Spa Resorts
The Ultimate
Getaways
With golf, swimming, fine wine and dining, shopping, and, yes, rest and relaxation, today’s spa resorts are like amusement parks for adults—and like the famed amusement parks, these spa destinations require more than one day to fully appreciate everything offered. If you’re looking to get away for a while, and your idea of the ideal vacation is enjoying beautiful vistas and cuisine, while also being pampered from head to toe, the following destinations are for you, all within driving distance in California.
Sense, a Rosewood Spa at CordeValle
One CordeValle Club Dr.,
San Martin
(408) 695-4500 or
(888) ROSEWOOD
www.cordevalle.com
CordeValle’s name comes from the Spanish phrase “Corazon del Valle,” which translates to “Heart of the Valley.” Indeed, CordeValle is located in a secluded valley in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The resort offers many amenities, including 45 elegant bungalows, villa suites, and luxury fairway homes, a championship golf course, and the Clos LaChance winery. Truly the center of the CordeValle experience has to be Sense, a Rosewood Spa. Sense encourages a spa experience connected to the region through the use of indigenous natural elements and local techniques. As it resides nearby to both vineyards and the ocean, grape seeds and water are central components of many of their treatments. Signature therapies include their Grape Seed and Cherry Bark Scrub exfoliation, the Grape Seed and Rosehip Mud Wrap, and the Signature Raindrop Ritual, which includes a grape seed body gel exfoliation and grape seed oil massage.
Kenwood Inn and Spa
10400 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood
(707) 833-1293 or (800) 353-6966
www.kenwoodinn.com
Located in California’s Valley of the Moon, set amidst hundreds of acres of vineyards and woodlands, it’s no wonder that the award-winning Kenwood Inn has been touted as the ultimate getaway for wine lovers. In fact, wine and grapes are the centerpiece of visitors’ experience here, both inside the body and out. As such, the majority of treatments at the Spa at Kenwood focus on vinotherapy, using winegrape-based products to help detoxify, stimulate circulation, and combat aging. True to their emphasis on natural healing, the Spa at Kenwood has recently incorporated the natural products and specialized treatments of Los Angeles-based Arcona into their repertoire. The best example of this synthesis of ingredients is their signature Wine Country Facial, which utilizes high performance serums from Arcona, full of antioxidants and bioflavinoids, and also includes a wine hydrating mask and luxurious, wine oil neck and décolleté massage.
Bacara Resort and Spa
8301 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara
(805) 968-0100 or (877) 422-4245
www.bacararesort.com
At Bacara Resort and Spa, set on 78 acres between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains, not only can you find activities like nature hiking through the Santa Barbara hills, there are also high-end retail shops, and three restaurants that feature food grown right there at the nearby Ranch at Bacara. Three zero-edge, heated swimming pools, saline-filled for natural chlorination, are also available to all guests, two featuring views of the ocean. Especially spectacular is the Spa at Bacara, a 42,000 square-foot, full-service facility, including a state-of-the-art fitness center situated on three levels. There are too many treatment offerings to list, but some of their signature treatments include Beautiful Bacara, featuring a personalized facial, scalp treatment, and hand, leg, and foot massage; Bacara Body Melt, an exfoliation followed by a full-body massage using essential eucalyptus and ylang ylang oils; and, the ultimate experience, Crème de la Crème, nearly two hours of all their most requested services.
The Claremont Resort and Spa
41 Tunnel Rd., Berkeley
(510) 843-3000 or (800) 551-7266
www.claremontresort.com
Set high up in the Berkeley Hills, and featuring spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, the Claremont Resort and Spa has been entertaining and pampering guests since 1915. The 20,000 square-foot Claremont Spa has been named in numerous “Best of” lists, and it’s easy to see why. While featuring a range of individual treatments, including hydrotherapy and Tibetan sound massage, the spa’s particular specialties are called “Signature Journeys,” extensive packages inspired by the various native countries of spa staff. The Philippine Journey, for example, begins with a soak in a bath prepared with fresh herbs and plant extracts, exfoliation with fresh ginger and raw sugar scrub, followed by an exotic Neroli (sweet orange) mist, and finished with a warm coconut oil and Neroli water massage. Other journeys include “travel” to Brazil, Hawaii, India, and other exotic, relaxing locales.
The Spa at Wine and Roses
2505 W. Turner Rd., Lodi
(209) 334-6988 (main)
(209) 371-6165 (spa)
www.winerose.com
Lodi’s Wine and Roses goes to show that you really don’t have to travel far to enjoy resort luxuries. In the heart of Lodi wine country, Wine and Roses’ restaurant serves award-winning cuisine, and amenities abound in their hotel and deluxe spa. With peaceful music, fountains, waterfalls, and views of the surrounding landscape, luxury is combined with the tranquility found in nature. Natural ingredients are found in all their treatments, as well. Their signature Wine and Roses Organic Facial uses both wine and roses to exfoliate the skin, followed by steam and an organic mask. Their Ultimate Treatment includes an all-natural botanical body scrub, massage, the application of a rich body butter masque, and a face massage utilizing Warren Botanicals Egyptian facial oil and pure rosewater. Many of the products used in their treatments are available for purchase at The Nest, located inside the spa.
