Sundara Inn & Spa
“Are you a spa person?” I asked my friend after we had settled into rocking chairs on the patio of our room at the Sundara Inn & Spa in the Wisconsin Dells this fall. “I’m not sure, but I’m ready to find out,” she replied.
We had just arrived in the land of waterparks and other wonders after a three-hour drive from the Twin Cities to kick off a girls weekend, and we were ready to unwind. We would spend a hosted night at the spa and explore a few of the Dells’ best attractions before meeting more friends the next day in Milwaukee.
We weren’t sure what to expect as we greeted other guests in white bathrobes on our way to the room, and I told my friend I recently realized spa culture is a mindset of daylong lounging and pampering versus, say, going somewhere for an hourlong massage and then immediately leaving after the treatment. Spa people fully embrace all the facilities, classes, specialty foods, and perks.
I’ll admit the Dells was not the first location I envisioned for a luxurious, upscale spa, but Sundara offers a different type of waterpark experience—once that is exclusively for adults looking to relax, rejuvenate, and refresh. With three distinct pools, including a heated infinity pool, as well as health and wellness services, from yoga classes to hiking trails and a full menu of massages and other treatments, this Dells destination is different.
Sundara Inn & Spa
When it opened 20 years ago, its focus on wellness was ahead of its time. Once that travel trend caught up, Sundara established itself as an industry leader and was already expanding and updating its facilities, including a 40,000-square-foot expansion completed in 2019. It now includes 36 suites and private villas for larger groups, and is set on nearly 100 acres.
The awards are plentiful: This year, Sundara was voted third (up a spot) in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” lineup of favorite resorts in the Midwest, as well as “Best Spa for Hydrotherapy” by the Women’s Health Travel Awards. Last year, it placed among the top 20 destination spa resorts in the United States in Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” contest, and it was awarded “Best Spa” by Madison Magazine.
SURROUNDED BY WATER
The element of water is everywhere in the Dells and especially at Sundara. When we checked in, we could hear the laps of the pools and the water features in the front landscaping. Our suite had an outdoor hot tub for soaking and oversize rain shower in the bathroom.
Our first outing was a private boat tour of nearby Lake Delton, included as part of the spa’s activities—an hourlong troll along the shores of the Dells’ largest body of water to look at local landmarks, including the private but ostentatious home of the owner of the Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort (complete with oversize bronze lion statues at the gate to the home’s peninsula) and the abandoned spectator stands of the once-popular Tommy Bartlett water ski performances. That nearly 70-year-old Dells institution shut down in 2020, and everyone on the pontoon ride seemed to have a memory of attending a show at least once growing up.
Sundara Inn & Spa
Back on land after our sunset cruise, we were hungry and hungering to try out an authentic Dells supper club. There are two famous ones in the area, Ishnala Supper Club and the Del-Bar. We debated which one to try and nearly changed our mind and canceled our late reservation as we waited for our Lyft in the Sundara parking lot. That’s because other guests exited their ride with leftovers and raves about Ishnala when we asked how their meal was.
We stuck with our first choice, the Del-Bar, and had a wonderful meal in old-school supper club surroundings complete with the traditional bread basket, butter knife steaks, and an old fashioned or two. If only we had saved some room for the Pink Squirrel or Grasshopper boozy ice cream dessert. We spent the rest of the evening contemplating the flames of the gas fireplace above the hot tub and hanging out on the patio to watch the deer, squirrels, and otter (we named him Otto) in the nearby gathering of trees.
SLEEP TOURISM AND HYDRO HYPE
Part of the appeal of our visit to Sundara was to learn more about a new travel trend I was seeing pop up everywhere: sleep tourism. The concept encourages travelers to focus on their circadian rhythms, get a great night’s sleep, and wake up naturally. It may seem a bit gimmicky—I mean, don’t all hotels try to offer good sleep? But as part of that movement, our suite was stocked with individual care packages including a lavender-scented pillow spray, stress-reducing tea, and a sleep affirmation quotation to inspire slumber. Comfy beds don’t hurt either. There was a light rain overnight and a slight chill in the air the next morning as I awoke ready to explore the spa’s services and pools.
My first treatment was scheduled at 9 a.m., so I arrived early to check in and help myself to the fresh fruit, coffee, and juices. I was surprised at how busy the waiting area was for an early weekday morning, filled with couples awaiting joint services and singles reading books and magazines. When I first booked the trip, I thought the week post-Labor Day would be a quiet, slow time for the spa, but it seemed like lots of parents were treating themselves to some indulgence after sending the kids back to school and kicking off a new fall routine. All the massage appointments were booked for the day, and most other services were full, too. There are a lot to choose from—CBD massages, cryo T-shock body contouring, salt-crystal halotherapy. For those who aren’t interested in an overnight stay, booking a service includes full use of the pools, classes, and most amenities.
Sundara’s common spaces are gadget-free to promote a digital detox. I found myself checking my phone for the time (and messages) more than once and was politely asked to stash my device. That made me a bit more anxious than I care to admit. My worries melted away though with the 60-minute coconut mango enzyme body treatment, one of the many services the spa offers, complete with Vichy shower. I’ve had a similar treatment at the Kohler Spa in Kohler, Wisconsin, and the massage is like no other.
Vichy showers are named for the French town where the process originated and are popular at high-end spas. They are also pricier than the typical massage, and Sundara’s averages about $225. The process involves lying on a waterbed-like massage table, which ripples and gurgles under a metal instrument containing six shower jets. My technician, also named Amy, applied a scrub, completed a scalp massage, and exfoliated my skin while rinsing with a wand and the overhead spigots. If you don’t like water pressure and spray, this may not be the service for you. If you do, it’s divine. My second service was a wellness wave session—essentially a self-directed half hour in a massage bed that reminded me of a tanning bed session.
While I received my services, my friends explored the walking trails, getting a bit turned around—but not intentionally, as a mandala may intend. They had hoped to participate in one of the included yoga sessions or pool activities offered that morning but got a late start and chose to lounge around the suite instead.
After checkout at 11 a.m., they made it to the pools and started with the “purifying bath ritual,” an alternating hot-and-cold plunge process that is quickly gaining popularity for its purported health benefits. We then relaxed, head in folded arms, along the edge of the infinity pool before crossing over into the larger indoor-outdoor pool area with a swim-up bar. The interior design here resembles the Dells’ geological formations: stacked tan rocks that seem a bit dated design-wise for such an upscale spa.
As we floated that afternoon before a late lunch, a friend who lives in the area surprised us by saying she spent nearly $1,800 on her last Sundara visit, which was a birthday gift from her husband that included massages, facials, lunch, and a full day of activities. More than the cold plunge, that sticker price shocked us but started to make sense as she listed all the services. Luxury is not cheap.
For the rest of the afternoon, we quietly caught up, stretched in the pools, ate healthy salads and crab cakes around the poolside firepit, and agreed in the end we were definitely spa people.
Sundara Inn & Spa
