Snapshot: Liquid Assets

On tap at the spa associated with America’s bathtub dynasty: water. And lots of it.

Hear the words “Central Wisconsin,” and wellness and cutting-edge hydrotherapy technology don’t immediately spring to mind. However, you’d be discounting the fact that Kohler, Wisconsin, is home to The Kohler Company. Founded in 1873 by an Austrian immigrant, Kohler has long been a top U.S. manufacturer of bath fixtures such as tubs, toilets and sinks. It even holds the distinction of developing, in 1888, the first-ever water fountain (then called a “bubbler”).

Just a stone’s throw from Kohler’s headquarters and factories looms evidence of the company’s robust hospitality division. There’s its five-diamond golf resort, the American Club, a facility once used to house and prepare immigrant factory workers for their naturalization tests. And there’s the place where plumbing technology goes to play: the five-star Kohler Waters Spa, launched in 2000. The standalone spa’s quaint and distinctly Midwestern brown-brick facade appears attractive yet humble, considering its 25,000-square-foot, three-floor interior actually boasts a palatial oasis of hot tubs, plunge pools, whirlpools, rain showers, waterfalls and wet treatment suites. You guessed it: the emphasis at Kohler Waters Spa is hydrotherapy.

Continue reading this story in our November digital edition.