DESTINATIONS WELLNESS HOLIDAYS |CALIFORNIA
exper expert ASK THE “These additions are bringing
greater recognition to the area. They’re helping to enhance
what’s already here – a mix of hot- spring resorts and high-end hotels – which we hope will attract a different type of traveller. Being so close to LA, Greater Palm Springs is easy to get to,
particularly by car. There are also domestic and international flights to Palm Springs airport.”
Joyce Kiehl, director of
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Wall yoga and swimming pool at Sensei Porcupine Creek; salt cave, The Spa at Séc-he; sculpture by Keith Haring in grounds of Sensei Porcupine Creek PICTURES: Sensei Porcupine Creek; Chris Simpson; Austin John
straps into a downward dog, then taking part in a vigorous session of circuit training. Afterwards, I take a break for a healthy fish and vegetable-rich lunch from a menu overseen by world-famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa, then join a one-on-one session with a ‘guide’ – the word Sensei uses for their experts and therapists – to analyse how my breathing patterns can help me combat stress. And that’s just day one. By the end of my two-night ‘Discover’ programme, I’ve also had an introduction to meditation, undergone a reiki treatment and done some resistance training. If I wanted, I could also play tennis or go on a hike that skirts the imposing Santa Rosa mountains, bordering the resort. Colourful sculptures by renowned contemporary artists such as Keith Haring also dot the grounds, showcasing Ellison’s personal art collection – from giant numbers to a towering fibreglass
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white dog – with guided tours available to take you round them. But the idea here is that you can do as much or as little as you want. “We see this as a gentle gateway to wellness,” says general manager Julie Oliff. “We want to encourage guests to try things they wouldn’t normally try.” I started out here as a wellness cynic; by the time I leave, I feel like I’ve learnt several practical tools and techniques for sticking to healthier lifestyle habits.
HEALING WATERS My next stop involves a more traditional wellness experience, in downtown Palm Springs, a 20-minute drive away. The newly opened Spa at Séc-he (the name means ‘sound of boiling water’) is overseen by the Cahuilla people, who first discovered the hot springs in the region in the 1800s. Séc-he harnesses these thermal waters in the form of a large
central pool, as well as a series of private baths that can be booked for short sessions. I spend most of the day here; as well as the pools, there are gym and fitness facilities, a cryotherapy suite, salt caves and float pods. I enjoy a session of soundwave therapy in the ‘acoustic room’, where you recline on a leather lounger with headphones on and listen to a programme of ‘binaural beats and gamma soundwaves’ – basically, soothing noises – which aims to relax and destress. It’s all so fabulously Californian. Then it’s on to my treatment.
Séc-he offers dozens, from massages to body wraps and scrubs
BOOK IT
Sensei Porcupine Creek offers a Discover package from $1,325 per night based on single occupancy, including wellness activities and $250 in daily Wellness Credit to be used on wellness consultations and spa treatments (food and drink is extra).
sensei.com
visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/travel-trade
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communications, Greater Palm Springs Tourism
to pedicures. Many use ingredients from the local area, such as prickly pear, blue sage and desert clay, and the treatment beds feature a healing layer of heated quartz. I have the JetPeel Facial, which is so good my skin still feels soft and downy a week later. With a new Surf Club opening
in Palm Springs later this year – a body of water in the desert where people of all ages and abilities can learn to surf or improve their skill – Greater Palm Springs is becoming quite the wellness hub. As an add-on to a trip to LA, and a place to take in the clean desert air and leave revived and refreshed, I’d put it on every client’s agenda.
TW
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