Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore Is Providing A Sanctuary of Calm with New Summer Amenities

Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore’s glass tower offers serene waterfront views

Clouds of steam swirl into the room, and sweat shimmies down my forehead. This is good. No, this is exceptionally good. A mantra repeats in my head: If our wellness is shaped by our immunity, our immunity must be shaped by wellness. After 10 minutes, I slip out of the aromatherapy steam room and duck into an Experience Shower, whose gentle jets—multiple sources coming from pinpricks of starlight in the ceiling—wash away my week.

Wellness, as we’ve learned over the past few months, can be fleeting. Everyone from nutritionists to fitness pros tout countless fixes for building a solid foundation of health and boosting immunity. Among those fixes are relaxation and escape, and the 10,000-square-foot spa at the harborfront Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore has figured out the calculus of both.

The hotel’s grand lobby greets guests with modern design and five-star luxury

Before I enter the steam room, I experience a new 50-minute spa treatment dubbed The Raven. It’s billed as a sports massage perfect for anyone who dabbles in weekendwarrior pursuits or merely wants to recharge. The room brims with tools of the trade: hypervolt and RAD precision spheres (don’t worry, they’re innocuous), which my therapist first employs on my calves, quads and lower back. Low-voltage vibration—in the form of a 2-foot wand—relaxes my muscles, and the small sphere softly rolls over the tense geography of my back and legs. The idea, my therapist mentions, is to enhance my movement and help recover faster from workouts. She’s right. The next day, my morning run is less of a slog and more of a buoyant trail sprint.

Soak up some rays—with a Champagne flute in hand, of course—at the seasonal rooftop infinity pool

For those who simply want to embark on the rejuvenative part of wellness, the spa’s menu reads like a getaway camp for disciples of beauty. Favorites include the 110-minute Lomi Juma Ritual massage (improving microcirculation and unblocking joints); the 80-minute Diamond Rose Ritual facial (innovative diamond-dust exfoliating ritual); and the 80-minute Citrus Drench (sensory experience combining micronized lava, bitter orange and tangerine, plus full-body exfoliation, mask and hydration). Another lure this summer is the property’s new signature 175-seat restaurant, Maximón, a culinary homage to South America and Mexico. Colin King, who worked at José Andrés’ Oyamel Cocina Mexicana in DC and most recently for New York City-based Empellón, leads the kitchen. Much like Andrés, King dives deeply into regional dishes south of the border, including hamachi (ají amarillo leche de tigre, honey nut squash, apple, black mint) and pozo rojo (crab chicharrón). But King is also wise enough to take advantage of sourcing from the Chesapeake watershed. Immediate hits include rockfish ceviche, fried Chesapeake blue catfish and whole roasted black bass with ají amarillo, black mint, yucca and green beans. Guests also can indulge in a private tequila tasting room, where they can make their own bottles of the spirit. The showstopper for the warm months ahead will be the outdoor patio, designed by local visionary Patrick Sutton, who was inspired by his travels throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and Oaxaca. Classic Spanish colonial-style tile lines the expansive area. Cedar shingles— mirroring beach palapas—cover the bar, and bamboo trellises shade banquettes. With pops of fuchsia and magenta, coupled with lush plantings and fruit trees, Sutton has created a destination inside a destination. On this side of the harbor, all is wellness. Balcony room from $485 per night, executive suite with harbor view, $945 per night, 200 International Drive, Baltimore, 410.576.5800, fourseasons.com/baltimore