The Spa at La Costa Resort is a classic lady that never loses her style. I have been treating myself to her loveliness for almost a decade, and will continue to do so every time I find myself in the San Diego, CA area! The timeless elegance, top-notch service, spa amenities and healthy bistro offerings are some of the best I have experienced.
The Grounds
Whether you valet park or self-park, the walk through the beautiful grounds of the La Costa Resort is a wonderful start to your day (or days) of tranquility.
If you happen upon the resort during the springtime you will be greeted by the scent of the orange blossoms on the orange trees that line the streets and walkways of the resort. If your visit occurs at another time of year, that’s okay, because the fresh ocean air and often the scent of newly cut grass will enliven your senses!
Make sure to take your time as you wander toward the spa. Take notice of the yellow lilies, the bright pink bougainvillea and the multi-colored begonias nestled among bright greens. Don’t forget to look up to take in the soaring palms against the almost ever-blue San Diego sky!
If time allows, I highly recommend stopping by the book and gift store at the Chopra Center, Deepak Chopra’s west coast hub for his Ayurvedic spa and learning centers.
Treat yourself to one of the many uplifting books or a beautiful piece of clothing or jewelry. For me, it always seems to be the books that draw out my wallet. Try out a classic like Deepak’s own Seven Laws of Spiritual Laws of Success (1994) or Wayne Dyer’s last inspirational work 10 Secrets for Success & Inner Peace (2016).
The Chopra Center does not have its own spa in which you can relax, but they offer many Ayurvedic services both in the center itself and at the Spa at La Costa. The one nice thing the Chopra Center does offer for the general public, as opposed to the people who are paying to be part of the Ayurvedic retreats or the educational offerings, are free meditation classes.
These are offered Tuesday through Friday from 7:45 – 8:15 AM & Monday through Friday from 6:00 – 6:30 PM, at the Chopra Center. (Call ahead to confirm these times).
After spending some time at the Chopra Center store head on across the courtyard to the Spa at La Costa itself. You may want to spend some time sitting by one of the several, large fountains and allowing the sound of the water to deepen your sense of tranquility a little bit more.
The Spa
Upon entry to the spa interior, you are greeted by soft music and an abundance of beauty products, lovely clothing, and elegant jewelry.
If you have already spent some cash at the Chopra Center store you may want to skip by these tempting items and check-in at the desk with the genial employees.
For this visit, as with many others, I opted for a day pass instead of purchasing a service. As of this writing, the day pass is $65.00 US, and grants you use of the spa and all of its facilities from open to close. This fee does not include any spa services, products or food. I have never made a reservation for a day pass. However, on this visit, the front desk employee said that my companion and I just got the last two day passes – and it was early!
The funny thing was because it was a Tuesday it wasn’t very busy. I think the spa is restricting the number of day passes they are allowing so I now recommend making a reservation at least a day in advance, maybe longer if you are going on a weekend or during high season.
After check-in, another employee will come to the front to escort you to the spa. She will give you a tour of the facilities and take you to your locker. Each locker has a warm terry cloth robe in it for you to wear during your day at the spa. Spa sandals are available for your daily use as well. (I don’t like the feel of the spa sandals so I always wear my own).
At this point, let the serenity begin!
There are four main areas of the spa:
The women’s area, the men’s area, the outside pool and features and the spa bistro. The women’s and men’s areas contain lockers, showers and restroom areas, relaxation rooms, indoor hot tubs, steam rooms, and saunas.
The outside area boasts a cooling pool, a hot tub, a reflexology walking path and the most amazing water feature – Roman Showers! More on those in a moment…
The bistro offers a wide variety of casual, healthy fare, as well as a variety of beverages including smoothies, wine, beer, and cocktails. You can eat at one of the tables in the bougainvillea surrounded courtyard. On cooler days you can even get toasty while eating by the outdoor fireplace. On warm days, order your bistro food and beverage poolside and eat right in your comfy lounge chair!
A typical day at the spa
Allow me to take you on a personalized tour of a day at the Spa at La Costa! First and foremost, as I start my day I really try to take in the beauty of the spa itself. Again, the Spa at La Costa is a classic beauty. Spanish tile, lush greenery, and teak furniture add to the ambiance.
* I like to start my day with a dip in the indoor hot tub in the women’s area. Clothing is optional inside, so do not be surprised to see women both wearing and sans swimsuits.
*After starting my relaxation process in the hot tub I will either go into the steam room or right out to the outdoor pool. I love the steam room at this spa! The cool shower in the middle of it is amazingly refreshing in the hot steam. I will often put a moisturizing mask on my face before going in. My skin turns out incredibly soft!
*I spend most of my day lounging by the pool. I love to read magazines or listen to books. I order lunch and cocktails or mocktails to be delivered to me poolside. Sometimes, if I’m with a group of friends, we’ll eat at the bistro tables, which is nice as well.
* I make it a priority to sit under the warm, strong waterfall of the Roman Showers at least twice during the day. The strong pressure of the water in these outdoor showers is almost as good as a massage! I will lay a towel down on the stone bench, sit on it and let the waters massage my shoulders and then lay on my stomach and let the waters massage my back. It is deeply relaxing.
* I am not much of a dry sauna person, but the dry sauna at La Costa spa is very nice. It is spacious and has a window in the door so that natural sunlight comes in. I never feel stuffy or claustrophobic in it. I usually only go in there on chilly days. However, the spa has outlined a relaxing and rejuvenating experience they call “The Aguas de la Vida” – the waters of life – that includes the dry sauna. I will go in it if I am doing the Aguas de la Vida program for the day irrespective of the weather!
The spa treatments
When I treat myself to a spa treatment I like to indulge in the Ayurvedic multi-modality treatment the Chopra Center calls the Odyssey:
The Odyssey begins with Garshana, a dry glove massage that refreshes and stimulates the skin and lymphatic system. Next, your body will be covered in warm herbalized oil for the Abhyanga, with specialized friction strokes designed to move the oil deep into your tissues to loosen stored toxicity. The slow, penetrating strokes of Vishesh follow. The treatment ends with Marma therapy to awaken your inner energy, while personalized aromatherapy enlivens your senses.
~ The Chopra Center, La Costa
If I do not want to spend quite as much money as the Chopra Center treatments require, I will opt for a relaxation or coastal stone massage through the main La Costa Spa. Both are lovely treatments and with the right therapist are deeply relaxing.
One thing I do like to caution for any massage treatment anywhere, massage therapists like to chat. The La Costa spa is no exception to this. I almost always need to gently let the massage therapist know that I can relax more deeply if I am not engaged in conversation. The Chopra Center therapists are trained to not only perform their treatments in silence but they also quietly let the guest know that an environment of silence is held during the treatments. I find this to be refreshing and relaxing.
Closing out a beautiful day
If I am feeling particularly indulgent I will close out my spa day at one of the resort’s restaurants on the grounds. Both of the restaurants are quite good and they both possess a lovely ambience. The resort does have a tendency to change the names of the restaurants, but they remain in the same locations, so for my purposes I will call them the Golf Course View Restaurant and the Courtyard View Restaurant.
The Golf Course View Restaurant has a beautiful view of the La Costa Valley and the resort’s sprawling PGA golf course. The Courtyard View Restaurant has a small indoor seating area, but is mostly a patio seating restaurant. As long as it’s not raining (which of course it rarely does in Southern California) that works out well. Even if it is chilly they have fire pits and heat lanterns that keep diners nice and warm.
Both restaurants have extensive wine lists in addition to featuring many of the local San Diego micro-breweries and full bars. Finishing off a beautifully relaxing day with a delicious dinner and glass of an excellent California Pinot Noir is absolute bliss!
Your comments, recommendations and opinions about the Spa at La Costa are welcome! Please post below and add to the conversation!
For more information on the La Costa Resort & Spa or to make your reservations:
Omni Hotels Resort & Spa La Costa
2100 Costa Del Mar Road
Carlsbad, CA 29009
https://omnihotels.com/hotels/san-diego-la-costa
PHONE: 760-438-9111
CONCIERGE: 760-929-6378
Wishing You Peaceful Travels!
Jen
