Repeatedly recognized as one of the top resort spas in Southern California, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa near San Diego offers luxurious accommodations and excellent service in a beautiful setting. The hacienda-style hotel is less than two miles from Torrey Pines Golf Course, with amenities that include an outdoor heated pool, beautiful gardens, event spaces, and an assortment of distinguished dining options.

The resort offers a garden games library that includes reserve bottles of wine, cocktails, and take-home games that guests can purchase to enjoy during their stay. Every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., guests can participate in a 50-minute guided “Aroma Flow” Yoga session in the gardens to enhance their personal well-being while enjoying the sounds of rustling palms and chirping birds.

The Spa at Estancia is an award-winning retreat tucked away within the resort’s 10 acres of lush, tranquil gardens. The 7,000-square-foot spa has nine treatment rooms, in addition to a luxurious couple’s bungalow with a private deck and outdoor soaking tub. Guests enjoy access to indoor and outdoor relaxation areas that include a grand fireplace, lounge, and meditation garden. There is also a saltwater pool with daybeds and cabanas available for reservation, along with private yoga and meditation sessions that can be scheduled with advance notice.

We interviewed Brisa Huezo, Area Director of Spa and Spa Retail at The Spa at Estancia, who shared insider tips, favorite spa treatments, and more.

Read more: The Best San Diego Spas for 2022

Why You’ll Love It: Our spa resonates with our locals quite a bit. They love the sense of personalization with arrival and treatment. Every person receives a personalized experience because the spa has details on them before their treatment. Locals feel like family. 

Key Features: Upon arrival, guests are treated to a non-alcoholic elixir that we change out often. It might be an elderberry elixir, for example, or an energy boost. They're then given fluffy robes with a message on the sleeve that reminds them to practice self-care. And we provide everything one might need to relax: tea, magazines, healthy snacks, etc. in a serene setting complete with eucalyptus steam rooms, saltwater whirlpools, fireplace, a meditation garden, and outdoor lounges.

Inside the treatment room, we try to surprise guests with extra amenities such as an eye treatment with their massage, aromatherapy, etc. We try to create an all-encompassing experience by asking guests to explain what their ailments are, then we share how they can continue taking care of themselves once they leave the spa. We also offer complimentary valet and self-parking for all guests of the spa.

Snacks Served: Currently we offer green apples, infused water, and organic decaffeinated tea in silk sachets. Snacks may change, but they could include something like raw almonds, banana chips, and dates. We try to stay wholesome and be mindful of people’s specific healthy diets.

Bonus: We want to make each visit special, whether for guests visiting for the first time or our regulars who have been coming back for years. We may surprise them with gifts such as candles or a glass of champagne with chocolates!

Insider’s Tip: When people aren’t used to the spa, it can be intimidating. But the reason they’re at the spa is to feel better. I want to remind guests that they can come in and make themselves comfortable, and we're there to make them feel good. I would encourage guests to try a visit for the day—soak and walk around to explore and get acclimated. By the time they leave, they'll want to book an appointment!

I also want to remind guests that self-care is not selfish. It’s necessary for their well-being. When we feel good, we're better people, spouses, friends, and parents. We can be “fully present.” Kindness spreads because when someone is feeling good, they make others feel good. 

Unique Treatment: The Couples Bungalow. The experience as a whole is unique. There’s a tub, a deck, and the bath is prepared with CBD salts for guests to soak and relax for 20 minutes, followed by a massage in the bungalow. Then we serve drinks and snacks.

Splurge Treatment: Two come to mind, and are best if they can be done together! There's a beautiful Bamboo Body Service in which there’s rhythm and lymphatic draining, from shoulders to the bottom of the legs, creating a journey that touches all parts of the body from the scalp to toes. It’s also the most luxurious treatment.

Many clients want to invest in their faces, so the 100-minute Estancia Signature Glow Facial uses every technology available to the spa. Deep exfoliation, hydration, massage, etc. Many guests fall asleep 20 minutes into the facial and wake up glowing! 

Insider’s Favorite: Hydrafacials. No chemicals are used, and they make the skin dewy and hydrated. It’s extremely rejuvenating and rehydrating. The facials aren't just facials—they’re entire experiences.

Featured Products: Babor and Yon-ka.

For more information, visit the website and follow them on Instagram: @estancialajolla

[Images courtesy of Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa]

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

9700 N. Torrey Pines Road

La Jolla, CA 92037

855-318-7602