|
Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Top Californian Spas
A long, lovely coastline and mild weather attract health enthusiasts, stress cases, and the deeply superficial to California, which has one of the highest concentrations of spas in the United States. Here, an overview of the finest, listed from north to south. For comparison purposes, we've given the price of a basic 50-minute massage, but don't let this simple listing discourage experimentation. At these temples of self-care and indulgence, a basic massage is one of dozens of creative therapies and treatments.
At the Post Ranch Inn, in Big Sur, stunning views of the Pacific Coast are the big draw, so even the treatment rooms have windows. For maximum communion with nature, opt for a massage or other treatment on your room's private terrace, accompanied by birdsong and rumbling waves. Standouts here are sessions in which clients remain clothed, including reiki, the Japanese energy-balancing therapy that's basically a massage without touching, and Thai massage, the practice nicknamed "the lazy man's yoga" for its assisted stretches (basic massage, $130). The Spa at Pebble Beach is an expansive facility shared by three hostelries: The Inn at Spanish Bay, the Lodge at Pebble Beach, and Casa Palmero. Body treatments incorporate a wide range of pungent ingredients—including rose geranium, grape seed, and coffee—and massages range from standard Swedish to Thai and, appropriate at this fabled links-style duffer's destination, four specialized massages for golfers (basic massage, $125). Set in a terraced olive grove in Napa Valley, the inn, restaurant, and spa at Auberge du Soleil exude a provincial European feel, with rough wood decor, Italian linens, and contemporary art. The 7,000-square-foot spa classifies treatments according to local products they use: the Vineyard employs grape seed extract; the Garden, rose petals, honey, etc.; the Grove, olive oil; and the Valley, mud and clay (basic massage, $140). The whole of Santa Barbara's Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore has recently completed a renovation costing more than $100 million. When all the dust had settled, the spa emerged with heated stone floors, 11 treatment rooms, and a menu that includes a range of services for men and teens. For local big spenders, the spa has a day-long head-to-toe workover that begins when a limousine picks up the spa-goer. For long-haulers, the jet lag cure has an 80-minute rain drop oil massage in which nine essential oils are custom-blended and applied along the spine (basic massage, $140). Diamonds—as well as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires—are a girl's best friend at the recently renovated Peninsula Beverly Hills spa. Oils imbued with gemstones are key to the new Shiffa Precious Gem body treatments, which also employ hot stones for massage. Hollywood power brokers show up as early as 5 AM for appointments and to loll in the eucalyptus steam room and soundproof relaxation room. Post-treatment, have lunch at the Roof Garden, where the menu notes carbohydrates, cholesterol, salt, and fat content (basic massage, $135). A preppy-chic blue-and-white nautical theme is interiors star Jonathan Adler's design for Palm Springs Yacht Club, the spa at the Parker Palm Springs resort. Separate men's and women's indoor pools are the site of water exercise classes, but since this spa's manifesto encourages self-indugence ("we believe in a long steam and a stiff cocktail"), more attention is paid to the ten types of massage and the numerous anti-aging facial and body treatments (basic massage, $150). Laguna Beach's Montage Resort & Spa has such a great view that all 262 resort rooms were built to face it. Even this Arts and Crafts-inspired resort's 20,000-square-foot spa opens onto a pool deck overlooking the narrow rocky beach. Treatments are well thought-out, too: Before arriving, guests answer an extensive questionnaire so that therapists can customize a combination of massage and ocean-derived topical treatments. Rock walls separate the men's and women's outdoor lounges, which have whirlpools, fountains, and sauna and steam rooms; two swimming pools encourage sunning (basic massage, $220). At the St. Regis Monarch Resort Spa Gaucin, the usual massages and facials are augmented by add-on services that can be performed at the same time as the main event: Why not have a hand and foot massage with hot stones while your face mask sets, or a scalp massage during your body wrap? Facials are a big hit here, including one formulated to extend your tan and another (the house speciality) that's an "ultralift" anti-aging facial designed to improve skin elasticity and to hide fine lines. After all, this is cult-of-youth California (basic massage, $155). Set next to a golf course and a piney, sage-filled nature preserve, La Jolla's Spa at the Lodge at Torrey Pines has Swedish, therapeutic, and shiatsu massage for active types. Those craving relaxation can opt for easing into a chair in front of the fireplace while waiting for the signature treatment, a Coastal Sage Scrub performed under the dripping warmth of a Vichy shower. Interiors are an homage to fin de siècle Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a warm and tasteful alternative to the bland sterility of many spa interiors (basic massage, $130). The Golden Door, in Escondido, is the classic American destination spa but with a decidedly Asian bent: The 400-square-foot rooms have shoji screens and ikebana, and the grounds are dotted with antique stone lanterns. Weeklong stays are mandatory, with daily in-room massages and skin therapies, as well as treatments ranging from manicures to herbal wraps. Only 40 guests attend at a time—usually all women, although there are men's or coed weeks—and the organic cuisine is grown in the on-site garden ($7,750 per person per week, all-inclusive). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
|
||
 |
