spa enough! Have you ever been there? I’d love to hear about your experience as well.
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