Every spa has a personality all its own. At Serendipity Wellness Spa, the order of the day is European charm with a Germanic flair and some of the most creative service options to be found anywhere.

A day spa, Serendipity caters to tourists visiting Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Little Bavaria. Across from some of the state’s oldest and most famous chicken restaurants, it can be found in the maze of establishments known as River Place Shops. The milieu might conjure thoughts of Hogsmeade for younger guests while older ones might get “The Lonely Goatherd” or “Edelweiss” from “The Sound of Music” stuck in their head.

Spa Profile: Serendipity Wellness Spa

Serendipity Wellness Spa caters to the sort of experience that visitors are looking for while offering top-of-the-line spa services from massages to body treatments and nail services to waxing and what they are most famous for: their pedicures.

Here’s what you’ll love about Serendipity Wellness Spa: 

• Throughout the year they redecorate to emphasize the charm and singularity of each season and holiday. There is an immediate atmosphere of fun and creativity.

• They have an incredible pedicure menu with more than 15 different options. Plus, each month they offer creative seasonal specialties. For example, in March they had the Elegant Emerald Pedicure Special that included a lemongrass aromatherapy soak, a green tea scrub, and a lemongrass extended massage accompanied by an Irish Eyes Martini (Midori, coconut rum, lime juice and pineapple juice).

• Speaking of drinks, Serendipity offers a range of cocktails, German beers, teas, and specialty drinks—often matched with specific services.

My husband and I arrived at the spa in November, pairing it with one of our periodic visits to Frankenmuth. Being Michiganers, we know about the famous chicken dinners and try to make it out three to four times a year during non-pandemic times. While we’d been to Frankenmuth many times, Serendipity Wellness Spa was new to us.

There are parking lots on either side of River Place Shops, but no vehicles are allowed inside the village. Quaint wooden signs direct visitors to all the different businesses and the spa is on the side closest to the Bavarian Inn and its well-known glockenspiel.

It was a brisk day, but it was warm and cozy inside. The staff had decked the walls with holiday cheer and there was a happy bubble of laughter and conversation. My husband and I parted ways—he went into the large open-air pedicure area and I retreated to the relaxation lounge.

My goal for this visit was stress relief. I’d just recently finished an intense series that was being published to a lot of attention and I needed an escape from my phone and computer.

A fireplace acted as the central design fixture for the relaxation room, one that enveloped you in warmth and comfort. I sank into the couch and began to feel all the stressors of the week melt away. It was here that I filled out the paperwork and reviewed the spa’s policies.

It wasn’t long before Katherine arrived and escorted me back to the treatment room. She discussed with me what the treatment was going to entail and what I needed to do to prepare for it. Wanting to experience one of the spa’s signature offerings, something that was unique to them, I had elected to receive the Moroccan Body Ritual.

A 100-minute treatment, it began with a full-body dry brush exfoliation and then a hydrating treatment applied during a 75-minute hot stone massage. It was then followed with a hand and foot massage.

Katherine first let me sample several different aroma blends to select which one I would like as part of the aromatherapy portion of the ritual. I chose “Serenity” in part because that was what I was seeking and also because the smell of roses was simply heavenly.

The room was dimly lit and a beautiful Oriental rug softened and warmed the floor. Decorated in cocoa hues, it was easy to melt into the bed after undressing and setting aside my clothes.

A quiet knock indicated that Katherine had returned and she checked to make sure I was comfortable and to make a few adjustments. She invited me to breathe in deeply, wafting the serenity aroma blend below my face, transporting me to a place of calm. Then began an exfoliation that was absolutely divine. She used a thin brush with long bristles to exfoliate my entire back, legs and arms. I flipped over and she continued the brushing on my front side.

After my body was thoroughly covered in the exfoliating salt, the therapist used hot towels to remove it, always taking time to press the towels firmly into my body, letting me enjoy the heat and making it part of the ritual and not just a means to the end of removing the exfoliation.

I turned back over and Katherine began the hot stone massage. As each stone cooled, she would grab a new one, always first testing it lightly against my skin and asking if the temperature was comfortable. Having prepared my skin with the exfoliation, she massaged Moroccanoil’s Intense Hydrating Treatment into my body, making frequent use of hot towels.

By this time, I was pretty sure I melted into the treatment bed, but the service wasn’t yet over. Next was a scalp and foot massage, each one delivered with ritualistic consistency. Katherine truly had a magic touch, able to feel exactly how much pressure was needed to coax the tension out of my body.

She also had the perfect balance of knowing when to talk and when to let me float away. She brought an authentic joy to her work, one that made me feel like not only was I welcome, but that we were having a mutual exchange. She was warm and friendly, and made me eager to return.

Once my service was over and I had redressed, I reunited with my husband who had experienced a transformation of his own. As someone who is on his feet all day and frequently sore, the German Gentleman’s Pedicure was the perfect prescription for what had ailed him. He tried to put into words the extent of the relief he felt, but the tipsiness from the two Hoffbrau Original bottles of beer he’d had interfered.

He did, though, have high praise for Reese and the work that she did on his feet. He said the pedicure included a paraffin dip (an add-on treatment), exfoliation, and a chemical peel to soften his callouses so she could file them away. She clipped his nails and then, because he wasn’t getting them painted, did an oil treatment with a cuticle oil.

When we left, my husband had but one complaint: “This place has been here for over a decade—I could have been having massages and pedicures with my chicken dinners all this time! How did we not know about it?”

We have already booked our next trip back.

Cost: Moroccan Body Ritual, Mon-Thu ($140) Fri-Sun ($150) Gentleman’s German Pedicure, Mon-Thu ($58) Fri-Sun ($63)

Insider Tip: They are a busy spa—if you are able to visit on a week day, there are lower prices for services delivered on Monday through Thursday. Also, once you have finished your spa service, be sure to get one of the family-style all-you-can-eat dinners at the historic restaurants across the way.

Hours: Monday through Thursday,  9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. From September to March, they open an hour earlier on Fridays and Saturdays.

Address: 925 S. Main Street, A-2, Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Phone: 989-652-6117

For more information and to book a service, visit the website. Follow on Instagram: @serendipity.spa

[Images by Bridgette Redman]

Bridgette Redman, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at www.bridgetteredman.com