by Ben Harrington - www.bharrin.wordpress.com- Published 06/27/2010
I wouldn’t be doing the Spa City justice if I didn’t visit an actual Spa right? Right. If you’re a young person who enjoys relaxing, getting pampered, getting massaged or any of the above, then Hot Springs is the perfect place for you! Historic bathhouse row, in downtown Hot Springs offers you a chance to take a peek into the city’s past and learn why Hot Springs became so famous in the 1900′s through today.
Participating in a massage or bath on bathhouse row puts you in some pretty good company. With big names such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Al Capone, and the legend Babe Ruth, people from every walk of life have come from all over the country to take part in the thermal waters that gush out of the ground at 143 degrees F. With the problem of what to blog about next solved, the only question that remained was which bathhouse to go to…The Buckstaff bathhouse is a very traditional styled spa and lets you experience the same type of treatment that people experienced back in the “Golden Age of Bathing.” While the traditional style may appeal to the older generation, I chose to visit the newest addition to bathhouse row, Quapaw Baths & Spa. Where as the Buckstaff is the classic bathhouse option, the Quapaw could be considered the more modern option.
To give you some background on where I am coming from, before my visit to the Quapaw, I had never been to a Spa or had a massage of any kind, and to tell you the truth, I was a bit skeptical. But, as I stepped into the thermal waters, all my skepticism melted away. The Quapaw Baths & Spa is a very clean establishment that has a friendly and inviting staff, warm tone, and high-quality equipment to get you loose and relaxed. The Quapaw offers a wide variety of different packages for customers to choose from including things like massages, facials, body polishes, and many more. I chose to get an hour soak in the thermal waters accompanied by a 25 minute swedish massage….I’ve never felt more relaxed in my life.
Now, for those of you who are a little timid of the whole being clothed in just a robe thing, relax (no pun intended). The staff of the Quapaw makes sure that even the most shy customers feel right at home in their establishment, which is complete with personal massage and changing rooms.
Overall, I went to the Quapaw bathhouse a little skeptical of the whole “massage and spa scene,” but left with a new appreciation for it. The expertly trained masseuse that worked on me, massaged out some knots in my back that I’m sure have been there for a long time. I would definitely recommend the Quapaw Baths & Spa bathhouse to anyone visiting the area, and am sure if you are a skeptic like I was, that after one visit, you will see it in a new light…
Race to the Quapaw
By: From Staff Reports - The Sentinel-Record -
Published: 04/08/2010
George Ryan is pictured jamming at the Arkansas Jazz Experience in this undated photo. The monthly event will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Quapaw Baths & Spa, 413 Central Ave. The Arkansas Jazz Experience will provide a musical treat with special guest artists featured throughout the evening. A cash bar will be available. Admission is $10 or $8 with a discount brochure from Taylors Contemporanea Art Gallery, 204 Exchange St., next to the Exchange Street Parking Plaza. Call 767-0211 for information.
Magnesium Horseshoes
A.K.A. Quapaw Baths & Spa
Win Stueart Pennington Fourth Annual Bathtub Race
"Traditional Division"
May 16th, 2009
Team Members:
Angie Catanzaro (Captain), Tommy Rogers, Josh Eberwein, Jonathon Kudabek, & Steven Goodling
We are so proud of you!
Preservation and Promise
Bath house undergoes award winning project
By: Mark Gregory Associate editor The Sentinel Record
For a prime example of "Preservation and Promise" look no further than Bathhouse Row.Private firms are brining the Row back to life, under lease partnerships with the National Park Service. One is the Museum of Contemporary Art-Hot Springs, or MOCA, which will utilize the Ozark Bathhouse. The other partnership project, the Quapaw Baths & spa in the former Quapaw Bathhouse, has already won an award. Quapaw Baths LLC, Hot Springs, Taylor/Kempkes Architects, received the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas 2008 Arkansas Preservation Award for Excellence in Preservation Through Rehabilitation on January 9, 2009.
Quapaw Has Mae
By: Tammy Harris Massage Therapist, Esthetician
Dear Editor:
Hot Springs has many massage therapists. We move around a lot, searching for that one fantastic job. Ms. Dorothy Mae reynolds has had her massage license for more than 50 years and has moved only to three jobs, the third being Quapaw Baths & Spa.
She is a jewel to work with. She is full of energy, ideas, and stories. She is willing to learn the new techniques and therapies. We call her "the Terminator," she kills the pain, either with her touch or smile.
I am very honored to work with her, beside her. Many people she has worked with or now works with feel the same way. She is truly a "star of the industry" and she is at Quapaw Baths & Spa.
The hottest of the hot from coast to coast
In 2008, look for the opening of a new spa at Glenwood Hot Springs, an alpine retreat in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The original Quapaw Baths & Spa Bathhouse Row inside Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is also scheduled to re-open its doors. The vintage 24,000-square-foot landmark, built in 1922, will once again welcome guests in May 2008, thanks to a 55-year lease between the National Park Service and Quapaw investors."This will be the only local spa facility with communal bathing," says Don Harper, Quapaw’s general manager. Expect a handsome thermal pool with fountains and whirlpools, and a full-service day spa for those who prefer the private, personal touch.
