One of the best things to come out of the pandemic was the widespread recognition that good health is not just about physical exercise or mental health; good health requires a holistic approach that includes everything from movement and rest to activity and nutrition.
While most getaways will give you at least some of the relaxation and rejuvenation needed to reset mind and body, only a resort geared towards wellness has the power to be transformative. With a weekend at these three Bay Area stays, you’ll come out refreshed, renewed, and ready to take on the world.
Solage Resort & Spa
(Courtesy of @solageauberge)
It’s only appropriate that Calistoga, that fabled land of healing hot springs, is home to one of the Bay Area’s most luxurious wellness resorts. Solage revolves around its 20,000-square-foot spa, where they specialize in mud and mineral water therapies like the signature mudslide, 75 minutes of mud and essential oil drenching, geo-thermal tub soaking, and state-of-the-art sound chair healing relaxation.
At the bathhouse, five pools of varying temperatures and mineral contents, an infrared sauna, and a eucalyptus steam room aid in detoxification and circulation, and classes including aqua aerobics, meditation, yoga, pickle ball, and Pilates are designed for all around wellbeing.
At night, bed down in a suite or a studio, each with its own furnished outdoor patio and styled with contemporary Wine Country elegance. The resort also has two dining options: Solbar, where executive chef Gustavo Rios crafts local Napa Valley ingredients into globally inspired meals like ricotta cheese gnudi with Maine lobster and fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs; and Picobar, a poolside destination for modern Mexican cuisine. // 755 Silverado Trail (Calistoga), aubergeresorts.com
Canyon Ranch Woodside
(Courtesy of @canyonranch)
Canyon Ranch takes an integrative approach to wellness that combines five pillars of wellbeing: health/performance, mind/spirit, fitness/movement, nutrition/food, and spa/beauty. Within the embrace of redwood forests in Woodside, you can embark on the resort’s full program of transformation or a self-guided journey that can include everything from forest meditation and watercolor painting to restorative yoga and hiking.
The rooms at Canyon Ranch are streamlined for maximum relaxation with grand windows (for a real treat, try the treehouse suites), just like the spa, which offers not only facial and body treatments and massages but also Eastern-style therapies. An indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, fitness studio, and walking trails are also all a part of the mind-body experience, along with fresh and healthy local cuisine morning, noon, and night at The Hearth. // 16350 Skyline Blvd. (Woodside), canyonranch.com
Gaige House
(Courtesy of @thegaigehouse)
At the ryokan-inspired Gaige House, wellness is meditative and secluded. The boutique hotel in the Sonoma hamlet of Glen Ellen sets a lush scene on the bank of Calabazas Creek with babbling fountains and private zen gardens. Ryokan Zen suites have impeccably outfitted baths with deep granite soaking tubs, interior rock garden atriums, private outdoor patios with loungers, and modern Japanese-inspired bedrooms with sleek monochromatic style and fireplaces.
Book a massage in the spa sanctuary, reflect and restore in the bamboo-walled meditation alcove, or submerge in the tranquil pool and hot tub. A nourishing breakfast is included in each stay, as well as evening wine hour around the fire pit on the moon and sun decks. // 13540 Arnold Dr. (Glen Ellen), thegaigehouse.com
