The Lodge at Woodloch (Hawley, PA)

There are spas you visit once.

There are spas you admire.

And then there are the places that become part of your life.

For me, The Lodge at Woodloch is one of those places.

I first discovered Woodloch while working my way through many of the top-ranked destination spas in North America. After visiting Mii amo, I was deciding where to go next when I came across an offer for a stay at The Lodge at Woodloch.

At the time, it was simply another spa on my growing bucket list.

I had no idea it would become the place I returned to again and again.

A Different Kind of Destination Spa

Many of America’s best-known destination spas are found in dramatic desert landscapes—Sedona, Tucson, Scottsdale.

Woodloch is something entirely different.

Nestled in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, surrounded by forests, gardens, and a peaceful lakeside setting, it offers a quieter kind of beauty. The landscape changes with the seasons, and over the years I have visited in every one of them.

Each season reveals a different version of the property.

Snow-covered trees in winter.

Fresh green growth in spring.

Long summer evenings by the lake.

Brilliant autumn foliage.

No matter when I arrive, there is a familiar feeling of exhaling.

The first evening of my first visit, I remember sitting in TREE Restaurant after dark, looking out into the woods. There was something comforting about the stillness. The scene reminded me of Robert Frost’s famous line:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.”

That feeling has never left.

The Comfort of Returning

One of the reasons I continue returning to Woodloch is that it manages to balance excellence with ease.

The treatments are exceptional and easily stand alongside those at the world’s leading destination spas. Over the years I have experienced many services, from the Delaware River Hot Stone Massage to facials, body treatments, and seasonal offerings. The therapists are skilled, warm, and consistently excellent.

Yet what keeps bringing me back is not any single treatment.

It’s the feeling.

The feeling of walking through a familiar space.

The feeling of knowing where your favorite chair is.

The feeling of settling into a place that asks nothing of you except to relax.

The Whisper Lounge

Every spa traveler has a favorite spot.

Mine is the Whisper Lounge.

Perched on the landscape with views of the trees and lake beyond, it is a place designed for stillness. Guests sit quietly after treatments, reading, reflecting, napping, or simply staring out the windows.

No phones.

No conversations.

No agenda.

Just space.

Over the years, I have spent countless hours there after treatments, watching the seasons change beyond the glass.

For me, it remains one of the most peaceful rooms in any spa I have visited.

The Art of Nourishment

Food has always been one of Woodloch’s strengths.

Over the years, the culinary program has evolved to embrace a wide range of wellness-oriented dining styles while never losing sight of flavor and satisfaction.

The menus are creative without becoming intimidating.

Healthy without becoming restrictive.

Refined without feeling pretentious.

In more than fifteen visits, I can honestly say I have never had a disappointing meal.

Not once.

That level of consistency is rare.

Who Thrives Here

The Lodge at Woodloch is especially appealing to the Radiant Recharger and the Ritualist.

Radiant Rechargers appreciate the restorative atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, and opportunity to truly unplug.

Ritualists often connect with the property’s rhythms—the morning classes, afternoon treatments, evening lectures, and the simple pleasure of returning to favorite spaces and practices.

It is also one of the best destination spas in the country for solo travelers, particularly those looking for quiet reflection rather than constant activity.

What This Spa Teaches Us

One of the most important lessons Woodloch has taught me is that wellbeing doesn’t always require novelty.

We often assume that growth comes from finding something new.

A new destination.

A new practice.

A new experience.

But sometimes growth comes from returning.

Returning to places that restore us.

Returning to habits that support us.

Returning to environments that help us remember who we are.

There is wisdom in having a place that feels like an anchor.

For me, Woodloch has become one of those places.

Why It’s in My Little Pink Book

The Lodge at Woodloch earns its place in my Little Pink Book because it taught me that wellbeing can have a home.

At the end of my very first visit, I wasn’t quite ready to leave. Standing at the front desk during checkout, one of the team members asked how my stay was. When I responded that i didn’t want to leave, she said something simple:

“Well, you can always come back.”

She was right.

I could.

And I did.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Over the years, The Lodge at Woodloch has become more than a destination spa. It has become a place of renewal, reflection, celebration, healing, and rest. A place that has accompanied different chapters of my life and welcomed me back every single time.

There are many wonderful spas in the world.

But there is only one place I think of when someone asks where I go when I need to come home to myself.

For me, that place is The Lodge at Woodloch.