Kohler Waters Spa

The outskirts of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, among farmland and a smattering of towns seemingly in the 1950s, is the last place you’d expect to find a weekend of lavish spa services and top-tier dining. But Kohler, Wisconsin, is unlike any other small town in the Upper Midwest.

For starters, the village of Kohler was founded by the Kohler Company (known for its plumbing and bath products) in 1912 as a planned community for its immigrant workers. Today the concepts introduced by Walter Kohler almost 100 years ago are still at play. With a population just under 2,000 and a mere four-and-a-half-square-mile reach, the community has an idyllic feel, thanks in part to artful planning and natural/historic preservation. Streets and grounds are immaculately kept, fairy-tale houses butt up against dense woods, and walking trails snake through the town, past the police station, around the school yard, and over a bubbling creek. Yet while Kohler is still home to many Kohler employees, it is perhaps best known today for its resort hotel, Pete Dye–designed golf courses, and state-of-the-art spa.

The Hotel
The American Club and Kohler Waters Spa is the only AAA Five-Diamond resort hotel in the Midwest. The Tudor-style main hotel features 185 guest rooms, while the 52-room Carriage House, in the same building as the Kohler Waters Spa, offers a more intimate experience. Both boast oak-paneled hallways, wainscoted ceilings, antique accents, furnishings from McGuire and Baker, and, of course, bathrooms tricked out in the latest from the Kohler showroom.

To make the most of my time, I choose to book a suite in the Carriage House, where I could enjoy the spa amenities—pools, a fitness center, a rooftop hot tub lounge—free of charge for the entirety of my stay. This gave me the opportunity to spread my services out over a number of days and practically live in a robe and slippers, a common sight in the Carriage House.

My suite fulfilled all my unrealized Eloise dreams, with two pillow-top king beds dressed in crisp Egyptian cotton linens by Frette, a large sitting area complete with a love seat and television, a refreshment center and wet bar, and a state-of-the-art bathroom with Ann Sacks tile and a Kohler whirlpool bath that I could nearly lie down in.

The Spa
As might be expected from a spa bearing the name Kohler, hydrotherapy figures prominently in the menu, with many services including time in a Vichy shower or soaking tub. My first treatment was a 25-minute H Duo Vichy Shower, a service I skeptically booked for its purported popularity. As I walked through the beautifully appointed spa common areas, I couldn’t shake my hesitation. Would it be the spa equivalent of waterboarding? Or could I actually relax with five showerheads and four hands massaging me?

With two service providers armed in rain gear, I laid my near-naked (a few precisely placed towels can hardly be called modest) body on the table. What ensued for the next 25 minutes—a head-to-toe massage under a full body shower, a salt scrub, and a moisturizer application—was more sensational and invigorating than I had expected. Despite being a tad cold at the end, the sloughed-clean skin and euphoric state of mind left me feeling like I had washed my worries and stress down the fancy drain. But if being showered by strangers isn’t for you, the spa’s common areas and locker rooms feature soaking tubs and pools at varying temperatures, with similarly therapeutic benefits.

The massage services at Kohler range from traditional Swedish to styles less frequently practiced in Western spas, including Ah-Shiatsu (barefoot massage) and energy therapy. To get a taste of their range, book the 55-minute massage sampler. My service began with the therapist in Ah-Shiatsu mode, using his feet to provide deep tissue compression on my shoulder and back. The increased pressure and symmetry walked me into a deep relaxation. Next, my legs and feet were kneaded and stroked with warmed smooth stones before the massage transitioned into a classic Swedish-style rubdown. The therapist concluded with a sinus pressure massage, applying light pressure and long strokes to my neck, head, and décolletage. While not particularly noteworthy, the service is ideal for an experimental spa-goer.

By far the most relaxing and satisfying of all the services I tried was the scalp revival upstairs at the spa’s salon. I am pretty sure I drooled and snored. The 75-minute treatment began with a warm-oil scalp, neck, and shoulder massage, and ended with a shampoo and styling. Designed to unclog hair follicles and stimulate blood flow, scalp treatments are growing in popularity at many salons and spas, but the privacy of the Kohler treatment sets it apart. Round out the experience with the restorative 50-minute Neat Feet pedicure featuring a lime salt and Hollyhock exfoliation, warm stone stimulation, foot and calf massage, and polish.

The Food
One of the nicest things about staying at the Carriage House is the complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour; the spread for the latter includes artisan meats and cheeses, crudités, wine, beer, and aperitifs, while the breakfast features fresh fruits and pastries. But don’t eat too much, because the resort’s many restaurants—11 in total—showcase local ingredients and culinary technique.

The crown jewel is The Immigrant Restaurant. Situated in the basement of The American Club, the restaurant has all the features you’d expect from a fine dining spot, including exceptional cuisine and an experienced and knowledgeable wait staff and sommelier. Divided into six rooms decorated in a dark and conservative palette and sprinkled with antique furnishings and historic art, the setting is ideal for a romantic dinner.

Chef Ulrich Koberstein’s dishes come together in uncomplicated medleys, such as an assiette of Colorado lamb tenderloin, shank, and sausage served over a white bean puree with a side of artichoke-topped pesto couscous. The best showcase of the kitchen’s skill is the five-course degustation with sommelier-chosen wine pairings and Wisconsin farmstead cheeses.

If you are looking for something a bit more casual, there are several good options. Overlooking the Sheboygan River, with panoramic views of the golf courses, Blackwolf Run offers hearty meat and potato options. The log cabin–style setting features a vaulted ceiling, huge fieldstone fireplace, and a collection of Native American artifacts.

In a more authentic log cabin bordering a lush hardwood forest, the restaurant at River Wildlife boasts a seasonal menu featuring regional cuisine. The secluded club (day passes are available for purchase by American Club guests) is often inhabited by clay shooters, but the rustic setting belies a sophisticated menu based on unpretentious ingredients—steamy halibut and wild rice soup, a BLT dressed with pheasant, and almond-encrusted walleye fillet served with baked sweet potatoes.

Cucina, with its faux fresco ceiling and white columns in The Shops at Woodlake, lacks the natural ambiance of the resort’s other restaurants, but the Italian fare is well-prepared and delicious.

Be sure not to miss weekend brunch in The Wisconsin Room. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame what was the workers’ dining hall, which features formal décor and an immense spread that includes everything from made-to-order omelets, French toast, and meat-carving stations, to stacks of flaky house-made pastries, fresh fruits, cured fish, desserts, and a complementary mimosa.

The Activities
The resort has a few more offerings that merit attention, including Sports Core Health & Racquet Club, which features lap pools, indoor and outdoor tennis, workout facilities, and a slew of fitness classes. If you prefer more of a mind/body approach, book a class at Yoga on The Lake or simply take a hike (or snowshoe; rentals are available through Sports Core) along one of the town’s many trails.

And be sure to check out the 36,000-square-foot Kohler Design Center. Its museum outlines the company’s history, while the showroom features an extensive array of working Kohler fixtures, tubs, and faucets, and the design inspiration center boasts 25 genuinely inspiring kitchen and bathroom vignettes.