By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
There is only one place in America where you are able to redesign your bathroom or kitchen with expert help that is also a top-line spa with specialized treatments as well as an exclusive restaurant—all within the walls of a five star and five diamond resort. Add to this combination more than a dozen awards for its excellence as a resort, many awards for its varied dining experiences, one of the world's best spas plus two of the best golf courses in the United States and you truly have a destination that's unique. The place? The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. Kohler is only a 2 ˝ hour drive north of Chicago on well kept expressways.
Kohler began as a company town in which top grade plumbing fixtures were manufactured by immigrant laborers working under the concept of a benign proprietorship. It's a company town in much the same way as Pullman (on Chicago's South Side) was structured. Everything that the owner felt was necessary for the comfort and convenience of his workers was provided.
The American Club building was originally constructed as a dormitory in 1918. Workers lived in the building, ate in the company cafeteria, took Americanization and English classes—and were able to go from their rooms to the factory through a tunnel so that they wouldn't have to dress in coats and boots against the Wisconsin winters.
Many things have changed in Kohler since those early 20th Century German immigrants bowled in a basement bowling alley. And many have remained the same. The plumbing fixtures are accepted as the model of quality around the world. The company's innovative designs are envied and emulated by other manufacturers. And Kohler employees today are just as proud of their company as were those long-ago new arrivals in Wisconsin.
The company has set up a design center in which interior design consultants structure a bath or kitchen for a new house or a remodeled home or apartment with care and attention to detail. A Kohler subsidiary, Ann Sacks, has a shop in one of the nearby shopping malls. There, designers will help with other needed equipment for the new bath or kitchen: new tile, flooring and lighting. The American Club offers weekend packages which includes sessions with the design team.
We began our experience at the American Club at noon with lunch at a rustic, log lodge. Located on the Sheboygan River, on a 500 acre wildlife preserve, it's called River Wildlife. Though it's a private club, it is open to guests of the resort with the purchase of a daily pass. We walked down the gravel path to the front door, identified ourselves, and were immediately offered a cup of hot apple cider to take the chill off. The entrees for lunch were a reflection of the North Woods ambience of the place with such specialties as Tuscan duck with a wild bean soup or pumpkin seed breaded walleye. Refills of the cider were always available. The River Wildlife Restaurant is only one of 10 in the American Club experience.
Dinner at the American Club is a special event in the four diamond rated Immigrant Room. The warmly paneled room offers service that you might expect in a world class city but not necessarily in rural Wisconsin. The menu is a gourmet delight with such items as a lobster cannelloni with foie gras and a black truffle essence, or a chestnut and honey crisp apple soup or pan seared calamari steak. Entrees include olive crusted Block Island swordfish and wild boar tenderloin with braised boar cheeks. Also available is Executive Chef Ulrich Koberstein's prix fixe dinner at $80, or $130 with five carefully selected wines. Looking at the menu makes your mouth water.
Less formal dining is available in the converted bowling alley which is now known as The Horse and Plow. There, typical pub fare is offered for lunch and dinner. It's here that evening dancing and more than 80 varieties of beer are available. Breakfast buffets are available in what had been the workers' cafeteria. It's now known as the Wisconsin Room and is situated immediately above the Immigrant dining room. In addition to the ample buffet, an ala carte menu is also available for other breakfast specialties. The Wisconsin Room features a Friday night seafood buffet and a "Grand Brunch" on Sundays. Cucina is located in the Woodlake Shopping Center offering Italian specialties. At each of the American Club Golf Courses, there is a clubhouse restaurant.
The Kohler "Waters" Spa is another treat you'll find at the American Club. Located a short walk from the Reception Desk, it's accessible through an underground passageway not unlike the tunnel that old time workers used to get to their jobs. The Spa, however is anything but old-fashioned. A menu of more than 50 treatments offers different massage therapies, facials, scrubs and hydro-therapy services. Many have been specially created by "Waters" experts. Those specialties include Therapeutic Soaks, Aromatherapy, a Hydrating Soak and a luxurious Gold Soak. And that's only for the women! For men there are a range of facials and massages that deal with the aches and pains of golfing, athletic exercises, and the wear and tear of business. A 24 page brochure describes these treatments in more detail and is available through the American Club Web site.
The American Club offers special spa packages which include treatments and your spacious room. In each American Club room you'll find a two-person whirlpool tub along with examples of the latest in Kohler plumbing fixtures. We especially enjoyed the separate shower which featured three shower heads set at different heights that allowed combinations of water jets to gently massage and rinse you. Personally, I could have spent the weekend in the shower!
The American Club offers a variety of packaged weekend and week long stays. There are culinary programs with wine events, golfing academies, garden tours, outdoor adventures and a range of holiday packages. One of their romantic weekend packages might be perfect for the upcoming Valentine's Day treat.
There are always some special activities or dining experiences planned to make anyone's visit even more exciting. For example, there's an annual event titled "In Celebration of Chocolate" that's a real treat for any "chocoholic." We attended the event and while we're still recovering from the sugar high, we enjoyed watching as 20 toque blanc covered pastry chefs carefully arranged some 70 different varieties of chocolate truffles, cakes, crepes, ices, sorbets, fruit filled candies and other delicacies under the watchful eye of executive pastry chef Richard Palm. We had been allowed to inspect the room before guests were allowed entry. The artistry of the candy arrangement was obvious and the excitement among the personnel responsible for setting up the room was as palpable as you might expect backstage before an important Broadway opening night. Other festive weekend activities are on the schedule throughout the year.
Besides eating, drinking, bathing, being pampered, and redesigning your bathroom, what else is there to do at The American Club? The golf courses, one very highly rated by the PGA, are available to guests though reservations are needed for treasured tee times. The Kohler Design Center is located in the same structure as the Waters spa. There, you'll be able to see model room designs for kitchens and baths that would make anyone considering a remodeling job or a new home drool with envy. Tastes vary in this sort of experience but there is enough variety to capture anyone's attention.
In the evenings, you can take a horse drawn carriage ride through the town of Kohler and see the trim houses still occupied by company employees. There is an 85,000 square foot Sports Core that is one of the most extensive sports and fitness centers in the country. Indoor tennis courts, two indoor pools and all manner of weight and exercise equipment are available to overnight guests of The American Club. And there are a number of places which feature absolutely nothing but tranquillity and silence. What a way to refresh and face the world again.
The American Club is a one-of-a-kind facility tucked into America's heartland. Luxury is the keynote of the experience coupled with friendly service, outstanding attention to detail and exquisitely maintained facilities. While Walter J. Kohler, Sr., who conceived the American Club, probably wouldn't recognize the luxurious surroundings that his one-time dormitory has become, he certainly would appreciate the treatment he would get from the present day staff.
Resources:
www.destinationkohler.com
The American Club:
(800) 344-2838
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