Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is a Five-Star, Five-Diamond resort located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.

Tucked away in San Diego County’s beautiful and lush Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is the ultimate luxury getaway for those seeking relaxation and transformative wellness experiences. The Five-Star, Five-Diamond resort (which is also the only Relais & Châteaux property in Southern California) is surrounded by 45 acres of picturesque gardens, olive groves, and nature trails.

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Guests have their choice of an array of luxurious private casitas (hacienda-style suites), villas, and several private residences for larger groups or those that want to further enhance their stay. Accommodations include spacious layouts, rustic custom furnishings, and private garden patios (some with private outdoor whirlpools).

Resort amenities include multiple swimming pools, an award-winning tennis program, resort bicycles for guests to explore the property on, various daily activities such as guided walking tours, a culinary garden, The popular Pony Room restaurant and bar, and The Spa at Rancho Valencia.

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The Forbes 5-Star rated spa is an enchanting oasis of wellness and relaxation that offers a wide variety of healing and rejuvenating spa treatments, a state-of-the-art fitness center with daily classes and workshops for all levels, a Serenity Yoga Pavilion, hair salon, and more.

We chatted with Lauren Williams, Spa Director at The Spa at Rancho Valencia, to learn more about treatments to try, insider tips, and more.

The Spa at Rancho Valencia is the resort’s Forbes 5-Star rated spa that offers relaxing and transformative wellness experiences.

Why You’ll Love It: Our guests love that they can truly spend a full day at our spa with our expansive offerings.

The spa’s central courtyard features a tranquil water feature surrounded by lush trees and plants.

Key Features: We have 100+ fitness classes per week ranging from yoga, meditation, Pilates, spin, TRX, boxing, and agility classes. In addition to our robust fitness offerings, our guests have access to enjoy the hydrotherapy circuit which includes a sauna, steam room, cold plunge, and whirlpool, as well as our adults-only spa pool.

The open-air hallways lead to various treatment rooms and relaxation areas.

Insider’s Tip: The Spa now features a Salon, which is perfect to get a blow-dry and be ready for a night at The Pony Room!

The spa also has an adults-only pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center that offers over 95 fitness classes a week.

Snacks Served: Aside from the classic tea assortment and fruit-infused water available, our snacks are made on property by our Executive Pastry Chef, Stephanie Tensow. Some of her tasty bites include Banana Bread Muffins (fan favorite!), Flax Seed Crackers, and Lemon-Thyme cookies.

Guests can order food and beverage service at the Spa Pool before and after their services.

Bonus: Cabanas are available for rent in 2-hour, half-day, and full-day options. This is perfect for larger parties to serve as a spot to connect and hang out in-between services.

The spa’s co-ed relaxation lounge features a cozy fireplace and refreshments for guests to enjoy.

Splurge Treatment: When possible, I always encourage our guests to step away from the traditional massage to truly be able to enjoy the unique beauty of our spa. The hacienda feel of the spa exudes natural light throughout the spaces and features private outdoor patios on the treatment rooms, which includes rain showers and, in most cases, a soaking tub.

The Sixth Sense Treatment is two hours of total bliss. Beginning with a bath soak to relax the mind and body, an herbal shea butter scrub follows. The treatment concludes with 60-minutes of relaxing massage paired with a hand and foot treatment to soften the skin.

Many of the treatment rooms come with private outdoor showers and/or soaking tubs.

Unique treatment: One of our more unique treatments is our Wellbeing Ritual. Our guests take a 10-question "quiz" for our treatment providers to better understand your individual constitutional makeup. From there, specific bath powders and oils are chosen for your experience designed to restore elemental balance and rejuvenate the body and mind.

Within this treatment, the guest experiences a bath soak in the privacy of the treatment room's outdoor patio. A dry body brushing and wrap follows. The treatment concludes with a guided meditation and nutrient-rich balm application.

The spacious women’s changing area and locker room offers plenty of space to get ready.

Insider’s Favorite: My personal favorite is the Balancing Gemstone (90 minutes specifically for guaranteed bliss!) In a specialized sequence, an array of gemstone oils along with their matching gemstone are massaged into the body in a harmonizing manner to address imbalances. A cooling crystal wand is applied to the face to further transport our guests to ultimate relaxation.

A couple’s suite comes with a private patio, outdoor shower and soaking tub.

Featured Products: iSun Skincare, Environ, Biologique Recherche, and 111SKIN.

The spa’s 1,000-square-foot yoga pavilion offers a serene setting to work on strength and flexibility.

For more information on Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @ranchovalencia. For special deals on your next stay, click here.

If you’re looking for the best deals on flights to San Diego, click here.

[Photos courtesy of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa]

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