Win a major spa package from The Kerr House
Written by Brandi Barhite | Special Sections Editor | bbarhite@toledofreepress.comContest: Win a $1,575 spa trip from The Kerr House
Hey, Moms: Ready for your kids to go back to school? Want to center yourself? Need some peace and quiet? Of course you do. Win a First Prize three-day program (valued at more than $1,575) or Second Prize one-day program (valued at more than $350) at The Kerr House. Tell us in 300 words or less why you deserve a getaway from The Kerr House; e-mail your essay to news@toledofreepress.com or mail it to “Kerr House Contest/
Toledo Free Press, 605 Monroe St. Toledo OH 43604” by July 24. Full prize package descriptions accompany this story at www.toledofreepress.com. Winners will be announced in the Aug. 2 Toledo Free Press Back to School issue.
Prize descriptions
1st Prize; Three-day Destination Spa valued at more than $1,575
Sample Program Outline
8:30 a.m. Wake up, breakfast served in bed
9:30 a.m. Yoga class
11 a.m. Body treatments
12:45 p.m. Lunch is served in the cafe
1:30 p.m. Body treatments
2:30 p.m. Body treatments
4 p.m. Time to rest, read, reflect, walk or Shop
6 p.m. Dress for dinner
7 p.m. Dinner is served in the Oak Dining Room
8 p.m. Entertainment
2nd Prize: Day Destination Spa valued at more than $350
Sample Program Outline
9 a.m. Arrive at The Kerr House
9:30 a.m. Mineral bath and full-hour Massage
11:15 p.m. Herbal wrap and whirlpool
12:15 p.m. Lunch is served in the cafe`
1p.m. Facial
2:45 p.m. Yoga class
The day ends by 4 p.m.
*Treatments are not necessarily in this order. All activities are optional
Kerr House preparing to celebrate 30 years
When Laurie Hostetler opened The Kerr House in 1980, the word “spa” wasn’t in anyone’s vocabulary.
Those who acted healthy and exercised were considered “health nuts,” she said, and it wasn’t meant kindly.
Her original thought was to only offer yoga at the Grand Rapids manor, but then she added beauty and body treatments.
“We have always worked holistically,” she said. “We pamper them and they learn so much about exercising and natural food. We work with the total person through exercise, nutrition, attitude, stress management, self-esteem and we have a very successfully program.”
As she prepares for the 30th anniversary, Hostetler reflected on society’s view on health and wellness. When The Kerr House opened, “we came in the back door,” she said.
Laurie Hostetler at The Kerr House.
“I really think it is wonderful that we have so many spas now … because it means that people are caring about their health,” Hostetler said, “and at this time when there is so much stress, I think it is real important for people to learn how to manage the stress in their lives and take care of their health.”
While most spas go for that new, just-built look, The Kerr House was built in 1880, she said.
“It took us one year to clear the title, but toward the end of that year, I thought we might never get the title,” Hostetler said. “I looked at beautiful estates that were ready to go and I would sit back and go through the program and I realized this house has an extraordinary energy.”
The old Victorian home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, makes it easier for guests to leave their problems at the doorstep “because it’s like stepping into a different era,” she said. The home holds a maximum of eight guests for an overnight program.
“It is kind of a complete program; you aren’t just going for a massage or just going for yoga or for healthy food,” said Christina Bond of Daphne, Ala. “You are going for the whole package. Laurie encourages you to take stock of your life.”
Bond, who grew up in Maumee, is a pharmacist who spends hours on her feet. She first visited The Kerr House with her mother after graduating from pharmacy school and quickly became enamored with Laurie.
“She is absolutely wonderful, Bond said. “She is an inspiration on how to take care of yourself, how not to give, give, give all the time. You cannot give much if you don’t take care of yourself.”
Hostetler offers a variety of programs from a five-day visit to a three-day stay to a weekend getaway. While women are the primary guests, more men are beginning to realize the value of a retreat, she said. The Kerr House also offers individual services for a guest who just wants to stop in for one of its treatments like a massage.
“Five nights is ideal because they have so much opportunity to live it and absorb it,” Hostetler said. “We get some people who always come with someone and then we have people who would never come with anyone because this is theirs.”
Breakfast in bed, lunch in the cafe and dinner in the dining room with a different set of antique linens, dishes and stemware every night is just part of the stay, which also includes an array of beauty and body treatments, as well as quiet time.
Prices vary depending on the program, but the five-night fee is $2,550 for a semi-private room and $2,950 for a private room. Three nights are $1,375 to $1,575, while weekends are $750 to $850.
“It is such a relaxing atmosphere,” said Kay Brems of Flat Rock, N.C. “You are truly pampered. Laurie says you do what you want to do. We do have a schedule, but there is never any objection if we don’t want our schedule.”
Brems decided to visit The Kerr house after reading about it in a magazine. The spa has been featured and honored in numerous magazines. The Kerr House is part of the Spa Destination Group, and Hostetler just finished a two-year stint as president.
“I like the five-day one,” Brems said of her program preference. “I have done the three-day, but it is never quite enough. Five-day makes it seems like you had enough time for yourself.”
While Hostetler continues to teach the yoga class, she employs 30 people who cook and perform the other treatments.
J.B. Bott of Columbus came to the house after her husband died unexpectedly, which is a reason people schedule a visit, Hostetler said.
“The Kerr House is an absolutely magical place,” Bott said. “It is a big warm hug … I have gone up there for pleasure and fun, and to retreat and help me get through a hard time.”
The Kerr House is a 2009 Toledo Free Press Editor’s Choice Award Winner. Local businesses with strong reputations for quality and service will be highlighted in this occasional series.
