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On the Road: Four Seasons Resort and Club, Texas
"Do you prefer oil or cream?" a massage therapist named Jennifer asked as I lay face down on a table in one of the spa treatment rooms at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in the Dallas suburb of Las Colinas, Texas. "We have an unscented oil, a seasonal orange oil, or an arnica cream, which is good for sore muscles and joints."
Although it was only noon, I'd already logged two and one-half hours of tennis, about the same number I'd put in on each of the previous two days. Under the circumstances the deep-tissue massage I'd signed up for did not seem like an indulgence so much as a necessity. After all, don't the pros often get massages after their matches to speed recovery?
"Let's go with the arnica cream, then," I answered.
The spa at the Four Seasons integrates with the vast, 176,000-square-foot Sports Club, whose features include four indoor U.S. Open blue tennis courts (supplementing the eight outdoors), an expansive fitness center, an indoor saltwater lap pool, an indoor running track, squash and racquetball courts, the golf and tennis pro shops and several restaurants, among them Racquets, which overlooks the indoor tennis courts. In a sense, the spa services thus become one more option on a lengthy menu of daily diversions. They're not so much focused on changing your lifestyle as providing relaxing, therapeutic massages and treatments to complement a broad range of recreational amenities, tennis and golf chief among them.
But the spa is more than the sum of its treatments. Both the men's and, I'm told, larger women's locker rooms have whirlpools, sauna, steam rooms, and a plunge pool. Arriving early, I changed into the provided robe and slippers and soaked in the whirlpool and showered before helping myself to the provided ice tea (peach when I visited) and relaxing into a lounge chair with a copy of Texas Monthly, one of several magazines and newspapers lying around. At the appointed hour, the attendant led me back into the spa and introduced me to Jennifer, who ushered me into one of the treatment rooms for the first of my massages.
Worth a Visit
Nasher Sculpture Center. Part of Dallas's downtown arts complex, this riveting indoor-outdoor gallery showcases modern sculpture in a light-filled travertine-oak-and-glass building by Renzo Piano and in a tree-filled garden. Among its collection of more than 300 modern sculptures are masterpieces by Calder, de Kooning, Giacometti, Matisse, Miró, Moore, Picasso, and Rodin among others. Worth a special trip. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. It was from this location—then known as the Texas School Book Depository—that Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shot that killed President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. It now houses a permanent exhibition of historic films, photographs, artifacts, and interpretive displays, hauntingly resonant for those who remember that day and usefully informative for those who don't. Most chilling of all is to stand just steps from where Lee Harvey Oswald stood and gaze out the window at the route of the motorcade and Dealey Plaza. |
Over the three days, I'd have not only that deep-tissue massage but an 80-minute hot-towel massage and a men's facial, the latter designed to refurbish skin irritated by shaving and harsh soaps. Both were very relaxing, especially when coupled with before and after saunas and whirlpools and time spent simply chilling out in the men's lounge. My only disappointment—and it's not the spa's fault—is that after I returned home having had that facial not a single friend remarked that I looked more radiant than ever.
What people did notice when I returned was an improved forehand. One of several tennis reasons to come to the Four Seasons Las Colinas is its impressive teaching staff. Tennis director John Mullman, who has logged more than 20 years teaching tennis, half of it here at the Four Seasons, heads a strong crew that includes U.S. Open doubles quarterfinalist Brent Haygarth, four-time Scottish No. 1 Robin Scott, and former India Davis Cup player Fazaluddin Syed. WTA Tour professional Tara Snyder also occasionally drops by, sometimes helping with clinics or giving exhibitions.
In a private lesson, the very personable Haygarth quickly diagnosed the cause of my recently erratic forehand. "You need to turn your shoulder more and make a little loop at the back of the swing," he counseled. "That will help you generate racquet-head speed and brush up on the ball." Over the course of a very efficiently run hour, he took a look at all my strokes, including serves, and made gentle corrections for improving each.
The staff aside, what set the Four Seasons Las Colinas apart from many resorts is the depth of its programming. With an active membership of more than 400 locals, there is always some sort of activity that you as a hotel guest can become part of. There is something going on every day, from a (very) early morning drill session to several weekly round robins and clinics. All of these are well attended because they're designed for members but readily integrate hotel guests. The same is true for the summer junior tennis day camps and the after-school programs the rest of the year. Finding a match is as easy as letting the staff know you want one. The membership includes a few national champions so they can accommodate any level. And if you want to bring a team or group of friends, Mullman can easily design a program precisely suited to your needs.
Don't forget to include spa treatments. And if you opt for a deep-tissue massage, go with the arnica cream.
To see how other tennis vacationers rate these programs, see Four Seasons Las Colinas Vacationer Reviews. For more about the resort, visit the Four Seasons Resort and Club's website.
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©2012 Roger Cox