Every year at the end of January/beginning of February I look forward to the ultimate indulgence: spa time with some of my dearest girlfriends, the perfect antidote for the grey days of winter and a chance to repent for the excesses of the holidays. Historically we like to change it up each year, and this year the destination was The Golden Door, which had been on the list for years as it is the Grand Dame of luxury spas in the US.
We have been pretty spoiled in past years (you can read about last years trip to Mii Amo in Sedona here and 2024’s visit to Palazzo Fiuggi outside of Rome here) so the bar for Golden Door was set pretty high.
One of the reasons it has taken us so long to book at Golden Door is that normally they insist on a full week stay, which to be honest is not the easiest thing to commit too, especially for 6 people trying to coordinate their busy schedules. Following news of some friends successfully lobbying for a shorter (4 night stay) we decided to try our luck, and after some persistence we were successful and able to secure a four night stay in early February.
Coming from Montana, the weather in San Marcos CA (about 45 minutes outside of San Diego) promised to be pretty heavenly. In years past we had returned multiple times to Cal-a-Vie which is in the same general vicinity, so we were familiar with the area. Sadly, the experience at Cal-a-Vie changed over time (you can read my final review of our stay here) which is what precipitated the desire to explore other spa experiences.
Golden Door has been in existence for almost 70 years, since 1958! One of the more noteworthy aspects of Golden Door is that 100% of their net profits are given to charity which actually makes you feel pretty good about indulging in what is a very pricy stay.
While the total price of a visit is indisputably high, the rate is all-inclusive of a lot, including of course room and full board but also transportation from San Diego or Los Angeles, a tremendous host of activities, training sessions, daily facials and massages as well as much more. There is the opportunity to add on additional services of course but even if you don’t you will feel fully pampered and cosseted.
Lets get down to the nitty gritty… I opted to fly in to Los Angeles in order to spend a night visiting my son, and then met up with one of my friends in the morning to be driven to the spa together, arriving in time for lunch. After approximately a two hour drive we arrived at the iconic golden doors and were ushered back in time to a kinder and gentler place.
The first order of business was check-in, which like everything else at Golden Door was a stress-free process, especially as it was accompanied by a delicious gluten free ginger cookie and a tiny origami crane. There are so many little touches at Golden door, which set the stage for a truly extraordinary visit.
The Japanese inspired property consists of 600+ acres (plus miles of trails) and is absolutely stunning. We saw teams of gardeners during our stay who are dedicated to keeping everything looking perfect, there is literally not a leaf out of place! It didn’t hurt that the weather was absolutely idyllic during our visit, cool and crisp in the morning and 75 degrees and sunny during the day.
Sundays at Golden Door are turnover days so our first meal was not really indicative of the meals we would enjoy during the rest of our stay. While lunches are normally served by the pool, Sunday lunches are served inside the dining room to accommodate guests as they arrive. There are extensive conversations with staff before your visit to discuss not only scheduling of services but also goals for the trip (relaxation, restoration, weigh-loss etc) and dietary restrictions. Each guest is given the choice as to whether they would like small, medium or large servings during mealtime, and following an informal survey I found most opted for medium. The food (predominantly Asian inspired) is fresh, healthy and local, (most of the produce is grown on property) and absolutely delicious.
There are several different areas where the rooms/cottages are located; my friends and I were all in Camellia (area C) which we loved because the location was so convenient to everything. Like everything at Golden Door the accommodations are a mix of quiet luxury, nothing loud or flashy, everything is spotlessly clean. Minimalism is not my usual aesthetic, but I really enjoyed the simple Japanese decor as well as the impeccable service.
Perhaps it was my exhaustion at the end of the day, but the bedding was divine (especially after I requested soft down pillows to be delivered to the room).
Breakfast is served daily in your room at Golden Door which was disappointing at first; I usually love ta social breakfast, but ultimately I found I kind of liked the solitude. A tray is delivered to your room while you are out hiking and then enjoyed at your leisure. Thankfully caffeine is not prohibited like at some spas..
Lunch is served daily by the pool, and as you would expect it is healthy, delicious, and highly photogenic! All the menus are tailored to each guest’s specific dietary restrictions. Each morning the menu choices for lunch and dinner are distributed with the breakfast tray and you are able to mark down what you would like as well as any changes you might like to make.
Dinner is served nightly in the beautiful Japanese inspired dining room. The tradition at Golden Door is to come to dinner in the Golden Door yukata (an informal Kimono) provided in each room which seemed a little odd at first, but by the end we all loved the ease of it. The six of us always had our own table, but there were plenty of guests either on their own or traveling as couples who happily sat at communal tables enabling them to make new friends. The dinners were consistently tasty and appealing visually. Our last night was Fajita night with locally made tortillas and guacamole made from the avocados on property, really delicious!
The activities at Golden Door are endless and varied, with a majority of the highly trained and professional staff having been there for many years. They are extremely encouraging and upbeat, making all fitness levels comfortable; there is truly something for everyone.
Here is my schedule for the full three days of my visit. There is a wonderful balance of exercise, lectures, beauty treatments and relaxation. The highlight (aside from the pampering) was the morning hike: invigorating and beautiful.
The setting of Golden Door is stunning, and as I mentioned the morning hike (different options for different fitness levels) is not to be missed. Catching the sunrise is truly special. On our last morning there was a hike to a mountain top labyrinth (there are actually two on property) which was a time of reflection and peace, even with the 30 or so others on the hike.
As far as activities and treatments, the staff is always encouraging guests to step outside their comfort zone and try something new. To that end I tried wall yoga (amazing) and water aerobics (if you know me you know that is ordinarily something I would never do); and was happy I did! I also indulged in all kinds of facials and body treatments, all very much in my comfort zone, but highly satisfying all the same. The spa uses Biologique Recherche products which are wonderful, even my husband noticed how great my skin looked when I got home.
Extra Kudos to the housekeeping staff who took care of daily laundry and even cleaned my hiking shoes each morning. If you opt to take advantage of the sweats/tees and warm up jackets provided (many guests did) you really don’t have to pack much!
All in all the stay at Golden Door was perfection. It is like stepping back to a kinder and gentler time, a perfect antidote to the daily onslaught of chaotic and distressing news we are constantly bombarded with. All of us felt so well taken care of, completely refreshed and restored which was exactly our objective. The best part, and something which I can’t stress enough is the importance of spending quality time with girlfriends.
We all agreed we will return, but maybe not next year; stay tuned, we may need to squeeze in a return to an international spa next year.