with Mais Oui Massage & Spa Services in Napa, a downtown haven set in a white Victorian.

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Lernhart recently moved her business from a commercial center on Lincoln to the new building on Jefferson Street. It is one of two Mais Oui locations. The other operates in a Pullman railcar in Calistoga, and Lernhart rotates her time between the two spas.

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Lernhart said “Mais Oui” — pronounced “may we” — is French for “but yes,” or “of course.” “I think it sounds pretty,” she said.

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The Napa spa is decorated simply but elegantly, with light green and white walls and wood flooring. A waiting area contains a water feature and a small couch. The décor is designed to create a modern and polished environment, Lernhart said. She said she also strives to keep her spa exclusive and offer services at a reasonable price.

“We’re a very simple, basic, private spa,” she said. “It’s about you and your treatment, the quality of service that you get.”

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Lernhart offers massage, facials, body scrubs, body soaks, body wraps, tea soaks, pedicures and manicures, and other spa services. Mais Oui also has packages that include combinations of a variety of spa treatments.

Prices range from $45 for 25-minute services such as a body mask, a tea soak or an express massage, to $195 for a 150-minute package that includes massage, a tea soak, a facial and other treatments.

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Services are by appointment only for groups, couples or individuals, Lernhart said. Often a client is the only one at the spa during their treatment. She hosts about 70 appointments per month, she said.“People just like to know that we open up for them,” she said.

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Lernhart has 10 practitioners who operate as independent contractors at the spa. She credits the women who have been with her the longest — Ofelia Gee, Julie Slagle and Tracy Valenzuela — for helping make her business successful.“Without them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at,” she said.

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Mais Oui was nominated for Best of the Bay in 2010, and the Calistoga railcar spa was listed among the “world’s strangest spas” in Travel + Leisure magazine, Lernhart said.

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Since Mais Oui moved to the downtown Napa building from the commercial center, Lernhart has seen her business pick up, she said.“People want location,” she said. “The setting makes a big difference.” Now both Mais Oui spas are in historic locations that are more than 100 years old, she said.

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Lernhart has been a massage therapist for nine years. At the age of 23, she opened her own business on Lincoln Avenue in a room smaller than the reception area in the Napa spa.

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Her father’s death when she was age 4 and her mother’s death when Lernhart was 23 created a drive in her to be independent and entrepreneurial, she said, adding she learned about the business aspects of running a spa as she went along.Lernhart designed the spa in memory of her parents, Denise Chuning and Mervin Lernhart, she said. Her sister is an esthetician and first introduced her to the industry, helping her to get her foot in the door, she said. Lernhart attended LifeStream Massage School and graduated in 2005. She plans to attend Le Melange Academy in Napa this fall to become an esthetician and nail tech.

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Napa is a mecca for hospitality services, Lernhart said — the wine and food industry draw people from around the world and make it a natural fit for the spa industry.

Aside from relaxation, massage is beneficial for the heart, circulation and stress relief, she said. People are seeking a break from the hectic pace of modern-day life, and Lernhart enjoys providing that escape. “I just want to make it a unique experience,” she said.