“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence…”
So begins the first line in Desiderata, a famous poem. Guests at southwestern Michigan’s New Buffalo Inn & Spa can easily call to mind these soothing words during their sojourns. In fact, Desiderata, in Latin, means “desired things,” and the poem aptly refers to attaining happiness in life. Undeniably, former guests know that one way to find bliss as well as respite is to vacation at the inn.
“Our mission is to create a peaceful, relaxing, private environment that will be spiritually rejuvenating for all of our guests,” explains Lisa Werner, who has owned and operated the inn with her husband, Gary Ramberg, for the last ten years.
Located in the heart of downtown, six blocks from Snug Harbor and Lake Michigan beach, the inn, praised for its luxury guestrooms and suites, is a refuge. “We offer onsite couple’s massage. Each unit is private, they each have their own individual entrance,” says Lisa, describing some of the inn’s amenities.
Stand outside the deck on the first floor of the Galien River Suite, one of the six main inn accommodations, and watch a summer sunset as it paints vibrant views that match the tranquil ambiance of the landscaped back garden below. While staying in the suite that the innkeepers named in honor of the river that forms New Buffalo’s harbor, ward off Old Man Winter in front of the living room’s fireplace and jumpstart the sparks of romance. In the bedroom, the pillow top, queen-size bed will lull the most over-wired minds and will continue inflaming the passion. For physical aches (as well as prolonged romantic intervals), the two person, side-by-side jetted whirlpool tub is the answer. In this suite, visitors will find one of the “famous” showers—oversized with Grohe body sprays—that guests rave about. Note: the Jacuzzi rooms come complete with slippers and robes!
Located in the heart of downtown, six blocks from Snug Harbor and Lake Michigan beach, the inn, praised for its luxury guestrooms and suites, is a refuge.
|
“We do have some cottages that are family-friendly,” says Lisa, as she describes the five cottages that constitute about a seven-block walk from Lake Michigan. Couples, families and small groups who prefer playing board games and roasting marshmallows over a backyard fire pit should consider their own cottage hideaway. The cottages, some of which are also pet-friendly, have distinct themes. Deep red colors and rosebud motifs weave through the Redbud Cottage, which can accommodate up to six persons, plus the family pet. “A home away from home,” guests have a basement area with a washer and dryer and extra storage space for over-size take-alongs like surfboards, snowboards and skis.
Behind the modern façade of the building, guests can appreciate what once amounted to a 1950’s apartment building that had plunged into disarray. “It was built like a fortress,” Lisa illustrates. In the construction business since the early 1980s, she became a licensed contractor in 1992, and her husband, who is a realtor, both recognize quality labor, and kept some of the 1950’s superior artisanship intact. For instance, Snug Harbor, the second floor suite in the inn, boasts (along with a great room overlooking the back garden, vaulted ceiling, skylights, a fireplace and entertainment center) a restored 1950’s Dwyer kitchen.
With its proximity to New Buffalo, a town named in honor of its founder’s homeland, Buffalo, New York, Lisa says, “Guests can walk to the shops and restaurants.” Additionally, the miles of beach property are the pride of the region.
Lisa, who also spent the last 18 years of her nursing career as an intensive care nurse, is someone who knows about wellness. “With the Women’s Wellness Spa, we’ve realized our focus is women and couples,” Lisa says. Patrons can anticipate a full-menu of services that include therapeutic massages, hydrotherapy as well as European facials. Between the deluxe spa packages available, the copious acclamations from the guests (“heaven on earth,” is how one former visitor described the inn), and the large repeat clientele base, the New Buffalo Inn & Spa will make any respite just that!
“We’re one of the few full-service places offering spa therapists in a small inn. I’ve searched myself, and they’re really hard to find,” Lisa adds.
“Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
So ends that famous poem, Desiderata, utterly recounting the Buffalo Inn & Spa experience.
