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Experience The Lodge At Woodloch: a Destination Spa Resort

The Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania are known for their many lakes, summer camps, ski lodges, and rustic mountain resorts. I’m blessed to live within a 2-hour drive of this enchanting area that draws visitors from all over the world.

The Lodge at Woodloch: A Review

The Lodge at Woodloch is a destination spa tucked away in the Poconos that offers a tranquil retreat for those seeking escape from the hustle and bustle of their everyday routine. I was invited to spend a few days at this luxury resort so I can report back about my experience. My stay was gifted in order to facilitate this review, but these are my honest thoughts and opinions. File this one in the “I love my job” category!

I shared a little bit about my experience in my daily emails, and if you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat, you saw some of the fun we were having. I am here to tell you, if you have never taken a couple of days with girlfriends at a spa, you have GOT to put a date on the calendar.

back of lodge

I have been to spas, and I’ve been to resorts, but this experience was unlike any other I’ve had because it combined the pampering and relaxation you get from a day at the spa with the fine dining and recreational activities you find at a luxury resort. Spending it with girlfriends was icing on the cake.

Carrie JL Colleen Linda

I traveled by car last Sunday afternoon, weaving through the woods on 2-lane mountain roads for several hours before I reached my coveted destination. By the time I arrived, I was already feeling removed from the daily grind.

The Lodge at Woodloch: A Destination Spa in the Poconos

I was greeted by a friendly face at the guard shack, where they took my name and told me where to go. This is nice because sometimes I arrive at a new destination and flounder a bit to figure out where I’m going. Here I felt pampered and taken care of right off the bat.

I was instructed to drive around to the front of The Lodge, where the valet would park my car. He whisked my bags away while I checked in, and then I was escorted down the hall and directed to my room, where I found my bags AND my roommate waiting.

Carrie JL

The Guest Rooms

The 57 Guest Rooms each offer a tranquil retreat from the daily grind. We had one of the 46 Veranda Deluxe rooms that overlook the wooded walking trails in the back of the property.

guestroom at woodloch lodge

All of the rooms overlook the woodland lake or the rock-garden waterfall.

hammock

Some of the Deluxe Rooms have a king bed and some have two doubles. The beds are firm but they have some sort of foam topper that is squishy and soft. I slept like a log.

bedroom at woodloch lodge

There are also eight Veranda Junior Suites furnished with a king or two queen beds, and two One-Bedroom Suites — one with a king bed and one with two queens plus a living room, two private verandas, and two full bathrooms with walk-in showers and baths.

Our bathroom had a walk-in shower, but not a bath. The shower was spacious, and I didn’t miss the bathtub, especially considering that I spent half the day in the hot tub in the spa!

There were a few things I noticed right away. First, I appreciate the way the toilet is sectioned off from the rest of the room with a fully closing door. This is always an added bonus when you have a roommate!

Also, it has a large vanity with two sinks — something I always look for in hotel accommodations. I want my own sink, what can I say? I’m high maintenance like that.

bathroom

There is also a refrigerator in each room, which was awesome because we did bring along a few bottles of wine. Water is readily available and free throughout the resort, so there is no need to stock up on that.

I’m telling you, The Lodge at Woodloch thought of EVERYTHING when they designed these guest rooms.

The Resort

the lodge at woodloch

This is the quintessential luxury wooded mountain hideaway. Even the decor is rustic but luxe.

fireplace

It is a small resort, and all the facilities are located in the same building, which was nice. I had no idea what to expect, and I feared it would be spread out as so many resorts are, but once inside, there was no need to leave the building — unless you wanted to enjoy the outdoor hot tub (yes please!!!) or take a nature walk on the gorgeous wooded grounds.

In addition to the spa, the property includes a heated indoor swimming pool, indoor and out door hot tubs, a full service restaurant, small bar, and 57 guest rooms. There is also a cozy common room with a fireplace, several comfortable seating areas, and fresh fruit, water, and coffee all day long. That’s where I spent the majority of my free time.

I get up with the birds and my roomie wanted to sleep in, but we were each able to have our perfect getaway because I took my laptop to the common room each morning and sat by the fire and worked while she got her beauty sleep.

The Lodge at Woodloch: Sitting Room with Fireplace

One of my pet peeves when traveling is that I’m an early riser, but coffee oftentimes isn’t put out until 6:30 or 7AM. At the Woodloch Lodge, they have a Keurig in the lobby with an assortment of teas and coffees that you can help yourself to if you’re up before the brewed coffee is ready. It’s the little things like this that set a place apart!

What To Wear

I had no idea what to wear at a destination spa so I packed A LOT. As it turns out, many people walk around most of the day in their spa-issued white terrycloth robes and slippers.

robes

Seriously, there were people at lunch in their robes!!! (And I might have been one of them.) What can I say? When in Rome…

The one thing people dress for is dinner, so I’m glad I brought a few dressier outfits. In fact, the dress code specifies: “Dress for dinner is resort casual (no hats or fitness gear).”

I’m not entirely sure what “resort casual” is, but I wore jeans, a cashmere sweater, and leopard flats one night, and no one kicked me out.

what I wore

The other night I wore the same jeans with my camo tee, my bone colored moto jacket, and high wedge ankle boots. I felt like I fit in just fine.

When I wasn’t wandering around in my robe or dressed up for dinner, I spent my time in workout clothes, and that is pretty much what the rest of the guests were wearing as well. Keep in mind, this is a luxury resort that attracts most of their clientele from New York and New Jersey, so most of the activewear I saw was Lululemon, but I wasn’t too far off base with my favorite metro skinny pants, a graphic tee, and a cardigan.

Dining

Their TREE Restaurant and Bar provides full service dining for each meal. At breakfast and lunch, there is also a buffet that is intended to supplement but not necessarily replace the meal.

Of course, you can just eat off the buffet if you want to eat light, but the menu selections were so varied and interesting that I ended up ordering every meal off the menu.

shrimp pad thai - 1

I thought I was going to come home and find I’d gained 5 pounds, but I didn’t because the meals are prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and portion sizes are small.

It’s so refreshing to not be overwhelmed with too much food. I found myself eating more slowly and savoring each bite, and I’m sure I ate less than I normally would as a result.

The Spa

The full service spa offers a wide range of treatments and services. I was invited to choose one Body Treatment to experience, so I selected their signature Rosemary Awakening treatment than included a scrub, body wrap, and massage. This is only the second time in my life that I’ve had such an exquisite body treatment, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

In addition to the services, you can sit under the Aqua Garden’s HydroMassage waterwalls, relax in the co-ed Whisper Lounge, float around in the heated indoor pool, or lounge in the outdoor hot tub.

Don’t mind if I do!!!

The Lodge at Woodloch: Outdoor Hot Tub

Activities

Lest you think you might get bored by so much pampering (haha!) there are tons of activities to partake in as well. You can be as active or as relaxed as you want to be.

The schedule changes daily so even if you’re staying for a week, you won’t run out of new things to try. (Click on the picture below for a full-size version, if you want to read a sample daily schedule.)

The Lodge at Lochwood Daily Activities

Depending on the time of year you go, there is everything from fitness classes such as BodyPump and Aqua Toning to outdoor adventures such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback trail riding, and cross-country skiing. There are also cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, watercolor painting and drawing classes, as well as golf and tennis for the more sports inclined.

Trust me, you will not be bored at The Lodge at Woodloch!

Welcome Home!

On their about page, they claim that their guests “feel as though they are at their own private country estate when visiting.” This couldn’t be more true. The staff goes out of their way to make you feel at home, and even the other guests were incredibly warm and friendly. I think everyone is just so relaxed and happy, they can’t help but be friendly!

The Lodge at Woodloch is perfect for those of us who enjoy getting off the beaten path but don’t want to sacrifice the finer things like good food and drink and superior service.

I’m a firm believer in the importance of taking a few days away every once in a while to rest and recharge. It’s important for everyone, but women especially. We juggle so many balls and rarely get a break; it’s no wonder 85% of the guests I saw at The Lodge were women.

The Lodge at Woodloch is the perfect spot for a girlfriend getaway. Whether you go with your mom, daughter, sister or best friend, gather your people and make it happen.

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7 Responses

  1. What a great write up! You covered every angle & answered any questions a gal would have, looking for a Girlfriend Getaway! So glad you got the opportunity to come & visit our area. While we may come up a little short in the shopping area, we make it up with the beautiful scenery we have here! I’m glad to call this area home! Next time, you’ll have to come as a family! ????

  2. Sounds divine! Too bad it’s so far away from me. Looking forward to some spa services in Mexico in June.

  3. What a fantastic review. You covered everything! It really makes me want to visit, but I am way too far away. Such a shame.

    Thanks for sharing.

  4. Wow! What an amazing place! Looks like you had a fantastic time and shared a wonderful review! Thanks!!!

  5. I loved it there when we were there last month! I totally thought I would have gained a ton too over the weekend but nothing! Agree it was because of the portion size but also such healthy (but yummy!) food.

    And we were in that outside hot tub a lot too. Heaven.

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