I had the pleasure of visiting the Terranea Resort on the Palos Verdes Pennisula over the weekend. This was a weekend of relaxation for me and man did I need it!
As a travel journalist, it had been a while since I had the opportunity to get out of my routine — and sometimes all it takes to rejuvenate is to go just ONE hour away from home.
I’m lucky enough to live in Southern California where the weather is (almost) always gorgeous and there are so many beautiful resorts right off the ocean boasting spectacular views. Terranea Resort is no exception.
The property is on about 120 acres right along the coast. Brief history: the land was left abandoned for years after the Marineland theme park was shut down. After years of back and forth with the Palos Verdes Conservancy to ensure everything was being done right and within the guidelines of the preservation society, Terranea opened up. It just celebrated its 5th anniversary!
There are so many things to do on the resort, including a very impressive kids program. Marissa Edwards works at the resort with the title “Director of All Things Fun” — this is definitely the place to visit for a wide variety of activities.
I decided to take it easy on my relaxing weekend away from the hectic city life in Los Angeles, so I opted for the spa. As part of the resort experience, the Terranea offers a full-service day spa, meaning on top of your treatment you can also enjoy the other facilities for the entire day.
Welcome to the Spa at Terranea Resort
When you first enter the spa you are greeted by a receptionist in an area that looks like a gift shop (probably because it is one). There you sign in with your name and the time of your appointment. I had a massage scheduled for 2:15 — although I arrive at 11:30. I was planning on taking full advantage! When you first get there it looks rather busy and not very exclusive, but then you enter another set of doors and the quiet tranquility of the spa greets you!
There are women waiting inside the door of the private area to show you to your locker and give a quick tour of the facilities. The entire spa overlooks the Pacific ocean with cliffs all along the glass encasement. It is truly lovely!
What to Expect from the Day Spa
The spa includes everything you would need as a woman. I can be pretty picky sometimes and I didn’t notice a single detail missing. From the hair dryer to the disposable hair brushes (of course I forgot mine!), they had it all. Heck, they even had shaving cream in the showers, which I was grateful for since I forgot to shave my legs before my full body massage! Whoops.
The spa is actually more than 50,000 square feet in total and includes a private pool for people who have been approved to use the area or have appointments that day. It also includes separate indoor and outdoor lounge areas for just women, two sauna, a steam room, whirlpool, cold plunge, and fire pit — all close together so you’re not walking from one end of the spa to the other. There is also gym access (which all guests can use) from inside the spa area. There you can take a yoga class or ride a stationary bike pointed directly toward the vast blue ocean.
I particularly liked the steam room. I have allergies this time of year and the steam really helps de-congest. I felt so much better when I got out of sitting in there for just 10 minutes. The health benefits of a spa are endless as well, but that’s another topic for another day!
The Massage
I will admit, I am guilty of running out last minute to one of the numerous Thai massage parlors for a quick (and cheap!) fix in the city. Sometimes when you’ve had a particularly stressful day and just want to loosen up a bit, I always falsely think they will help. After being beaten to a pulp and stretched in ways my body doesn’t really want to go, I’m even more sore than when I arrived and not feeling much better. Boy have I learned my lesson…
Let me introduce you to a REAL massage!
Upon going to the waiting room for my appointment, I was greeted by my massage therapist named Sara. She brought me up a winding staircase to one of the many massage rooms. This is a large resort, so it’s important they accommodate everyone! But don’t expect to feel like they are hiring quantity over quality. Sara is a certified massage therapist in the state of California and has been to four different massage schools to specialize in different treatment area and the specific needs of each.
I carry a lot of my stress in my upper shoulders, which she knew immediately and worked to make sure she took extra care of those areas. Most of the time I see massages as a necessary evil. It definitely hurts when your tense shoulders are being knead on with strong hands. But I endure knowing in the end I will feel much better. This was not the case with Sara — she knew the exact pressure to put on the areas that needed more work and when to ease up or go a bit heavier depending where she was massaging. I felt the stress start to melt away the second I laid down on that table.
It was such a special treat to be able to take a day for myself and really rejuvenate! I hope you find the time for some well deserved R&R soon too!
Happy spa hopping!
Images Courtesy: Terranea Resort