MYSTERY SHOPPER
Pool cabanas are great for groups, although parties can disturb the peace
SOLAGE SPA CALISTOGA
BACKGROUND
Opened in 2007, the 89-bedroom Solage Calistoga was the first (and still only) property by Solage Hotels & Resorts, a new brand developed by Auberge Hotels & Resorts (sb05/4 p22). Built with a strong focus on sustainability, the resort sits within a 22-acre (9-hectare) plot which opens up to oak-studded hills. Te Michelin-star restaurant gives some clue as to the class of the resort, while the full-service Spa Solage has won five awards in as many years – most recently voted as one of the top 10 US spas by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2012 Readers’ Poll. Covering 20,000sq ſt (1,858sq m), the spa
lies at the heart of the resort and is made up of five parts including the main Bathhouse and separate buildings housing 14 treat- ment rooms, a reception, a retail area and the changing rooms. Te signature treat- ment is the Mudslide, a three-part therapy which includes the application of a local mineral-rich clay and volcanic ash blend; a soak in geothermal mineral spring water sourced onsite; and resting in sound/vibra- tion chairs. Costing us$98 (€81, £63) us$148 (€122, £95) for 60 or 90 minutes, the Mud-
slide takes place in the Bathhouse with its geothermal pool, whirlpool and eucalyptus steamroom, its three Mud Rooms and three Tub Rooms, plus the relaxation area. Overall, the menu has a large selection of body, face and beauty treatments, as well as couples and wellness packages and the main prod- uct houses are Éminence, Kate Somerville and Marie Veronique. Fiſty-minute facials or massages start at us$135 (€111, £87) and us$125 (€103, £81) respectively.
THE EXPERIENCE
Like Indian Springs, Solage Calistoga was close to our hotel and couldn’t have been easier to find. We called to book the signa- ture Mudslide treatment an hour before. Te process was straightforward and we were told to arrive 30 minutes early (more on this later), although they did miss a chance to upsell a 90-minute, rather than a 60-minute, service which I might have considered. With a spread of small buildings linked
by meandering pathways, the resort imme- diately gives you a sense being somewhere else – a good place to be. Spa heaven. Even the busy spa reception had a calmness to it and following a seamless check-in we went to the spacious changing rooms that were well-stocked with more folded towels than a girl could ask for – although as an eco-spa this led me to question how many fluffy tow-
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els they could get through. It usually takes quite a bit to move me from ‘spa interroga- tor’ to ‘spa enjoyer’ but at Spa Solage I was there before even doing up my robe. We wandered to Te Bathhouse passing
several bowls of fresh, crisp green apples and camomile tea stations. Te place was immac- ulate in design, landscaping and cleanliness. Te weather was beautiful and the smell in the air was that of outdoor woodiness. Hav- ing arrived early, we relaxed by a beautiful pool before being greeted by our ‘therapist’ who looked a bit like a girl guide. Dressed in a polo shirt, rain jacket, cropped trousers and sneakers, she looked as though she was about to take us on a cross country romp in the rain! She explained the three-stage treat- ment process (mud, bath, relax) clearly, but it began to sound like a do-it-yourself ther- apy with her just collecting and depositing us at each point. I wondered if she was more like a ‘server’ or ‘director of mud facilities’. Te treatment began with choosing one
of four oil blends to mix into our mud, but they all smelt gorgeous so I picked two! Aſter blending, we were presented with a small aluminium bucket with about 3cm of
‘mud’ in the base. I’ve used inverted commas here because in my book, mud is dark, looks dirty (although very clean) and has a cer- tain odour – at Indian Springs it was black, lumpy and there was masses of it – but this stuff was very light grey and it didn’t look as
SPA BUSINESS 3 2012 ©Cybertrek 2011
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