From the spa: sasanqua spa, river course, kiawah island club

Sasanqua Spa at the River Course, Kiawah Island Club, South Carolina.

Exclusive to Kiawah Island Club Members, Sasanqua Spa provides a total retreat from the outside world. Designed to strengthen mind/body connections to the Kiawah environment, it offers a host of rejuvenating treatments with ingredients from the natural world of the surrounding Low country.

Sasanqua Spa creates its own quiet island on a peaceful peninsula overlooking the Kiawah River. It’s fitting that Clodagh, the world-renowned designer whose eyes, mind, and hands shaped the spa, was named for a similarly picturesque waterway in her native Ireland. 
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I was recently privileged to experience Sasanqua Spa at the River Course at Kiawah Island Club during the creation of the Cassique Golf Club chapter of Golf Kitchen.

Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised by the privacy of the location. One merely has to walk directly from a well-secluded parking area to a wooden walkway that overlooks the water and you immediately begin to feel relaxed. I usually shy away from facials as I dislike walking out onto the street or public areas afterward, but not at Sasanqua where they take privacy seriously.
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I was greeted warmly at the desk and escorted to a private room where I changed into my robe and slippers. It was nice to know that I had an individual locker and changing room. When ready, I was taken to a comfortable waiting room and was offered an array of tea, coffee, diffused water or champagne. I chose two of the signature treatments as I felt this would best represent what the spa had to offer.

Jillian greeted me in the waiting room, and I followed her to a relaxing private room where my first selection, the Kiawah Island Retreat body treatment, would begin. Jillian explained what the procedure would entail and was happy to answer any questions that I had. Being the curious type, I had quite a few!  The one thing that stood out was Jillian's professional way of making me feel secure and safe during the treatment as you need to be only slightly covered to have this particular treatment.

For the next two and a half hours, I experienced an exquisite series of treatments that would include an incredible body scrub. This intrigued me as it started like a granular scrub, and then seamlessly dissolved to become a smooth enzyme treatment. I was wrapped up in the foil (which was a strange process) for my parched body to absorb all of these wonderful products, and I was treated to what seemed like the longest foot, hand and scalp massage I have ever had.

When the wrap was removed, further lotion was massaged into my entire body. As the treatment ended, Jillian left the room so that I could put my robe back on. She then graciously thanked me and took me back to the waiting room where a very kind staff member gave me some diffused water to sip.