“Wellness” has become a buzzword of sorts within the corporate and nonprofit meetings and events industry over the last few years, indicating a move toward prioritizing mental and physical health throughout the duration of a gathering. Finding a balance between achieving professional goals and meeting the personal needs of attendees can be key to an event’s success, ensuring each person is feeling their best to connect with others and participate in agenda items. While this wellness component often can come from off-site team-building activities, it also might be included on-property by hosting at a spa hotel or resort. This way, attendees will have direct access to diverse services, treatments, and activities in the same place as their meeting.
“In a world in which work has become even more fast-paced and communication is 24/7, people are looking for ways to feel healthy and satisfied while still remaining productive in their careers,” says Shelley Callahan Hanson, director of events at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa in Southern California. “Having our wellness and spa programming component available to meeting planners is an essential part of our offerings.”
When providing spa access within an event agenda by gathering at such venues, a world of wellness is opened to attendees where they can enjoy services such as massage therapies and facial treatments or activities including sound baths, yoga, or fitness workouts. Planners also can opt to either let eventgoers choose their own adventure between meetings or arrange designated group wellness outings that let attendees mingle in a relaxing environment. Either way, the addition of such amenities is sure to revive energy and boost productivity, resulting in success for both the event and eventgoer—not to mention rejuvenated muscles and refreshed skin.
California Meetings + Events has put together some notable spa hotels and resorts that provide stellar wellness offerings in tandem with meeting amenities. From lively hubs in the north and along the central coast to those throughout the southern part of the state, the opportunities for rejuvenation are everywhere.
Up near Redding in Anderson along the Sacramento River, Gaia Hotel & Spa Redding, Ascend Hotel Collection, is home to 120 contemporary guest rooms, suites, and bungalows, all of which offer scenic views of the river or surrounding lush, wooded landscape. Planners will find designated meeting spaces, including the 4,462-square-foot Himalaya Ballroom and the 4,462-square-foot outdoor Wedding Garden, plus a few other smaller boardrooms. Groups might consider booking chair massages through its Living Waters Spa or custom yoga sessions through Simply Rooted, a Redding-based yoga studio. Additional services at Living Waters Spa attendees might enjoy include facials, body treatments such as scrubs and peels, and cosmetic services like lash lifts and brow tints. In a similar vein, Claremont Resort & Club down in Berkeley provides wellness services against a backdrop of rolling hills and greenery. This 19th-century property operates its Forbes Four-Star Spa at the Claremont with holistic wellness in mind, centered on facial rejuvenation, deep muscle relaxation, and skin care products with seasonal ingredients. Groups also can explore the resort’s Club at the Claremont with yoga, tennis, pickleball, and swimming pools, or select from available wellness classes, including a hike through the Berkeley Hills. Embrace California Wine Country at Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa, southeast of Berkeley in Livermore. The rustic, yet chic property provides a collection of charming rooms and suites, as well as nearly 2,500 square feet of event space. Groups might take advantage of several wellness packages to join more traditional agenda items.
Head to the central coast in Monterey to offer attendees bayfront wellness experiences. “At Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay, our on-site Spa on the Plaza is recognized as a world-class, award-winning facility that provides therapeutic spa and wellness services,” says Terri D’Ayon Joyce, director of sales and catering at Portola Hotel & Spa. “Set in a tranquil and serene environment, the spa is designed to offer the utmost relaxation. Attendees can unwind in our relaxation lounge and enjoy well-appointed facilities, including beautiful locker rooms equipped with steam features.” D’Ayon Joyce notes popular group selections for past events at the hotel included aromatherapy sessions and arranging spa therapists to provide neck and shoulder massages to conference participants. “Hosting meetings and conferences at venues that feature a spa significantly enhances attendee engagement by blending productivity with relaxation,” she adds. “This environment encourages attendees to take personal moments to unwind, reducing stress and boosting focus, thus leading to more productive and engaging meetings.”
Another nearby central coast destination to consider is Carmel Valley Ranch, inland from Monterey amid the Santa Lucia Range. The scenic setting features all-suite luxury accommodations complemented by a championship golf course, Valley Kitchen restaurant that sources many of its ingredients from the ranch itself, and Spa Aiyana—the latter embracing nature’s bounty of florals, herbs, and botanicals for its wellness products and services. Between or after meetings in one of the ranch’s several indoor and outdoor event venues, attendees can hit the spa for therapeutic massages, traditional facials, and hypnotherapy done with an on-site hypnotherapist, who assists with improving sleep and reducing stress.
At The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside near Los Angeles, Spa Director Summer Barron emphasizes the hotel’s ability to blend work and wellness seamlessly. “The award-winning Kelly’s Spa at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa provides a luxurious and immersive experience for guests, blending relaxation with Old World Tuscan charm,” she says. Recommended group activities here include sound baths, yoga, stretch sessions, and chair massages, all designed and available for groups of various sizes. “This integration ensures attendees can balance work with relaxation, enhancing focus and productivity,” she adds. “With amenities like eucalyptus steam rooms, full locker facilities, relaxation lounges, and an outdoor pool, [the inn enables] visitors to enjoy a full day of indulgence.” Beyond its wellness facilities, The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa provides several indoor gathering spaces with decor that exudes opulence, from The Grand Parisian Ballroom and The Spanish Art Gallery to the more intimate Ho-O-Kan room.
There are few things that come close to bestowing true serenity like a wellness experience near the Pacific Ocean. In Huntington Beach, two properties embody waterfront tranquility with spa and wellness options planners might incorporate into meeting agendas. “Whether you are planning a surfing adventure, business trip, or your dream destination wedding, our beachfront resort and spa offers coastal-chic accommodations for the perfect place to live, work, and play,” says Vanessa Delp, director of catering at The Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel. “The resort’s Drift–A Waterfront Spa features a Himalayan-salt-stone sauna, steam room, hot tubs, and exquisite relaxation spaces both indoors and out. Planners can incorporate spa and wellness activities into a meeting agenda by scheduling breakout wellness sessions on meditation, breathing, or stretching.” A service Delp recommends is the hot and cold stone massage, focused on tending to sore muscles using Himalayan salt hot stones and marble cold stones—the Himalayan salt component helps improve circulation and exfoliates the skin. A short drive from the resort down the Pacific Coast Highway (state Route 1) will land you at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, home to more than 100,000 square feet of function space across 25 rooms, and the elegant and inviting Pacific Waters Spa.
“Groups can take advantage of pampering spa and wellness treatments and activities, seven outstanding dining options, and superior service in a laid-back, yet luxurious seaside setting,” says Callahan Hanson. “Pacific Waters Spa is the ultimate retreat for body and soul for meeting attendees. It uses natural products and botanical elements to provide the ultimate wellness experience. The spa is over 20,000 square feet with 16 treatment rooms; separate men’s and women’s locker rooms with sauna, steam, and hot-tub facilities; and a sun-filled outdoor patio with lounge furnishings, water features, and a large fire pit.” The resort’s meetings and events team works with planners to arrange private group activities like tranquil beach walks and yoga sessions in addition to spa treatments. “We have a new facial that is outstanding,” she adds. “It is the Codage Signature Facial, [which uses the Codage Paris skin care line] and is customizable to meet all your skin’s specific needs. Codage Paris is 100% made in France, with all vegan and natural ingredients to transform your skin.”
Desert retreat is the name of the game at Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis in Desert Hot Springs just north of Palm Springs, perched atop Miracle Hill overlooking Mount Jacinto and the Coachella Valley. From healing mineral pools and genuine Finnish saunas to a Himalayan salt room and a menu of 35 spa services, the expansive venue has just about everything you might need to create the perfect wellness retreat for attendees. Or consider trading in the desert haven for a Spanish colonial hacienda when gathering at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe near San Diego. Here, planners will find several designated meeting venues, including the Sunrise Room and attached Sunrise Patio, the cozy Wine Cave, and the Terrace Room & Patio, among others. Attendees can keep active between meetings with some friendly competition at the on-site tennis and pickleball courts, or choose some peace and quiet at the Forbes Five-Star Spa at Rancho Valencia with its facial treatments, massage therapies, and guided meditation.
azurepalmhotsprings.com
carmelvalleyranch.com
claremontresortandclub.com
gaiahotelspa.com
hyatt.com
missioninn.com
portolahotel.com
purpleorchid.com
ranchovalencia.com
waterfrontresort.com
