History and Luxury Combine for Enhanced Getaway at New Spa at Wentworth Mansion®

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For Immediate Release, October 2004


CHARLESTON, S.C. - Both visitors to Charleston and residents looking for a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of life will find it in a historic setting at a new spa opening Oct. 26 at the Wentworth Mansion®, the city's only AAA Five Diamond hotel. 

The Spa at Wentworth Mansion®, a partnership between popular Charleston day spa Urban Nirvana and the historic hotel, will offer massages, wraps, scrubs, skin care treatments and waxing services in one of three treatment rooms. Special packages are also available that offer guests of the Wentworth Mansion® a selection of spa services combined with a healthy lunch from Circa 1886 in their hotel rooms. 

Wentworth Mansion® is housed in the former home of a wealthy cotton merchant built in 1886, and the spa will be located in the same building as the hotel's restaurant, Circa 1886, which originally served as stables for the mansion. 

To create an inviting and soothing ambiance, reminiscent of the building's history but with a modern twist, architects incorporated many of the stable's original features and elements evocative of Charleston style into the 1000-square-foot space. Guests approach the spa through a long foyer of the stable's original brick walls and enter through an old Charleston-style iron gate. Inside, the spa features the original 14-foot-high vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, floors, glass brick and bead board woodwork. Modern lighting highlights each room, and other contemporary elements include calming fountains, a dual-head shower in the couples' treatment room and upscale furniture. 

"The new Spa at Wentworth Mansion® will give guests an opportunity to enjoy a full range of services amidst a truly distinctive setting that the architect, construction crew and interior designer have created," says Richard Widman, president of Charming Inns and managing director of the Wentworth Mansion® and five other hotel properties in Charleston and Columbia. "Patrons can enjoy a relaxing massage or facial surrounded by 100 years of history." 

"The design philosophy was to create a uniquely distinct and mellow environment by incorporating and enhancing the simplicity and the honesty of the original materials whenever possible," says Joe Schmidt, of Evans and Schmidt, who served as the architect for the project and who also handled the restoration of the Wentworth Mansion®. "Architectural artifacts were incorporated into the design in order to preserve them and to stimulate conversation and interest in this one-of-a-kind spa." 

NBM Construction Company, Inc., who also worked on the hotel's restoration, handled construction, and George Misoyianis of Stylescapes served as the interior designer. 

For more information about the spa or to book an appointment, please call (843) 724-6555. The spa is open seven days a week. 

Wentworth Mansion®, 149 Wentworth Street, sits in the heart of downtown Charleston and features 21 elegant rooms and expansive suites with gas-lit fireplaces with original marble mantels, king-size sleigh beds with European linens, inlaid design floors, whirlpool tubs and double, glass-walled walk-in showers. Guests are treated to a European-style breakfast buffet each morning and a cup of tea or a glass of lemonade or sherry in the afternoon. In the evening, guests gather for a complimentary wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres in the parlor or on the hotel's rooftop cupola with its 360-degree vista of the historic city. For more information, visit www.wentworthmansion.com. 

Wentworth Mansion®, a AAA Five Diamond Award winner, and on-site restaurant Circa 1886, a AAA Four Diamond Award winner, are part of the Charming Inns® family of six elegant and historical bed and breakfast inns, three of which are members of Historic Hotels of America. Five are located in the heart of downtown Charleston and one in Columbia, S.C. The properties have received numerous national accolades, including the selection of Wentworth Mansion® by Conde Nast as one of the top 31 new hotels in the world in 1999 and one of the top 100 best hotels in the world in 2002. Conde Nast also named Circa 1886 one of the Top 100 new restaurants worldwide. The restaurant also received a DiRoNA award for fine dining in North America, as well as the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. In addition, Wentworth Mansion® is a member of the elite group of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. 

Urban Nirvana is a full-service day spa with two locations in the Charleston area and one in Columbia. Urban Nirvana offers a variety of services including massage therapy, skin care treatments, waxing, body wraps, scrubs and hydrotherapy treatments in a polished, professional atmosphere with the goal of providing customers with a relaxing visit that alleviates stress and promotes overall wellness.