The Stein Eriksen Lodge reopened its four-star spa Dec. 5 after a massive renovation that converted the 500-square-feet area to a 20,000-square-foot facility that the lodge hopes will rival any in the city including the Golden Door at Dakota Mountain Lodge or those at St. Regis and to be at The Montage.

Spa director Jill VanAusdal said the new spa will have 16 treatment rooms (compared to nine previously), an expanded pool deck (by 2,000 square feet) with an outdoor fireplace and a food cabana.

“We have been turning people away because we’re too busy in the winter,” she said. “Our owners saw a need to remain competitive and meet guests’ needs.”

Some businesses are holding off on needed expansions because of the recession, but VanAusdal said the timing couldn’t be better.

“I’ve been here three years, and we’ve needed this then,” she said. “We saved by doing it now versus in two years.”

Originally, hotels began adding spas because reviewers wanted them. Today, VanAusdal said, spas have become integral parts of a hotel’s mission. At Stein Eriksen Lodge, the spa is designed to help sore and weary skiers have a good night sleep and feel ready to hit the slopes again in the morning.

They still get guests who want a nail treatment or a massage as an alternative to skiing, but each winter, the après ski timeframe is consistently their busiest, she said.

And it’s not just women. Because Stein Eriksen Lodge is popular with families, several men and younger people visit the spa daily as well.

It isn’t uncommon for treatments at the spa to be a daily part of a guest’s experience at the hotel, she said.

That fact drove the creation of the new menu. And a lot of thought went into it, VanAusdal said. It’s one thing to have a massive building; it’s another to meet the needs of guests with that additional space. Spas are no longer just for relaxation, she explained, they’re health centers and winter-sports enthusiasts are health-conscious people.

For example, people coming off the slopes in the late afternoon are cold, so they want heat treatments to warm them up. That’s one of the worst things they can do for the joint pains because the heat worsens inflammation. The spa, therefore, offers several cold treatments to help with joints and muscles to keep the guest flexible, not just comfortable.

“First (treatment) should be more restorative and reparative,” she said.

Being in upper Deer Valley, it’s also essential that the hotel offers treatment for altitude sickness as well as the extreme dryness some people experience.

“We’ll cater to where guests will be returning to as well,” she said.

A major trend in the spa industry over the past few years is offering more “indigenous” treatments. Someone can get a massage or facial anywhere, so destination spas have been creating menus that reflect the location.

At Stein Eriksen Lodge, VanAusdal said they offer a salt therapy to commemorate the Great Salt Lake. Heated salt stones are used similarly to other heated stones, but the point of the treatment is to give the guests some of what the unique location offers.

A salt scrub is used that contains cedar and pine to connect their visit to those smells. Many guests purchase the scrub to take home and it serves as a pleasant reminder of their stay, she explained.

Another thing the hotel had to keep in mind when expanding the space was to not lose the spa’s “warm and cozy” feel that made it popular in the past, she said. The layout had to be done in such a way as to not create a labyrinth but also not betray the enormous size.

The spa operates year-round, but the deck expansion isn’t just for the warmer months, VanAusdal said.

The pool is heated to 95 degrees and is well used day and night all year, she explained. Its popularity inspired the extra space as well as the addition of food options and the fireplace.

Another aspect of a spa visit that is typically tailored to match the location is the relaxation rooms. The Stein Eriksen Lodge is tapping into its European roots for that, she said. The men and women’s areas have large Norwegian day beds to allow guests to relax, read a magazine or watch television on the men’s side. The interior design is Norwegian-themed as well. And in addition to couple’s treatment rooms, the spa also has a couple’s relaxation room.

New to the spa is a hair and make-up salon inspired by all the weddings the lodge hosts each year.

“We were getting two to three calls a day for hair,” she said.

But it was more than brides. After a day of skiing, women wanted to look their best before heading out for an evening in town.

The fitness center was also expanded in the renovation and will now host sessions of personal training, yoga and Pilates.

VanAusdal said she’s excited for the future. In her nine years in spas from Las Vegas to Hawaii, she said the staff at Stein Eriksen Lodge is the best she’s worked with. The spa has been the only four-star rated one in Utah and that distinction is achieved through the service provided, she said.

creating its own spa instead of contracting it out, the lodge is able to control that level of service and guarantee it’s up to the standards that won the hotel five stars and five diamonds, she said.

Locals are welcome to visit the spa but guests do get priority during peak times. Walk-ins are even accepted during non-peak hours, she added.