Schönheits Spa and Salon is found in Berlin, Ohio, in the heart of picturesque Amish country. Winding our way through the rolling hills, my husband and I found the drive to be a relaxing experience in itself. Once we arrived, we spent a little over a day enjoying the tranquility and taking advantage of the opportunity to meander the countryside, explore Amish farms and investigate unique shops. We spent some time relaxing at Schönheits Day Spa and Salon and unwound from our adventures, then dined on an authentic home-cooked Amish meal. We then retired to the friendly overnight accommodations at Hanna's House Bed & Breakfast.

John Schrock, the owner of Schönheits Spa and Salon, also operates several other businesses in Amish country, including the Amish County Inn, Hanna's House Bed and Breakfast, Rose Cottage, the Harvest Restaurant and the Dutch Harvest Restaurant. This has allowed him to assemble some relaxing and romantic getaway packages that draw on the charm and peacefulness of Amish country. In a short trip, even just a one-day vacation, a couple can find respite from the quick pace of daily life and slip into the meandering minutes of an Amish day. After a day of pampering at Schönheits Spa and Salon, couples can cozy up by a fireplace, share a homemade dessert and savor the togetherness.

Our luxurious day at the spa began with an underwater massage treatment in the Equinox tub. (I passed on the Vichy Shower, which is an alternating hot and cold hydrotherapy treatment.) The underwater massage, lasting about twenty minutes, is administered with intense jets of water that pulsate against the skin. This treatment stimulates circulation, provides a deep muscle massage and helps the body release toxins. My body relaxed quickly and completely during the soak as the powerful water pulsations massaged my muscles one group at
a time. Massage therapist Bonnie Allison noted, “Our customers really enjoy the tub because they have their privacy and still receive an invigorating massage.”

As my husband took his turn in the tub, Bonnie gave me a twenty-minute Herbal Scrub with organic-based skin cleansing and conditioning products. Bonnie mentioned that overexposure to hot and cold weather, low humidity and air conditioning can make skin dry, scaly, flaky and itchy. She explained, “Showers and baths clean away surface grime, but the dead zone remains as a rough, flaky layer. Body scrubs remove the outer dead layer of skin making room for new skin that is silky soft.” I emerged from the scrub with exceptionally smooth skin.

Next, I received the Peppermint Sea Twist Body Treatment. Bonnie noted, “We use seaweed which helps reduce cellulite. It tightens and tones the skin while removing impurities from the body.” Packed with minerals, seaweed is particularly helpful in removing impurities from the body. Bonnie explained that one of the reasons we feel so wonderful after swimming in the ocean is because of the therapeutic action of seaweed. This wrap was much more comfortable, warm and peaceful than body wraps I have received elsewhere. While I was being swathed in seaweed, my husband was receiving a deep tissue massage with therapist Chris Chapman, which he described as 'magnificent.'

In addition to the treatments described here, a menu of other services is offered, including manicures, facials, body scrubs and signature experiences such as the European Seaweed Body Treatment. Fees range in price from $57 for a 50-minute massage, to body wraps from $50, scrubs from $30, and the Equinox Tub and Vichy Shower starting at $35. They also offer a full range of packages such as the “Your Pleasure Package” that incorporate services at the spa, restaurant and inn or B&B. The “Your Pleasure Package” includes a body scrub, hot oil manicure, body brushing, choice of the Equinox Tub or the Vichy Shower, a complimentary lunch, two dinners at the Dutch Harvest Restaurant, and a night's stay at the inn or B&B. I highly recommend Schönheits Spa and Salon for their high level of quality and nurturing, as well as their affordable treatments coupled with the serene escape to Amish country.

Schönheits Spa is located in Berlin, Ohio. For more information, please call (330) 893-3101, or refer to their website at www.amish-r-us.com.