Escape from the routine with these unique retreats
Escaping daily routines is essential for many people, particularly during the sweltering summer months. Across urban and rural towns in Kansas, numerous locales offer rich retreat sites. Check out these destinations that focus on fostering community well-being and offer affordable self-care practices to uplift the mind, body and spirit.
Historic Elgin Hotel with Jeremy & Tammy Ensey
Featured as a boutique hotel on the National Register of Historic Places, the Elgin creates a space to rest, relax and reconnect in an atmosphere that blends the nostalgia of earlier eras with the luxuries of today.
“The Elgin has a full-service restaurant and bar, five living rooms, an outdoor veranda, a fitness center and a game lounge complementing 12 unique suites to create an exceptional getaway,” says owner Tammy Ensey. Tammy’s husband and co-owner, Jeremy, echoes this sentiment.
Located in the Flint Hills, just 50 miles northeast of Wichita, the hotel exudes the elegance of the 1800s while offering overnight stays, a full-service restaurant, small library, 12 uniquely decorated suites, and both indoor and outdoor venues.
“We blend the highest-quality amenities to be Kansas’ most sought-after vacation destination,” Tammy says. “Local interests in nature, history and antiquing allow guests to unplug from city life, reconnect with one another, and enjoy a slower pace of living.”
Both having grown up in Kansas, the Enseys relocated to Marion in 2013 for Jeremy’s role as chief nursing officer and later as the chief executive officer at St. Luke’s Hospital.
Tammy’s professional background is in human resources and information technology. She started a business called Vacation Getaway while she and Jeremy raised three children: Peyton, Paige and Abree.
Level up to luxury
The Elgin went up for sale in 2015. The Enseys sought to leverage Tammy’s business and travel experience. Their mission was to create a remarkable and memorable experience by sharing a unique destination and serving guests in a way that exceeds their expectations.
“We checked it out and when we walked through the doors, our mouths fell open,” Tammy says. “We immediately decided we had to reopen it as a hotel, which is what it was originally designed to be in 1886. It took a while for me to convince my husband and get all the numbers right.”
The hotel was constructed with local limestone in an “L” shape with a shorter east-west side and a longer north-south side.
“It was magnificent for the time period. With two railroad lines crossing the community, [the people of] Marion knew that a magnificent hotel would encourage people to stay,” Tammy says.
The Elgin operated as a hotel until the 1960s. It sat empty for many years and was almost torn down. It was renovated into apartments and then nominated and accepted to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, it was picked up again for renovations before the Enseys’ purchase.
Parlor 1886, the hotel’s full-service restaurant and bar, is slated to reopen in June. Chefs Luis and Alicia Pena will lead the operation.
The Penas intend to create a delightful culinary experience for guests. The fine-dining restaurant will serve breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday to Monday.
The Enseys gave the Elgin a fresh look, with the 12 themed suites, a blend of new and antique furniture, and modern comforts to blend today’s amenities with the nostalgia of the past.
“One of the most special places is the staircase with the monumental chandelier, as well as the original veranda in the front,” Tammy says. “A game lounge is housed in a separate building that allows for a space for late-night parties. The courtyard and ballroom host everything from weddings to business meetings.”
Jennifer McDonald is the current hotel manager, and she is known for her excellent guest service.
“All of our guests love and know Jennifer,” Tammy says. “The hospitality and service are second to none. We work to make everyone a part of our Elgin family.”
Mud & Lotus with Shahida Spann-Ryan
Mud & Lotus offers a calming sanctuary hidden in downtown Lawrence. Fueled by her love for herbal medicine, adventure and hot springs, Shahida Spann-Ryan’s experience with traditional Chinese medicine enriches her mission to introduce holistic health care.
Founded by Spann-Ryan, the center merges holistic health care with the rejuvenating experiences of a soaking tub and sauna garden and a range of spa treatments that draw inspiration from her extensive background in Traditional Chinese Medicine and a deep appreciation for holistic healing practices.
Spann-Ryan grew up in Manhattan and then lived in Lawrence for a few years.
“I went to California for grad school and lived there for 12 years,” she says. “I fell in love with hot springs. It was so healing to connect with nature and soak in the mineral water.”
Spann-Ryan studied with renowned Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh at a retreat in southern California.
“One favorite teaching: ‘Without the mud, there is no lotus.’ He’s speaking to the suffering and struggle in life that is the metaphorical compost …, the basis of our ability to evolve to become the people we’re meant to be, and find the treasures of life,” she says.
She missed the sauna and hot tub experiences when she moved back to Lawrence, so she decided to open her own version of a Midwestern hot springs experience one block east of Massachusetts St., near the corner of 9th and New Hampshire.
Tranquil and urban sanctuary
“I built out a zen garden with a cedar hot tub and bromine and minerals to keep the water clean,” Spann-Ryan says. “The garden also has a barrel cedar near-infrared sauna—so guests rent out the whole garden for a short time for a getaway or parties. It’s so relaxing and detoxifying.”
Making self-care social with friends, Mud & Lotus is popular as a fun date night or girls getaway. The unique blend of luxury self-care and community wellness offers affordable, holistic health practices with indulgent experiences.
“We have people driving in from all over to join us—it’s a fun destination. It’s also so good for your body,” she says. “Heat therapy has been shown to lower cortisol, improve circulation, release muscle tension and soothe pain. There are so many health benefits as well as relaxation and connection.”
Spann-Ryan also opened Lawrence Acupuncture in 2014.
“I was seeing so much demand for more services,” Spann-Ryan says. “People are interested in taking better care of themselves. People come in with stress and pain, and we try to transform it all. There’s mindfulness put into the business with a lot of intention and love.”
This spring, she launched the Cloud Room. There are multiple modalities stacked into three stations designed to be done as a circuit to balance the whole body.
The first is a heated jade acupressure back massage table, which guests can use with leg compression boots to control for light or deep tissue massage.
The second station is a salt chamber, which puts micro-particles of salt into the air along with aromatherapy and breath exercises to teach people how to breathe deeply. Salt therapy has been shown to benefit the immune and respiratory systems, and deep breathing activates the vagus nerve (the main nerves that make up the parasympathetic nervous system) for stress and trauma healing.
The final area features an antigravity lounge chair lined with heated infrared crystals and a sound system that plays healing music with binaural beats to induce the brain into meditative brain wave states. It can be a nap room for tired moms, burned-out executives, or professionals trying to destress and recharge.
“People really love the package combination deals like Cloud Nine, which is our ultimate spa experience—an hour-long in the Cloud Room, an hour massage, and an hour Soak-n-Sauna,” Spann-Ryan says. “It gives an immersive spa experience and benefits your health with evidence-backed and proven modalities to promote healing in the body.”
