140 W. Seneca Street
Manlius, NY 13104
315.682.2900
http://www.thefitnessspaateastside.com/
What do you get when you combine the area’s premier tennis club, an upscale adults only fitness center and a spa? The newly opened Fitness Spa at Eastside Racquet Club.
While tennis remains the main focus at Eastside, the club has been branching out into other offerings to become a more well-rounded facility that appeals to the entire family. Mom can take a fitness class while the kids take a tennis lesson. Dad can get a deep tissue massage to get some relief from that power tennis game he recently played. There is even a nursery for small children. The emphasis here is on family and wellness.
The Fitness Spa is 2,500 square feet of cardio equipment, strength training equipment and free weights. Each cardio machine features an attached LCD television screen and Ipod connectivity. The atrium is a newly renovated 600 square foot multi-use fitness room for Spinning, Yoga, Pilates, and dance. Surrounded by glass on two sides, natural light spills in and there is a beautiful view of the outdoor tennis courts in a park-like setting.
A newly constructed massage area has been added with two fully outfitted spa rooms that pamper guests and members with a variety of body wraps, scrubs, and relaxing massages. There is a small waiting area devoted just to those guests waiting for spa services. The treatment menu offers a variety of massages – Swedish, Deep tissue, Thai, Sports, Couples, Hot Stone and tandem. A 60 minute Swedish massage is $70.
I visited Eastside Racquet Club and the Fitness Spa at Eastside Racquet Club on a recent quiet Wednesday for a tour and an action packed adventure that gave me a glimpse into what a member (or guest) might experience. Patty, the Tennis & Events Coordinator, was responsible for putting together my fun-filled visit.
My tour of the Club revealed 6 indoor courts, 8 outdoor Har-Tru clay courts, large locker rooms with showers and a sauna, a child care room and plenty of comfortable leather couches with perfect views of the indoor courts throughout. Of course, there is also the new fitness spa.
The first stop on my journey was a private introductory tennis lesson with Thinus. When I say introductory, I mean introductory. I’ve never played tennis before…never even held a racquet. Thinus was patient, supportive and very encouraging. I had been anxious about the lesson but ended up enjoying it more than I expected. Tennis offerings at The Club include an outstanding tennis academy for children of all ages, children’s summer camps, clinics for adults, tournaments and children’s birthday parties.
Although Eastside doesn’t serve food, they do work with local restaurants to provide food for parties and special events. A perfect example of this is the healthy and delicious lunch that the staff treated me to from Cafe 119 in Manlius. I had the most amazing salad, the Crimson Salad with romaine lettuce, strawberries, cantaloupe, raisins, apples, grilled chicken and pistachios. It came with homemade creamy poppy seed dressing and sweet bread sticks dusted with confectioners sugar. It was heavenly and I’ve been thinking about recreating it at home ever since. Patty can coordinate just about any type of event for you – weddings, corporate events, private parties, bridal showers just to name a few.
Next up was a session with Christine, Eastside’s personal trainer and one of the massage therapists. Like Thinus, Christine was patient and encouraging and a lot of fun to work out with. I could get used to this!
Christine gave me a sample of what a typical personal training session would be like – an intake questionnaire where I was asked questions about my health and fitness goals, an orientation to the strength training equipment, and some work using an exercise ball, bands, medicine balls and other equipment. Christine taught me proper form when executing basic exercises like lunges and crunches. It wasn’t my first visit with a personal trainer, but it had been a long time and the it was great to learn some new exercises and get some reminders on proper execution of some old ones.
The last stop on my tour of Eastside was a relaxing massage with Pat in the newly opened massage rooms. Pat combined hot stones (my favorite) with Swedish massage techniqes. My massage was customized to address some sore spots on my upper back and shoulders – the result of too much time spent at the computer. Christine and Pat, the two massage therapists at Eastside each have massages types that they specialize in. When you call for an appointment, you’ll be directed to the therapist that specializes in your massage preference.
I enjoyed my day at Eastside tremendously. The combination of tennis, lunch, fitness and massage was so much fun. I suggested to Patty that the club should offer a package similar to the day she constructed for me. What a great way for friends to spend time together to celebrate a birthday or other special occasion! I was thrilled to hear that plans are already in the works for this.
I’d like to thank Patty, Pat, Thinus, Christine and all the staff at Eastside Racquet Club for their hospitality during my visit. I really had a great time!
- Spa Waiting Area – Eastside Fitness SpaMassage room – The Fitness Spa at Eastside Racquet Club
Disclaimer: This review was made possible by complimentary services and treatment from Eastside Racquet Club. The management and staff did not influence nor edit this review. I want to thank Eastside Racquet Club for inviting me to experience their facility and for seeing the long term benefits of a neutral review for their business and for their clients.
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