Spa Review-The Spring Spa and Resort
When RC asked me if I would want to go to the desert near Palm Springs, CA for my birthday, I was initially skeptical. We had gone a few times when he lived in Los Angeles, and we both love it, but it seemed kind of a schlep for two nights.
Not so! He insisted. We could hop on a Jetblue flight to Burbank, grab some groceries at the Glendale Whole Foods and be on our way. And we could count on the weather being good. And so he was right.
We had been hearing good things about The Spring in Desert Hot Springs, and tried to stay there a few times, but it was always booked. This time RC got a reservation.
The sun was setting as we got there and the desert sky was big and dramatic. The wind was blowing hard, and the air felt clean and soft. The spa itself is behind a big concrete wall, with a Japanese screen that allows entrance. Once inside, it is immediately relaxing, the air gently scented by jasmine, lavender and sage plants.
There are only ten rooms, nine situated around a big pool. We were at the end, in room #9, which had a cafe kitchen, which I highly recommend, since the food in Desert Hot Springs is mostly of the fast variety. Desert Hot Springs is a strange place: beautifully located in the low desert between mountaints, but itself ugly and full of ex-meth dealers, placed there by the state of California. But you would never know it once inside The Spring.
At the Spring there are three pools, which are the main attractions; there is a big one which is about 85 degrees, and two smaller hot ones, one of which is enclosed. The property sits on top of one of the town's mineral rich hot springs, and all the pool water comes from those springs. At the resort, the water is filtered, and cooled, since it comes out of the earth really really hot. The water is bouyant and every time we went into a pool we said "ahhhh." That first night, we sat in the outdoor hot tub, drank champagne, and looked at the starlit sky. By 9 pm, we were fast asleep in the great king sized bed. It was one of the best nights sleep I have had in years. The sheets were cool and white and the bed a perfect combination of soft and firm. We left the door partly open, to let the breeze and cool air in. Two of our interior windows wouldn't open, and the room was a tad stuffy. But the shower had one of those great rain showerheads. So points for that!
The next morning after an early dip we sat outside and ate breakfast. The hotel provided cereals, fruit, coffee and tea. We brought bagels and lox. Then it was treatment time! I got the Spring Buff and a fresh aloe scalp massage.
My therapist Margot was great- friendly and observant in the way I always want a massage therapist to be, but rarely encounter. She started by buffing off all of my dead skin with a rayon mitt. Then she washed my hair, which felt amazing. The warm water was like a million fingers massaging my scalp. In the spa shower, I showered off the buff debris and excess shampoo, and lay back down for the oil massage. My skin felt perfectly soft and smooth when she was done, and her touch was a nice combination of deep and gentle. It was one of the best massages I have ever had- she was not tentative at all. Then she cut up fresh aloe, and scrapped out the insides. She masseged this into my hair and scalp along with a deep conditioner. I kept it in for about twenty minutes, and when I rinsed it out, in my own room, my hair felt like mink. It was unbelievable.
We spent the rest of the day in a treatment stupor, reading, occasionally eating and taking dips. It was great. I read all of Zadie Smith's On Beauty, which I really enjoyed. And since it was Sunday, almost everyone had checked out. We had the place almost to ourselves. The sun shone and the wind blew and we relaxed.
So here is some basic info about what you need to know.
The Spring Spa and Resort is located about two hours east of Los Angeles, in Desert Hot Springs.
Make sure to bring your own food and get a room with a kitchen for the best overall experience.
I would also specifically recommend room number nine.
Prices range from 159 for a regular room during the week, as of January 2, to 259 for the mountain view suite on a weekend.
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