10 Great Wine Country Spas and Retreats for Fall
Fall is a one-of-a-kind season in Sonoma County, as fall flavors come in, grapes are harvested and the rolling hills turn to beautiful autumn colors. And nothing quite says Sonoma County like a wellness getaway to treat yourself. Explore these pampering Wine Country spa experiences.
Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
One of Wine Country's iconic destinations, the spectacular, state-of-the-art Willow Stream spa spans 40,000-square-feet across a rotunda, 36 treatment rooms, and indoor and outdoor pools. Guests come from all around the world to experience the baths, fed by the resort's own ancient source of natural thermal waters rich with 24 trace minerals. You can actually feel the earth's healing and relaxation powers flowing from the springs 1,100 feet directly beneath the Inn. The waters rise at 135 degrees, and have to be cooled for guest use.
The signature Bathing Ritual is included with every visit, featuring an exfoliating shower, two mineral water soaking pools, herbal steam, dry sauna, and cool down showers.
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary
Just entering this lush property feels like an escape, as you disappear into the Kyoto-style meditation garden, a wild riparian area, a field of hammocks, and massage pagodas scattered inside peaceful woodland crisscrossed by babbling creeks.
If you've never tried a cedar enzyme bath, you owe it to yourself to sink into this bit of heaven in wooden tubs filled with hot, finely ground cedar, rice bran and plant enzymes. Arrive early, change into your robe, and have tea in the Japanese garden. The sanctuary's Zen decor inspires meditation in its creek-side sand gardens, and creates the perfect setting for massages in outdoor pagodas amid whispering trees.
blush a day spa
Directed by international skin care expert Dolores de Alba, this Sonoma spa specializes in facial and body treatments designed to balance spirit along with the body, and also give you take-home knowledge of skin care regimes you can continue on your own.
The Power Quench treatment is perfect for tired winter skin, with a 30-minute Hydrate and Plump treatment featuring Oxygen Cloud ECHO2Plus rich with essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Only have an hour to spare? Try a petite facial, a power cleanse/power nap/power glow treatment, or a green tea and mint foot scrub.
Kenwood Inn and Spa
Shrouded by ivy, roses, and trees on a gentle Sonoma hillside, this boutique hotel is an exclusive retreat with just 29 rooms. But from Mondays through Thursdays, even non-guests can indulge in pampering at the property's elegant, intimate spa. Try a 110-minute Ultimate Bliss Massage, customized to your specific target areas, and before and/or after, slide into the heavenly warming pool that's naturally fed by nearby Boyes Hot Springs.
Farmhouse Inn
Sophisticated spa rooms feature fireplaces, upscale farmhouse-chic decor, and farm-to-table signature treatments using produce from the inn's home ranch and herbs from its kitchen garden.
Signature: Indulge in "body melt," which employs a warm pillow of muscle- healing alfalfa hay, lavender, and chamomile, or book a Personal Apothecary treatment to partner with your spa alchemist in blending your own unique therapeutic oil, butter, or exfoliant for a massage, wrap, and/or scrub.
The Spa Gourmet
Husband-and-wife team Cindy Scott-Fuchs and Trip Fuchs take spa style on the road. They first coordinate a location—such as a private, luxury rental home—then they set up a complete spa on-site, often favoring outdoor settings like a mountainside meadow or oceanfront plateau.
Cindy customizes treatments such as Thai massage with hot stone therapy and a warm foot wrap, or a mini-facial with lavender-infused steam, herbal cleanser, and Indian clay mask, and a coconut oil massage. Meanwhile, private chef Trip cooks a feast, ranging from hors d'oeuvres to a full supper. Catering largely to couples and small to mid-size groups in their vacation homes, this duo brings pure relaxation right to you.
Bodega Bay Lodge
Overlooking the wild Sonoma County coastline, Bodega Bay Lodge stunning setting is anchored by an outdoor heated swimming pool and whirlpool spa. Heighten your oceanside experience with a Sonoma Coast Massage, which uses a blend of essential oils of herbs, flowers, and tree leaves to relax, balance and stimulate the body, mind, and spirit.
Gaige House + Ryokan
For guests who want the intimacy of a bed-and-breakfast but the amenities of a luxury resort, this small family-run home brims with high style and top notch service, making it one of Wine Country's most spectacular destinations.
Start your visit by relaxing poolside or in a hammock overlooking Calabazas Creek, then move on to utter bliss with treatments in the spa loft. For the most luxurious retreat, reserve one of the eight Japanese-style Zen Suites, complete with granite soaking tubs for two, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls, and private bamboo gardens.
boon hotel + spa
Tucked at the entry to the Armstrong Redwoods, this oasis of calm offers a spa suite with services that promise to make you feel "like a feathery pillow that's just been fluffed." Their signature Boon Bliss treatment combines a Swedish massage and a facial, and don't miss a relaxing soak in the adjacent whirlpool.
