Spa Review: The Spa at Terranea Offers Restorative Treatments in a Harmonious Oceanfront Setting
The Spa at Terranea is an award-winning sanctuary of wellness and relaxation at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
During a recent stay at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, I had the opportunity to spend time at the property’s award-winning spa. Consistently ranked as one of the best spas around the world, The Spa at Terranea has received many honors and recognition from top media outlets and global rating systems including Forbes Travel Guide.
Spa Profile: The Spa at Terranea
Terranea Resort is a 102-acre property located above the Pacific Ocean on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula. It’s only 20 miles from Los Angeles International Airport and is within close proximity to various sites and attractions while at the same time offers the ultimate secluded beach getaway. To learn more about the resort and for a detailed review of my stay at the property, click here.
Located on the oceanfront, the 50,000-square-foot spa offers plenty of indoor and outdoor space that allows guests to relax and connect to the natural energy and beauty of their surroundings. With 25 treatment rooms, a spa pool, and restaurant, the spa can accommodate more guests and large groups, but its expansive layout provides an abundance of personal space for each guest so that it never feels crowded.
The spa has received many honors and recognition from top media outlets and global rating systems including Forbes Travel Guide.
Here’s what you’ll love about The Spa at Terranea:
The award-winning spa offers 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor relaxation space, including co-ed areas and separate men’s and women’s sections.
Located on the oceanfront, panoramic views of the water can be enjoyed from throughout the spa including the indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, and the spa pool.
The Spa at Terranea’s amenities include a 25-meter heated spa pool, saunas and steam rooms, hot tubs and cold plunges, fire pits, salon, and a spa restaurant.
The treatment menu at the spa includes treatments that are inspired by the resort’s location and incorporates local ingredients into the services.
Several VIP Suites are available for private treatment experiences including the Ocean Suite, Earth Suite, and Fire Suite.
The spa’s restaurant solviva serves a variety of tasty and health-focused dishes that are designed to enhance well-being.
For an elevated poolside experience and spa day, spacious spa cabanas are available for daily rental.
The spa’s Fitness & Wellness Center, along with the adjoining Movement Studio, provide state-of-the-art machines and offers a variety of complimentary classes such as seaside cycling, sound baths, and more.
For regulars, the spa offers a membership with numerous perks including discounts on services and guest passes, unlimited access to the spa’s amenities, invites to exclusive events, discounts throughout the resort, and more.
Just past the spa entryway and boutique is a comfortable sitting area with a fireplace.
The spa’s reception area includes a large spa boutique, a waiting area with comfortable sofas next to a two-sided fireplace, and the entrance to the full-service salon, which offers hair and nail treatments. The spa boutique retails a wide variety of premium wellness and beauty brands, in addition to resort wear and accessories.
Once I had checked in, I was taken to the women’s locker room and facilities, which feature generous space and amenities. There were multiple locker areas, changing rooms, showers, a sauna and steam room, as well as indoor and outdoor relaxation lounges.
The spa’s amenities include a spacious locker room with private changing areas.
The spa also has a steam room and sauna for guests to enjoy.
The indoor relaxation lounge is decorated in a coastal aesthetic with soothing tones of blue and white, along with beautiful details like oversized shells. The first thing I noticed as soon as I entered the lounge was the beautiful ocean view through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. It provided plenty of natural light and instantly relaxed me.
The spa’s main relaxation lounge on the women’s side features stunning coastal views.
Infused water and a selection of healthy snacks were available including dried banana chips, dried apricots and almonds, along with freshly baked vegan lemon muffins. An assortment of loose leaf organic teas were also provided.
A variety of healthy snacks and infused water are available in the relaxation lounge.
After nibbling on spa snacks, I made my way to the outdoor relaxation area, which is one of the big highlights of The Spa at Terranea. There were lounge chairs with umbrellas directly facing the ocean, and a side gate led to a separate outdoor co-ed area—perfect for couples visiting the spa together.
Note: the private meditative space is one-way only, so if you exit through the gate you will have to come back through the spa’s front entrance.
The outdoor relaxation area on the women’s side of the spa offers premium ocean views.
I went for a dip in the hot tub, which felt extra soothing and relaxing paired with the ocean views and breezes. I then went for a brief dip in the cold plunge, which is never easy but completely worth it for how I feel afterwards. To learn more about the top five health benefits of cold plunges, click here.
There’s also an outdoor shower where guests can rinse off before and after using the hot tub and cold plunge. Rinsing off outdoors, especially in the hot summer, is one of the best ways to cool off and feel instantly refreshed.
Tip: if the cold plunge is too much for you, opt for a quick cold rinse under the shower instead. You’ll still reap the benefits of contrast therapy!
The outdoor relaxation area includes a hot tub.
For brave spa-goers, there is also a cold plunge.
An outdoor shower offers a refreshing place to rinse off.
My husband and I had a spa cabana for the day, so I met him out by the spa pool where we relaxed and ordered a few dishes and drinks from solviva before our spa treatments. solviva is the spa’s restaurant that serves tasty and health-focused dishes that are designed to enhance well-being. The restaurant has tables where you can sit down or you can order from a lounger by the pool or cabana.
The menu included a variety of appetizers and entrees such as chips and guacamole, a blackened salmon wrap, and signature salad, in addition to cocktails, mocktails, and refreshing spirit drinks. I ordered the Elderflower Relaxation spritz with St. Germain, lemon juice, strawberry puree, mionetto prosecco, and strawberry, which was delightful and refreshing.
For lunch we shared the chips and guacamole and an order of the sweet potato topped with sliced avocado, poached egg, pomegranate seeds, salsa, and kelp sea salt flakes. Delicious and healthy!
solviva is the spa’s restaurant that serves health-focused dishes.
Our cabana included a covered area with a table and seating, space for storing our belongings, and extra towels. We enjoyed lying out in the sun on our side-by-side loungers while taking in the ocean and pool views, then we would take short breaks to cool off and sit in the shade every so often.
Private spa cabanas are available for daily rental by the spa pool.
The spa cabanas offer views of the spa pool and ocean beyond.
After lunch it was time for our spa services, so I headed back to the women’s relaxation area to meet my therapist Suriya. She led me upstairs where the treatment rooms are located, bringing me to one of the spa’s VIP Suites—the Earth Suite.
The Spa at Terranea has three VIP Suites where couples can unwind together or solo guests can enjoy specialty spa experiences like the Crimson Revival, which I was trying today. The VIP Suites include:
Earth Suite: Comes with a private infrared sauna, Swiss shower, and two treatment tables for solo or couples’ services.
Fire Suite: Includes an oversized copper tub and a built-in fireplace, as well as two treatment tables.
Ocean Suite: Featuring a private balcony with panoramic ocean views, this suite includes a free-standing copper tub, Swiss shower, and a private treatment table.
My treatment took place in the Earth Suite, which has a Swiss shower, an infrared sauna, and two treatment tables.
Today I was going to try the Crimson Revival, one of the spa’s newer signature wellness treatments featuring products from the award-winning Natura Bissé skincare line.
The 120-minute experience focuses on contrast therapy to improve circulation and rejuvenate the body. For those not familiar with contrast therapy, it alternates between exposing your body to cold and warm temperatures in order to encourage an anti-inflammatory response, remove toxins, reduce pain and swelling, and speed up healing.
Suriya provide me with a disposable bikini top and underwear, which I changed into while she stepped out of the room. She instructed me to lie facing up on one of the treatment beds, which she had lined with a thin foil wrap. After she returned, she started by applying a thermal mud all over my body before wrapping me in the foil then placing hot wet towels on top to encourage sweating and detoxification.
After my massage therapist applied a thermal mud over my body, I was wrapped in a foil body wrap and covered with heated wet towels to help encourage sweating and detoxification.
I spent the next 15 minutes in my heated body wrap while she performed a relaxing scalp massage on me. Afterwards I stepped into the Swiss shower to rinse the mud off. The shower was a unique experience because it featured an overhead shower with cold water and vertical shower heads with hot water to further enhance the contrast therapy experience.
I experienced the Crimson Revival, a 120-minute experience that revitalizes circulation and heals the body through the practice of contrast therapy.
After showering and wrapping myself in a warm towel, Suriya offered me a choice between three different teas from wellness brand Naturopathica. They included Ginger & Turmeric for relief of muscle and joint pain, Spearmint & Gotu Kola to balance skin and detoxify the body, and Schisandra & Chamomile, a caffeine-free blend that helps relax the body and enhance sleep.
I was offered my choice of three different Naturopathica teas as part of the service.
I went with the ginger and turmeric tea to help soothe my sore muscles after yesterday’s archery lesson and a round of golf earlier that morning. Once she had prepared the warm tea, Suriya placed it on a tray inside the infrared sauna then applied a cooling aloe vera gel mask all over my body. I spent the next 15 minutes relaxing in the sauna while sipping on my tea, which was a very calming and relaxing experience.
After rinsing off in the shower, a soothing aloe gel mask was applied over my body before I spent 15 minutes in the private infrared sauna for another round of contrast therapy.
When my time in the sauna was up, I went back into the shower to rinse off again. Then it was time for the best part of the treatment: the massage.
After applying a massage oil all over my body (and a warming oil over my abdominal area to encourage additional detoxification), Suriya spent the remainder of the time performing a gentle yet firm massage with heated bamboo sticks. She used firmer pressure on areas of tension, which helped to melt away the knots that had built up.
I especially loved how the bamboo sticks felt on areas like my palms, feet, and legs—it was similar to the effect of gua sha, which is another favorite treatment of mine. If the spa ever decides to add a massage to the menu exclusively featuring bamboo sticks, I’ll be one of the first to book it.
After my spa treatment, my therapist led me to the upstairs relaxation lounge.
At the conclusion of my service, Suriya mentioned to me that the body oil she had applied might leave a warming sensation for the next hour or two and that it was normal. It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, it just felt like I had a heat pack on my stomach, which was actually kind of comforting. Within a half hour, the heat dissipated and I was back to normal.
She led me to the upstairs relaxation lounge which has a fireplace and balcony overlooking the ocean. It was the perfect contemplative spot to spend some time in solitude after a spa service. She also encouraged me to drink plenty of water for the next few hours post-treatment.
The upstairs relaxation lounge includes a fireplace and balcony with ocean views.
I felt lighter afterwards and noticed that my ring was looser when I put it on my finger. My back and arm muscles felt less sore and the following morning I noticed a big difference in my recovery. Typically the day after playing golf my back and arms are sore and tight, but the spa treatment helped decrease inflammation quickly and left me feeling renewed.
Whether you’re looking to detox and shed some water weight or you want to recover faster after working out, the Crimson Revival is definitely a must. If heat and saunas aren’t your thing, you might want to try Discover, the spa’s 90-minute experience that includes an Ocean’s Renewal Massage accompanied by a 30-minute bath soak.
And if your skin needs a refresh, the OTO Renewal CBD Facial is another great treatment to try. It incorporates the award-winning British wellness line OTO and combines breath work with facial massage using natural bamboo pieces, hot basalt and cool stones.
Grateful for my time at The Spa at Terranea, I gazed out across the sparkling Pacific Ocean and reflected on my relaxing spa journey. I felt refreshed and renewed, and looked forward to enjoying the rest of my stay at this magical place on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
I gazed out at the beautiful ocean while reflecting on my relaxing afternoon at The Spa at Terranea.
Cost: Crimson Revival ($750/120 min)
Insider Tips:
Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early to give yourself enough time to enjoy the spa’s amenities.
Bring a swimsuit for the spa pool, hot tub, and cold plunge.
In addition to separate men’s and women’s facilities, there are several co-ed relaxation areas including the spa pool and meditation lounge.
The spa has plenty of indoor and outdoor space and can accommodate larger groups and parties. Spa pool cabanas are available for rental.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Daily)
Address: 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Phone: 855-711-1282
For more information about The Spa at Terranea, visit their website. Follow on Instagram: @terranearesort
[Photos by Kamala Kirk]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk