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The Four Seasons Westlake Village combines high class with high-tech
It was one too many Pinot Noirs that got me here. And that plate of fettuccine I had earlier this week. And let’s not forget that molten-lava chocolate cake from two nights ago. Long story short, it was overindulgence that led to my current condition — namely, extreme cardio exertion. It’s 7 a.m., and I’m huffing and puffing on an extra-smart elliptical machine as a sea of spandex-clad bodies moves around me in tune to some beat only it can hear. I, on the other hand, am following exercise physiologist Michael Brazeal, who is pushing me to my maximum endurance, based on the amount of oxygen I’m taking in. (The machine I’m on feeds him the data.) The point is to see at what heart rate my body utilizes oxygen most effectively, consequently burning the most fat. The end goal: creation of an “intelligent” cardio plan.
I’ve already had my resting metabolic rate measured (a test that involved simply lying down and breathing into a plastic tube for 20 minutes — much more my pace before 9 a.m.). Yesterday, I sat nearly naked in a futuristic-looking, egg-shaped construct called the BodPod and had my fat and muscle masses measured. I also discussed eating habits with a nutritionist; lifestyle management issues with a psychologist and disease risk factors with a physician; learned healthy cooking habits during a hands-on class in a state-of-the-art kitchen; and was adjusted by an energy specialist.
Did I mention I had all this done at a Four Seasons resort?
Thanks to Dole president David Murdock, a magnanimous and health-obsessed billionaire whose company is headquartered in Westlake, the Westlake Village Four Seasons now houses one of the most progressive and comprehensive wellness centers anywhere, the California Health and Longevity Institute, opened in 2007. A number of world-class experts practice out of the marble-clad, artwork-filled property, including internists, radiologists, a dermatologist, an acupuncturist, psychologists, energy healers, nutritionists, exercise physiologists and even a dentist. The best in medical technology a full-body CAT scan, an MRI and a mammography machine, to name a few — is available on site. In essence, it’s a mini-hospital that operates on the ground floor of a luxury hotel known for its 400-thread-count sheets and four-star dining.
Westlake Village, nestled 20 minutes north of Los Angeles, is among an increasingly prevalent breed of hotels catering to travelers who want a tune up — be it physical or mental — along with their bottles of Dom, elaborate multicourse meals and lavish spa services. At one end of the spectrum is your neighborhood chain hotel that brings in a yoga instructor a few times a week to help guests with their asanas. On the other end are places like this, where you can get any number of health services just short of going under the knife.
And this is not the typical health retreat, where guests check in for a specific amount of time and immerse themselves in a structured (and usually restrictive) program of dieting, working out and spa services. Visitors to properties like the Four Seasons Westlake Village are free to live a realistic life, and they are encouraged to do so. Guests can check in for any length of time and choose to access the California Health and Longevity Institute as much as they like, from one-hour consultations (one of the most thorough doctor visits you’ll ever have) to multi-day, full health workups that include blood draws to test for markers for a number of diseases. You can be evaluated for diabetes and cardiac disease before heading off for your massage, then end your day enjoying a healthy, five-course meal you helped prepare in the resort’s demo kitchen, using fruits, veggies, and herbs grown in the garden right out back. While this might not be the proverbial fountain of youth, it’s just about the closest thing you’ll find to it in California.
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