History of the Wellness Spa
Our Motto: “Relax … And Enjoy Life!”
Our Mission Statement
Our Wellness Spa Team of Professionals are committed to openly listening to the needs of our guests and with respect, genuine acceptance, and compassion will help to positively guide towards physical relaxation, spiritual and mental renewal, and individual growth within a sanctuary that welcomes one home again and again.
Our Mascot: The Lion
Courage … the lion is synonymous with courage. It takes courage to care for yourself. It takes courage and strength, perseverance, and commitment to take control of your own life… to live your life the way you believe it should be lived. The Wellness Spa honors the strength of the lion and has symbols of it throughout the grounds and inside the building to remind us that we are responsible for our own wellness, that we are in control of our life situations, and that we can gather in a group to re-energize ourselves or retreat alone to relax and renew our inner strength, health, and wellness – while keeping ourselves regal with reverence with respect for our body, mind & spirit.
Our History: (Story told by the founder, Deborah Adams)
The Wellness Spa is a magical place of healing and discovery of oneself in our journey of life. I am the founder, Deborah Adams and I created The Wellness Spa on August 18, 1994 in a small 400 sq. ft. rental space next to the post office in downtown Stevens Point. Within that small space of one massage room, one spa treatment room and a reception area with one loveseat, side chair and tiny desk – my mom Dee Adams and I sat and waited for customers to try out this new type of business to Central Wisconsin. Though many thought it was a place to purchase hot tubs and saunas, the ‘spa’ word was not known as it is today, after just one year, over 1000 clients came through the door and one employee was introduced.
After another year passed, business tripled and another 400 sq. ft. was moved into. More employees were added and it was amazing to both my mom and I how this little ‘experiment’ of a spa in central Wisconsin was taking off. With another expansion in the existing rental building two years following, it was apparent that this was not just a phase but an actual business worth growing and we needed more space. After searching for years for the right place, the current property came on the market in 1999. As soon as I stepped onto the grounds, I knew this place was someplace special, someplace unique and intriguing. After touring the old historical home, it was clear that this space would be the perfect setting for the future Wellness Spa I envisioned.
The home and eight acres of property was owned by a woman named Edna whose husband had recently passed away and at 70 years old, Edna could not keep it up by herself anymore. Though many real estate agents, contractors, and investors had interest in the property – all wanted to tear down the almost 100 year old house. Though the home was in grave need of repair and updating, especially to bring it up to commercial codes for business, I promised Edna that we would keep the home and renew as many original details of the home as possible. The home was sold to The Wellness Spa in July of 1999 and after an intense three months of hard work from my husband (at that time), family and friends, and the help of some devoted guests – The Wellness Spa moved from downtown to its current location on Highway HH.
The grounds which had some large trees and a few big stones were transformed into courtyards, pathways, and a seasonal blast of color which attracts visiting birds, butterflies and small animals year round. Ospreys and eagles fly overhead, deer wander the field and adjacent woods and a token red fox visits almost daily. Ducks from McDill pond below the spa come up and wait to be fed by anyone willing to give a hand-out on early morning visits. Doves nest in the columns on the front porch each spring and share their offspring that sweetly sit and coo on the railings on the walking ramp. Sparrows share their chattering song as they sing along with the outdoor spa music from our front entrance way.
The spring brings the aroma and incredible vibrant color of lilac trees which surround the property – drivers even slow down and roll down their car windows in the spring to get a whiff of that glorious first smell of summer to come. Summer at The Wellness Spa can be enjoyed by guests as they can wander the property, sit by one of the outdoor fountains, have lunch in the gazebo or simply sit and rock on the front porch of the spa. Fall is filled with a variety of color and the enjoyment of a complimentary community Tai Chi class in the back field overlooking natural preserved parkland. Guests can hop on the adjacent 30 miles of the Green Circle trail to hike or bike or enjoy a try at kayaking just below The Wellness Spa on the river.
This is a retreat, a place of rest, relaxation and of self-discovery. Pulling into the spa driveway entrance and passing through a pair of one hundred year old stone columns, you can start to imagine how special your journey will be. Once you enter this historical building and become encompassed with the calming aromas and soothing sounds, you begin to feel the relaxation over-come you and your body begins to let go of the outside world – you begin to escape, breathe, just be you.
Letting yourself go and being taken care of by a professional, knowledgeable and caring staff is your only responsibility at The Wellness Spa – to set yourself free, give yourself permission to let the world go for a while, restore your body, revive your mind, and replenish your soul.
With signature Wellness Spa treatments, many of which I designed through the years from listening to guests wishes and comments as well as those designed by the incredible Wellness Spa team – all ideas that came to fruition to create treatments that are uniquely special and not only enjoyable but truly therapeutic in nature. The Wellness Spa has always been more than a ‘Day Spa’ of fluff and buff services – it has been a goal-oriented, therapy based spa to help guests recover and get well in whatever form they need. Massage therapy has always been The Wellness Spa’s focus since my background came from massage over 25 years ago. I guarantee every massage to be of the utmost quality, ethics, and standards because I believe in the team of massage therapists here at The Wellness Spa. Each massage therapist brings their own unique qualities and techniques and merges them into The Wellness Spa’s signature massage to give our guests the consistency and assurance they depend on visit after visit. Our facials are therapeutic as well as relaxing in nature with licensed estheticians who are trained in specific Wellness Spa signature facial treatments sure to please. Pedicures and manicures are some of the best around and incorporate great massage with a beautiful view of the outdoors that almost makes you feel like you are getting your pedicure on a friend’s front porch. A variety of waxing services as well as spa body treatments complete the ‘spa experience’ for all ages to enjoy.
But The Wellness Spa is more than just great services. Walk through our spa shop and find anything from professional skin care and body care to books, music, massage tools, candles, healing gemstones, and healing musical instruments.
In 2005 we added onto the existing historical home with a large expansion to give us more updated and larger treatment rooms, add beautiful locker rooms, a relaxation area, hydrotherapy tubs and a health club facility. Though the health club workout area seemed like it would be a good fit with the spa, the energy of the gym didn’t merge as well as we would have liked (too much yang, not enough yin!) so it was renovated into a conference and large exercise room instead in 2008 – it was a great move for the spa as we are now able to offer a space for classes and workshops, a place for groups to meet, parties to be attended and weddings to be enjoyed.
Join in on one of our classes designed to make exercise fun and experiential. Whether trying the relaxing and therapeutic art of Qigong and Tai Chi, stretching and breathing through yoga, or trying one of our specialty classes, you’ll feel refreshed and renewed.
What better way to spend time with family and friends than at The Wellness Spa! We provide a healthy, fun, and relaxing environment for any special occasion you may want to share with others. We have special packages and rates available for groups. We service many different events such as wedding parties, baby showers, birthday or anniversary celebrations, bachelor parties, pre-prom parties, family re-unions, or girl get-togethers. We host special ‘Princess Parties’ for little girls celebrating their birthday or special event. We cater to Corporate business by offering a group destination for meetings, reward incentives or to treat special guests visiting their company. Enjoy our renovated meeting room facilities for your next event or special occasion and let us help by catering in lunch, finding guest speakers, offering classes and spa services so your event will be as special as the place it is being offered. The Wellness Spa has a special feel about it that just makes everyone who spends time in it simply feel comfortable, relaxed, and get a sense of being “at home”.
The Wellness Spa has grown since its beginning in 1994 and now has over 80,000 guests in our book. It has not only grown in numbers, it has grown and changed through the years as I have personally grown and changed.
And I’m not done yet… I continue to research the newest and the oldest therapies from around the world to find the right fit for The Wellness Spa. Keep a look out for what’s coming next!
Discover The Wellness Spa … Rediscover Yourself. And always remember to “Relax… And Enjoy Life!”
Deborah Adams
Wellness Spa Founder & Owner