When You’re Done with the Sun, Find Your Bliss at a Luxurious Palm Springs Spa

So you spent the morning conquering the San Jacinto Mountains or hitting the links on one of Palm Springs’ famous golf courses and now your muscles are screaming for relief. Or maybe you’ve been soaking up the desert sun, and your skin craves a touch of pampering. Or maybe you just headed to this desert oasis because you deserve a little Me Time.

Whatever the reason, Palm Springs, California, has the relief you crave: world-class spas tucked away in luxurious resorts and boutique hotels.

From the rejuvenating powers of Sunstone Massages to the detoxifying Sea Salt Body Scrubs, we’ve curated a list of the Coachella Valley’s finest spas to help you find ultimate relaxation during your Southern California escape. Keep reading to discover the perfect spa experience to melt your stress away.

Read More: Fun Things to Do in Palm Springs and Palm Desert

The Spa at Séc-he

200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way 
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(866) 777-3243

There’s a reason The Spa at Séc-he was named the No. 1 spa in the United States by Top 100 Spas of 2023. In fact, there are many, many reasons.

The 73,000-square-foot spa is beautifully designed and packed with features and amenities designed to heal and soothe, from the soft spa bathrobes to the scents piped in throughout.

It’s part of a museum, casino and cultural plaza run by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and built on the sacred site of the Tribe’s Hot Mineral Spring in downtown Palm Springs. Séc-he, which means “the sound of boiling water,” refers to the hot springs’ natural temperature. It cools to a comfortable 105 degrees by the time it reaches the surface, where it feeds the spa’s outdoor mineral pool and private soaking tubs.

Plan to buy a Taking of the Waters Day Pass. Then arrive the minute the spa opens and stay until it closes. You’ll need all of that time to experience everything this spa offers. The highlight is the restorative private mineral bath filled with the ancient healing waters that leave your skin feeling renewed. But the day pass includes so much more. There are salt caves to heal your lungs and a meditation room to heal your soul. And there are aromatherapy showers, a eucalyptus steam room, a menthol inhalation sauna with a cold plunge shower, and a tranquility room.

Not included in the day pass (but well worth the splurge), are the spa treatments. You can get the standard spa treatments — specialty massages and facials — with an Aqua Caliente twist of local botanicals, indigenous herbs, red clay, aloe, native grains, and blue sage delivered on special massage tables that offer heat and light therapy. Or you can try some cutting-edge experiences such as a cryo-chamber or a zero-sensory, magnesium-dense float.

While all of the Agua Caliente attractions — especially the museum — are worth a visit, don’t do what I did and leave the spa early to check out the other attractions. Check out the museum and casino on a different day so you can spend a full, languid day at the spa., Order lunch at the cafe or to be delivered to you at the outdoor pool, spend some time swimming and then head back inside to end the day with one more guided meditation before you have to give up your spa robe and head back to the real world.

The Spa at Desert Springs

JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
74-855 Country Club Drive
Palm Desert, CA, 92260
(760) 341-2211

The Spa at the JW Marriott Desert Springs has an Interactive Co-ed Wellness Lounge & Spa Experience. This unique lounge, part of the luxury spa, is ideal for couples who want to enjoy some of the amenities together. SheBuysTravel contributor Judy Antell and her husband enjoyed day passes here after a long day of travel from the East Coast. But even if you aren’t fighting jet lag, the lounge is rejuvenating.

With a Finnish Sauna, Turkish Steam Room, Hammam services and an outdoor salt water pool, the Spa at Desert Springs offers a wide variety of services, including Desert Hot Stone, couples massage and Organic Microgreens Facial. To recover from the desert sun, try the Saving Face Hydration, Brightening Vitamin C Facial or the Desert Springs Custom Facial.

Judy describes her experience. “We started (and ended) with massaging chairs, which let you control where and how intensely you are massaged. I felt my shoulders and back muscles, tight from pulling suitcases, relax. And since I had started my day with a hike in the mountains, the leg massage was welcome. You can get an eye mask, collagen gloves and face mask, calf compression massage or massaging goggles as free add-ons.”

“The Mind-Sync loungers gave us 25-minute naps, in zero-gravity chairs. The noise-canceling headsets offer a choice of relaxation, restoration and sleep modes. My water-based sound bath melted away stress. You can stay in these loungers longer than 25 minutes; we checked to see if anyone was waiting, but there were several empty loungers, so we both had relaxing guided meditations. I noticed after we got up that the loungers were immediately cleaned.”

The spa also has two steam rooms, (one lavender scented) a sauna and hot tub in the women’s and men’s areas, a bistro, a large outdoor pool and a full array of spa treatments. You can also use the adjacent gym as part of your spa day.

Read More: Palm Springs Resorts for Family-Friendly Fun

Spa Rosa

45000 Indian Wells Ln
Indian Wells, CA 92210
(442) 305-4505

Located at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, the award-winning Spa Rosa focuses on an organic and natural way to find relaxation.

Special treatments include the Island State of Mind, a 100-minute experience that includes a papaya, pineapple and bamboo body polish exfoliation and a 25 minute massage, and a spa sound bath.

The spa also offers a Desert Rain Drop Therapy massage and a Precious Rose Quartz Facial that uses microcrystal exfoliation and gemstone masks to rejuvenate, hydrate, tighten and detoxify.

Read More: Why Palm Springs Should Be Your Next Girlfriend Getaway

The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage

68900 Frank Sinatra Dr.
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
(760) 321-8282

With 16 treatment rooms (some with private terraces offering views of the California desert)t, the spa at the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage is a luxury retreat close to Palm Springs. In addition to the treatment rooms, the spa has spaces for yoga and meditation, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service salon, and a retail boutique.

Featured treatments include “Spirit of the Mountains,” which uses desert herbs and mineral salts to balance the body; a hot stone body-fortifying massage that targets deep-seated muscular pain and restores comfort and supple movement with active stretching; and a “Heal and Renew” facial that uses guided breathing, visualization, and a soothing warm herbal poultice massage on the face, scalp, hands, and feet.

Spa La Quinta

49499 Eisenhower Dr.
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 777-4800

Located within the La Quinta Resort & Club, the Spa La Quinta mixes technological advancements with classic spa treatments for a rejuvenating spa day.

Unique treatments include the Restorative CBD + Cryo Massage that uses cryo massage rollers to relax tight muscles and joints and therapeutic CBD oil during a full body massage for immediate and lasting antiinflammatory effects. The spa also offers the Lazy Days Detox Seaweed Bathwhich submerges you in a bath of organic, hand-harvested Atlantic seaweed (fucus serratus) to remove unwanted toxins and alleviate aches and pains and the Find Your Zen Ritual, which includes a bath ritual, a dry brushing and guided pranayama breathing.

With four and a half stars on Tripadvisor, one reviewer said “If you ever wondered what it must feel like to be royalty, all you have to do is go to the Spa at La Quinta Resort.”

Agua Serena Spa

44600 Indian Wells Ln.
Indian Wells, CA 92210
(760) 674-4100

The Agua Serena Spa at the Grand Hyatt ndian Wells Resort & Spa offers private men’s and women’s facilities, including a relaxation room, dry sauna, jetted tub and outdoor showers. If you prefer togetherness, there’s a co-ed Reflection Patio where you can relax to the sound of flowing water.

Packages include the Agua Serena Package, which mixes the Custom Therapy Massage and the Serena Skin Specifics Facial. The spa also offers a Couples Connection Package, which includes a soak in a private bath and a couples massage. Or you can create your own package.

Individual services include the signature Cactus & Date Scrub, the Organic Antioxidant Cleanse facial and a Warm Fusion Massage.

The Canyon Spa

2800 South Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(800) 438-2929

The Canyon Spa, located at the Hilon Vacations Club Palm Canyon Palm Springs, offers massages, facials and body treatments as well as a Jacuzzi and poolside bar & grill.

Services include Swedish and deep tissue massages, Glow Peel Facial and European Deep Cleansing Facial.

The spa also offers a list of exfoliations, including the De-Aging Tropical Mango and Ginger Lime Butter Scrub, and body wraps, including the Self Hearting Mud Wrap and Espresso Limon.

Estrella Spa

415 S Belardo Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 318-3000

With an outdoor Jacuzzi, private courtyards, poolside lounges and six indoor treatment rooms, the Estrella Spa at the charming Avalon Hotel & Bungalows Palm Springs provides an ideal desert retreat.

Services include a Swedish or deep tissue signature massage, Sea Salt Body Scrub and Champagne Peel. Signature body treatments include the Turquoise Sage Mud Wrap, which uses wild sage and lavender to purify and calm the skin.

The Desert Spa

67425 Two Bunch Palms Trail
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
(760) 676-5000

The Desert Spa at the adults-0nly Two Bunch Palms wellness retreat provides an experience beyond the standard spa treatments, including a dip in the desert hot springs with mineral water that flows from a 600-year-old spring.

Swimming in the desert hot springs relieves pressure, soothes muscle aches and repairs tissue damage.

Treatments include the Balancing Massage, Superfood Facial and the Abdominal Detox Wrap.

Spa Esmeralda

44400 Indian Wells Ln.
Indian Wells, CA 92210
(760) 836-1265

The 13,00-square-foot Spa Esmeralda at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa has 11 indoor treatment rooms, eight outdoor treatment cabanas and one indoor couples’ suite and men’s and women’s steam rooms and relaxation lounges. The spa also has an innovative recovery lounge that offers a variety of cutting-edge wellness therapies aimed at muscle recovery, travel recovery, and sleep recovery. The Spa Garden is the place to chill before or after a treatment, listening to the sound of cascading water.

Treatments include bath rituals, the Aroma Stone Therapy Massage, Deep Cleansing Facial and the Lavender Dreams Body Treatment.

Spa Las Palmas

41000 Bob Hope Dr.
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
(760) 568-2727

Offering more than 50 different treatments, the Spa Las Palmas at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort offers treatments ranging from the Signature Las Palmas Cactus Healing Massage to the Deep Clean Facial.

The spa also offers the Las Palmas Experience spa package, which includes the Guava Sugar Scrub, Las Palmas Cactus Healing Massage, Desert Mirage Custom Facial and the Classic Spa Pedicure.

Editor’s Note: This is an updated version of a post written by Camryn Cutinello.