The centerpiece of the hotel was the Alcazar Casino (the term then had nothing to do with gambling). The casino boasted the world's largest indoor swimming pool, fed by an artesian well sunk 1,400 feet deep, a gymnasium (today it would be called a fitness center), a Russian steam room, a massage area and a series of baths.
The spa menu featured the latest treatments of the day: hydrotherapy baths, Turkish baths, saline and sulfur baths, vibrassage, Swedish movements and massage and electro-therapy. As Flagler's wealthy guests expected entertainment along with their therapies, the Alcazar offered such diversions as pool parties (with a Venetian gondola), troubadours, skits and swimming exhibitions.
Today the choice of pampering palaces for travelers seeking relaxation and rejuvenation in and around St. Augustine is much greater than it was in Flagler's day. The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, a luxurious 300-acre oceanfront resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, has been attracting well-heeled guests since 1928. It added Florida's first contemporary spa in 1987, a modest 4,000-square-foot facility that eventually grew to 10,000 square feet and was recently replaced by a stunning 28,000-square-foot oasis, the largest in the state. Not only is the new spa aesthetically appealing, with its sophisticated use of fountains and cascading water, muted colors and sensual textures, it makes use of such innovations as the Interior Positioning System (a GPS for people) to keep track of clients. The spa pool incorporates a waterfall, grottos and varying currents that give bathers a pleasant massage.
Ponte Vedra offers a rich variety of facials, body treatments, massages, couples packages, manicures and pedicures, along with laser treatments for the face and body. Though male clients are often an afterthought at other spas, here a separate barbershop has been designed especially for men, with a flat-screen television, dark wood and leather seating and a view of the Ocean Course. Services include flat-razor shaves, manicures, pedicures and hair services.
Also located in Ponte Vedra Beach is The Spa at the Marriott Sawgrass, a 20,000-square-foot, free-standing facility flanked by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west and wrapped with 15 acres of lagoons, waterfall-framed pools, twisted palms and giant magnolias. The spa interior showcases a 70-foot atrium with skylight and a panoramic view of the lagoon island.
Treatment rooms have wide beds and individually controlled temperature and music settings.
The hydrotherapy baths here are a far cry from the Alcazar's 19th century versions; these tubs have surge action, mood-enhancing color and a choice of essential oils, mineral salts, tea sachets or algae. There are skin care therapies, intensive facials that use the latest biotechnology, massage, nail care, hand and foot therapies and hair-removal services. As golf is key at Sawgrass, home to the PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour, there are treatments geared to the golfer's needs and golf fitness training sessions.
The Sawgrass Marriott Resort has 508 guest rooms, suites and golf villas, 99 holes of championship golf, nine ATP tennis courts, three pools, a children's program, seven restaurants, a beachfront cabana club and thousands of square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
Back in St. Augustine, the 13,000-square-foot PGA Tour Spa Laterra is part of the Laterra resort community in the World Golf Village. This spa, too, is thoughtfully designed and features three floating cabana treatment rooms (there are 11 rooms in all), a circular relaxation room, a reflecting garden and a koi pond. The selection of massages, facials and body treatments is extensive, featuring such popular therapies as a warm sea stone massage, facial peels and hydrotherapy. Laterra also has a good selection of treatments for men, as well as golf conditioning and training. A full complement of hair and nail services is also available.
IF YOU GO
Lightner Museum, 904-824-2874, www.lightnermuseum.org.
Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, 800-234-7841, www.pvresorts.com. Winter rates start at about $200 per room; spa packages are available.
Sawgrass Marriott Resort, 800-457-GOLF or 904-285-7777, www.sawgrassmarriott.com. Winter room rates start at about $280; specials and packages are available.
Laterra Resort and Spa, 866-828-3772, www.laterraresort.com. Winter room rates start at about $150; weekly and extended-stay rates are available.
Lillian Africano is a freelance travel writer.
© Copley News Service
