After a long day of travel, there’s nothing I relish more than unwinding at a hotel spa. Whether it’s a sauna and cold plunge regimen to wake me up or a facial after a redeye (my definition of beauty sleep) you’re guaranteed to look and feel better after a visit to a great spa.
The best hotel spas have veteran therapists that consistently nail the basics, and menus that go beyond standard Swedish or deep tissue treatments to include local skincare lines, indigenous ingredients, and creative new technologies for a memorable and holistic approach to wellness.
I get more massages than Kobe beef, averaging eight spa visits per month, so I know what I’m talking about. Here are five of my favorite hotel spas in the United States.
In this article
Cavallo Point’s Healing Arts Center & Spa
The Healing Arts Center & Spa at Cavallo Point is a true urban oasis at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. The signature massage combines long Lomi Lomi strokes with Thai massage stretching, and I was especially impressed with their cupping therapy.
I'm Chinese-American and while most hotels use silicone cups, here they use real glass fire cups and many therapists have worked at Cavallo Point for more than a decade.
Arrive at least an hour before your treatment to unwind at the heated meditation pool, infrared saunas, outdoor firepit, and Zen garden while enjoying healthy tonics and teas from the tea bar. The spa doesn't sell day passes, and is only available to hotel guests with scheduled spa treatments, so it’s never crowded.
It's hard to believe a former army outpost, Fort Baker, could be such a luxe retreat, but with panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay and city skyline, it’s just the right balance of immersion in nature while still being close enough to zip into the city for dinner.
Cascada
Hotel guests at Cascada, a Portland boutique hotel have unlimited access to a robust adults-only underground hydrotherapy circuit including steam rooms, saunas, hot and cold plunge pools, a chilled rainfall walk, cold showers, and new red light therapy panels to support cellular renewal. Facials here use custom blended skincare products formulated in-house and made in Oregon.
There's a suggested ritual for how to enjoy the various amenities, but it's a gentle guideline and you're free to move through the silent sanctuary as you wish. Just don't speak above a whisper or the staff may strike the gong to remind guests to remain silent.
There's plenty of space to socialize above the underground sanctuary in the conservatory and secret garden, including the Forbidden Fruit Cafe with smoothies and healthy snacks.
Rooms at Cascada are comfortable and functional, especially the sky lofts. Kitchenettes with dishwashers, induction stoves, and refrigerators along with in-unit washers and dryers are ideal for longer stays, especially if you're partaking in complimentary hot yoga classes like me.
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa is a Southern California destination that feels like visiting the South of France without the jetlag.
Guests have access to hundreds of wellness classes, from trapeze yoga to aqua fitness, and stays focus on pillars of fitness, nutrition, and relaxation for holistic wellness.
Healthy eating is about nutrient-dense whole foods rather than counting calories, and wine and dessert are never verboten. Excellent matcha lattes are sweetened with wildflower honey from the resort’s own apiary instead of sugar.
Most guests get spa treatments every day, and it's not uncommon to see blissed out guests enjoying meals in bathrobes. Try the vinothérapie grape skin wrap using antioxidant rich grape byproducts from Cal-a-Vie’s own vineyard, Thai-inspired herbal poultice massage, or myofascial release as a less painful alternative to deep tissue massage.
All villas and suites come with deep soaking tubs, and the new five- and six-bedroom Maisons at Cal-a-Vie are great options for groups.
Lapis Spa at Fontainebleau Las Vegas
Lapis Spa sprawls across 55,000 square feet within the massive Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the newest mega-resort on the Strip.
I most appreciate how much co-ed space there is to hang out before and after treatments, including the popular Aufguss event sauna, which takes an ancient German sauna tradition to theatrical new heights with choreographed towel movements, curated aromatherapy, and synchronized music, light, and video. Only in Vegas.
I’ve spent hours chilling here with friends after conferences, and the oxygenating ultrasound facial is perfect before a big event. I love spending time in the stargazing lounge and taking power naps on the heated tepidarium chairs after a quick cold plunge.
Even if you haven't booked a spa treatment, you can still experience the spa amenities with a Celestial Waters Passport for either morning or afternoon sessions. Fontainebleau has quickly become my favorite place to stay in Las Vegas thanks to Lapis Spa, alongside an excellent array of restaurants and shopping.
The Sanctuary Spa at Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort
With 30,000 square feet dedicated to wellbeing, the Sanctuary spa is the highlight of any stay at Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort.
The three-story spa design is inspired by the “sacred spiral” of the Golden Ratio, which the indigenous Calusa people revered as a symbol of life's cycles.
High-tech treatments include the futuristic Ammortal Chamber that uses molecular hydrogen, vibro-acoustics, and multiwave frequencies for cellular restoration. There's also non-invasive lymphatic sculpting and body contouring with LPG Endermologie, and a 100-minute golden ratio massage that juxtaposes warm and cold stones, deep and light pressure, and vigorous and slow massage techniques.
A co-ed thermal circuit offers a communal space with Finnish sauna, vitality pools, aromatherapy steam rooms, and experiential showers to enjoy before and after treatments.
The beachfront resort on Florida’s Gulf Coast just opened last year and all rooms are comfortably modern with private terraces overlooking the golf course or ocean.
The Shortcut
Unusual techniques replace the standard massage menus at these hotel spas. Cavallo Point's has glass fire cupping, the Sanctuary Spa has its Ammortal Chamber with molecular hydrogen, and Lapis Spa offers a choreographed Aufguss sauna ceremony.
Several spas turn silence and ritual into part of the treatment, like Cascada's gong-enforced quiet in its underground hydrotherapy circuit.
House-made ingredients show up across menus, from Cal-a-Vie's own apiary honey and grape-skin wraps sourced from its vineyard, to Cascada's Oregon-made skincare line.
Co-ed communal spaces extend the experience beyond treatments, including Lapis Spa's stargazing lounge and the Sanctuary Spa's thermal circuit with Finnish sauna and vitality pools.
