This week I took an active travel getaway to Solage Calistoga, a new kind of resort in Calistoga, California, and was truly impressed. And it takes a lot to impress me these days. Although Solage Calistoga was created by the same folks responsible for Auberge du Soleil and the other high-end Auberge properties, it wasn’t the luxury amenities at Solage Calistoga that wowed me. In fact, luxury for luxury’s sake is sort of lost on me. What I liked so much about Solage Calistoga was the all-encompassing dedication to health, both mental and physical. Here are a few lessons drawn from my stay; active travel fans and spa hotel designers, take note!
1. Leave your car at the door. At Solage Calistoga, the first thing you see before you even open the door to your “studio” (as they call the rooms) are bicycles waiting just outside the door. And the bikes aren’t just for getting around the property; you’re welcome to ride them down the Silverado Trail — which by the way is relatively flat — allowing you access to dozens of wineries without burning anything but calories.
2. Offer yoga classes – and make sure the teacher’s truly expert. If I’m going to drag myself to the yoga studio while on vacation, my feeling is I darn well better learn something, and not spend my precious hour grimacing in downward dog and wondering why I bothered. The flow class at Solage taught by Ulrika Engman had as many local devotees as resort guests, a sure sign of excellence. Engman’s suggestions for getting the most from each pose were so helpful that my cobras and twists will never be the same.
3. Provide private hot tubs. A late-night soak under the stars is an absolute necessity for a rejuvenating getaway, in my humble opinion. (And speaking as someone who’s got a bad back.) But too often you’re sharing an overcrowded tub with loud, over-enthusiastic folks who want to whoop it up or tell you about their day’s adventures when what you really want is to mull over your own in meaningful silence.
4. Purify pools with salt water. Nothing feels more like an oxymoron than trying to soak away your aches and pains in over-chlorinated water. Your skin feels itchy, your nose twitches, your silver rings and bracelets turn black, and you wonder: if that’s what the chemicals are doing to my jewelry, what’s it doing to myDNA?
5. Offer healthy menu choices — and mark them clearly on the menu. Top-notch chefs are pretty common in the Napa Valley, and while I’m the first to appreciate delicious food, it’s also true that you can find an amazing roast pork loin just about anywhere these days. But kale expertly seasoned so it’s not bitter? Not so much. At Solbar, the surprisingly cozy yet expansive restaurant at Solage Calistoga, the menu is listed in two separate columns, color-coded: red for richer, meatier choices and green for lighter, healthier fare. Makes it much easier to be sure that your dinner isn’t going to undo the benefits of all that cycling.
Wow. Sounds like an amazing – and healthy – get away. I would love to visit and I love the tips you've offered
I completely agree with the salt water pool comment. Chlorine- nasty stuff, but salt water, I'm on board with saline.
This is the hotel I want to stay at. Interviewed the manager for a story I wrote for Green Hotels magazine. She had so many great things to say about this hotel that I was really wanting to pick up the phone and book a couple of room nites.
Love salt water (I'm allergic to chlorine). This sounds magical..
What a fabulous place! I'm forwarding this post to my friend in Mill Valley, who was looking for this type of special experience to give her husband for his 70th birthday.
Love the private hot tub suggestion – all too often it's too noisy and icky, not to mention distracting to share it with a bunch of strangers!
Sounds like a great getaway. Believe it or not, I liked the idea of kale and other foods we sometime shun, prepared well.
For me, #5 is most important. I always appreciate when a restaurant has healthy but tasty menu options!
I love love love LOVE (did I say love?) bicycling and the idea of a resort providing bikes seems totally awesome to me. I want to go here! (Even though I hate resorts!). It's so cold and gray in southern Oregon today that I have to admit that reading this was a bit painful…
What a great resort. I'm adding it to my "go visit" list. Thanks.
What a nice trip and great takeaways for us. Thanks!
The hiking trail down the road is another great health benefit to a Solage stay. just love that you can climb for miles above the vineyards on a winding old mining trail.
Wow–this place sounds fantastic. I love the concept of the private hot tub.
My brother in law used to be one of the chefs here.
A real pleasure to meet you and discover your blog! Your tips are perfect!
Vitamin C, is vital for the development and growth of human cells and tissues. It enhances our immune system, rebuilds bone and assists in the healing process. It also helps in the formation of collagen, the primary protein of connective tissues in the body i.e. skin, tendons, bone, cartilage and teeth. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, Kiwi fruit, tomatoes, broccoli, raspberries, guava.