Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara is a luxury wellness sanctuary located at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, CA.

During a recent stay at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, CA, I had the opportunity to experience the AAA Five-Diamond luxury resort’s Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara, a renowned wellness destination that is known for offering award-winning experiences and globally-inspired services.

Spa Profile: Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara

The spa is the newest experience from the esteemed Miraval Resorts brand, an exclusive collection of destination resorts and spas with locations in Arizona, Texas, and Massachusetts. After Park Hyatt Aviara underwent a $60 million resort-wide renovation, Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara opened in 2023 and represents Miraval Resorts’ expansion of its mindfulness experiences to a new location.

California Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Carlsbad

In addition to offering Miraval’s signature spa treatments, several new services have been exclusively developed for Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara. The spa treatments are inspired by the resort’s location along Carlsbad’s coast, and I got to try one of them during my trip—which was an incredible experience.

Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara is the only standalone Miraval spa facility outside of Miraval's award-winning destination resorts.

Here’s what you’ll love about Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara:

Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara is located at Park Hyatt Aviara, a AAA Five-Diamond luxury resort situated along Southern California’s picturesque Pacific coastline on 200 lush acres overlooking Batiquitos Lagoon.
Spa amenities include an indoor Solarium Quiet Lounge; fitness center; men’s and women’s facilities with sauna, steam room, and whirlpool; indoor and outdoor treatment spaces; private spa pool (for the Vasudhara service); yoga and Pilates studios.
The Spa offers globally-inspired services (including Ayurvedic treatments) and award-winning wellness experiences that are designed to help rejuvenate the spirit and renew the soul.
It’s the newest experience from Miraval Resorts, an award-winning collection of destination resorts in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Texas. It’s also the only standalone Miraval spa facility outside of Miraval's award-winning destination resorts.
In addition to signature Miraval spa treatments, several new services have been exclusively developed for Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara that are inspired by the resort’s coastal location in Carlsbad, CA.
The spa also offers a wide variety of daily enriching wellness activities, fitness classes, and culinary workshops for guests to further enhance their well-being.
An exclusive membership program is available that includes daily access to amenities, activities, and spa services.

Known for their restorative capabilitiess, crystals can be found throughout the spa and are also available for purchase in the retail boutique.

Prior to my spa service, I had signed up for a Glute Strength Class at the spa’s fitness center, which is located on the opposite side of the resort away from the spa. Since I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, my hips tend to be quite tight, so I thought the class would be a good opportunity to help loosen them up.

I enjoyed the intimate size of the class (there were four of us), and our instructor incorporated step benches, free weights, medicine balls, and resistance bands as she led us through various exercises that were designed to help improve tight hip flexors and gluteal muscles, in addition to helping to prevent back and hip pain.

The class was challenging and fun—by the end of the 50-minute session, I had worked up quite a sweat. I was looking forward to a shower and some time in the spa’s whirlpool before my treatment, which I knew would help aid in faster recovery after an intense workout.

I also signed up for the Glute Strength Class at the Fitness Center, which helped loosen tight muscles, especially around the hips.

Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara offers an extensive list of fitness classes, workshops, yoga and meditation. A few standouts include Aerial Yoga, which lengthens muscles and releases tension with hanging aerial silks; Singing Bowls Floating Meditation, which calms your mind and body while you’re elevated in a silk hammock accompanied by soothing vibrations of crystal bowls; and Bungee Fitness, a low-impact, high-intensity workout that improves cardiovascular endurance and body tone with resistance from a bungee and your body weight. View their full list of offerings here.

If I’d had more time, I would have loved to sign up for as many classes and workshops as I could, but there’s always next time!

A wide range of fitness classes are also offered at the spa including Aerial Yoga, which incorporates hanging aerial silks to lengthen muscles, release tension, and improve overall health and physical agility.

I had the pleasure of meeting with the spa’s director, Angee Smithee, who gave me a tour of the spa facilities and explained that keeping the high-energy fitness center separate from the spa helps to maintain the spa’s relaxing atmosphere.

She also pointed out the various crystals that are located throughout the spa, incorporated into the decor, experiences such as the crystal meditation, and available for purchase in the spa’s boutique. Crystals and stones offer numerous restorative powers and can help anchor you to the present moment, cleanse energy, encourage balance, and more.

Next to the spa's reception desk is a lounge with a relaxing fireplace.

The spa's expansive retail boutique carries a wide variety of clothing, skincare, wellness items, and accessories including jewelry, crystals, and candles.

After my tour, I was given a locker along with a robe and slippers. Once I had showered and changed, I headed over to the spa whirlpool to help loosen my muscles before my treatment, which always feels extra relaxing.

The women’s spa facilities also include a sauna and steam room, along with comfortable seating and infused water to keep you hydrated (which is especially important after a sweat session in the sauna!)

The women's facilities include a spacious locker room and changing area.

The men's and women's facilities include separate saunas and steam rooms.

The women's facilities also include a relaxing whirlpool with ample seating.

Then I headed to the Solarium to meet up with my husband before our spa treatments. The Solariums is the spa’s co-ed indoor quiet lounge and relaxation area where you can spend time with friends or your significant other if you’re coming to the spa together.

The spacious, light-filled space features a glass ceiling, botanical-inspired decor, a fireplace, and plenty of comfortable loungers. Towards the back there is another relaxation room with seating that is separated by curtains if you would like additional privacy.

There’s also a snack table where you can enjoy a selection of healthy, chef-curated treats and infused water. I enjoyed nibbling on Financiers, Recovery Date Truffles, and Dark Chocolate Mendiants—all were delicious and I had to stop myself from eating too many before my treatment!

The co-ed indoor Solarium Quiet Lounge offers plenty of space for relaxing before and after one's spa services.

The light-filled Solarium features a glass ceiling and beautiful botanical-inspired decor.

The Solarium also has a fireplace and reading materials.

At one end of the Solarium, guests can relax privately in comfortable loungers with curtains.

A selection of fresh healthy snacks are also available in the Solarium along with infused water.

It was time for our treatments—my husband was getting the Miraval Deep Tissue Massage while I was going to experience one of the spa’s exclusive treatments, the Ocean Song Body Renewal Ritual.

My therapist greeted me and led me down the hallway to my treatment room, where I noticed a set of beautiful crystals had been placed at the entrance on a small ledge next to my room number.

My therapist informed me that every day, different crystals are selected by each spa therapist and set by the door of the treatment rooms. It adds a nice personalized touch to the experience, which is one of the things that sets Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara apart from other places—the emphasis on creating and offering fully customizable experiences that are tailored to the intention of each guest.

Different crystals are selected by the spa's therapists daily and placed at the entrance to each treatment room.

The spa also offers Inspired Itineraries, which are 3 and 5-day sample itineraries filled with each guest’s choice of wellness classes, spa treatments, culinary workshops, and more. Whether you’re seeking relaxation, self-care or reconnection, the team will work with you to create the perfect experience that will help foster balance, serenity, and relaxation so that when you leave, you feel refreshed and renewed.

Today I was experiencing the Ocean Song Body Renewal, a 120-minute service that is inspired by the resort’s coastal destination. It’s one of the treatments that is exclusive to Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara, and it’s also one of their most popular services.

I experienced the Ocean Song Body Renewal Ritual, a 120-minute service that was exclusively created for Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara.

My treatment began with a full-body exfoliation on the treatment table so that my skin would be able to absorb the full benefits of the bath soak. Using gentle motions, my therapist scrubbed my skin with an aromatic rosemary sea salt. It smelled refreshing and felt great.

Once he had finished scrubbing my front and back, my therapist stepped out of the room so that I could enjoy some quiet time in the deep soaking tub, which had been freshly drawn. It was infused with magnesium and sweet birch to help relieve tight muscles, which was much needed after my workout class.

After my bath, he returned to the room and proceeded to perform a full-body massage for the remainder of the time. He used skin-nourishing elements that were designed to hydrate my skin and restore balance, then at the end of the session he used a singing bowl to create soothing vibrations that mimicked the waves of the ocean—a relaxing end to a wonderful spa service.

The service included a session in the private soaking tub that was filled with sweet birch and magnesium to soothe skin and relax muscles.

I met my husband back in the Solarium, and he said that his deep tissue massage really helped to relax his sore muscles from playing golf at Aviara Golf Club earlier that morning. The Miraval Deep Tissue Massage is a therapeutic service that incorporates arnica oil to relieve stiff joints and tight muscles. It’s a great option for athletes as well as those seeking pain relief, especially if it’s been a while since they’ve had a massage.

We strolled outside to the spa’s outdoor area, which has a pathway framed by beautiful circular arches covered in fragrant jasmine. The path leads to several private treatment cabanas where couples can enjoy spa services together, along with other select treatments.

The spa's outdoor Batiquitos Sanctuary has a walkway with beautiful circular arches wrapped in fragrant jasmine.

At the end of the walkway there is a gate that leads to a private spa pool reserved for the Vasudhara service, a unique spa experience that embraces the weightlessness of water. It’s a 50-minute treatment that incorporates relaxing Thai massage stretching led by the spa therapist while you’re floating on your back in the room-temperature pool.

During the experience, your eyes are covered so that you can completely relax in darkness while listening to soothing sounds coming from underwater speakers. It sounds like an incredibly unique wellness experience and I definitely want to try that next time I visit!

For the rest of the day we were so relaxed and we both had a wonderful night’s sleep that evening. We woke up feeling well rested and ready to embark on our scenic hike around Batiquitos Lagoon Trail, which is a walking distance from the resort.

While the above were just a sampling of some of the amazing offerings at the resort and spa, there are so many other experiences to enjoy. The best part is that no matter how many times you come back, you’ll never have the exact same experience twice. Every time you return, an entirely new adventure awaits you at Park Hyatt Aviara and Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara.

The walkway leads to private indoor and outdoor treatment cabanas as well as a private spa pool for the Vasudhara service, which embraces the weightlessness of water.

Cost: Ocean Song Body Renewal Ritual ($750/120 min)

Insider Tips:

Arrive 15 to 30 minutes early to give yourself enough time to enjoy the spa’s amenities.
Bring a swimsuit if you plan to go in the whirlpool.
In addition to separate men’s and women’s locker rooms and amenities, there is a co-ed indoor Solarium Quiet Lounge with snacks and relaxation areas.
For a unique wellness experience, try one of the spa treatments that are exclusive to Park Hyatt Aviara such as the Warrior’s Recovery Massage or the Ocean Song Body Renewal Ritual.
Refer to the daily class schedule to sign up for yoga and meditation, fitness and culinary classes, and creative workshops offered by the spa.
Extend your stay and immerse yourself in a world of relaxation and well-being by signing up for a 3 or 5-day Inspired Itinerary, which consists of spa services, wellness activities, and exclusive amenities curated by the spa’s dedicated reservations team.

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Daily)

Address: 7100 Aviara Resort Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92011

Phone: (760)-603-6902

For more information about Miraval Life in Balance Spa, visit their website. Follow on Instagram: @parkhyattaviara

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[Photos by Kamala Kirk]

Spa Review: We Visited Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara in Carlsbad, CA to Experience Exclusive Services Inspired by Its Coastal Location