Eco Spas - Day Spas or Destination Spas
Usual spa choices include the day spa where you receive services and then retreat to your hotel or home, or a destination spa in a more resort-like setting. At the Southern end of the Napa Valley, though, Gaia Hotel and Spa is a hybrid. It is not part of a resort and allows an affordable escape.
Situated on the side of Highway 29, the main drag in the Napa Valley, the
Gaia Hotel is easy to miss. Don’t let its “plain Jane” looks deceive you. Once inside the spacious, clean, and light lobby, you’ll glimpse the lagoon and waterfall, along with wall gauges measuring energy and water usage plus CO
2 emissions. It’s then that you begin to sense that this is no ordinary hotel. It is, in fact, the first Gold Certified LEED (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System) hotel in the world. The meticulous care and attention to green details are evident throughout the hotel, including recycled carpeting throughout, and light diffusing skylights that naturally light up meeting rooms and hallways.
A short trip from the lobby leads to the Asian-fusion themed spa building where a beautiful fountain creates a soothing atmosphere. Here you’ll find seven treatment rooms, offering a variety of services just a touch out of the ordinary, from massages and
facials to scrubs and soaks. You can get a duo (couples massage), nail services with non-toxic, toluene-free polish, Ayurvedic hot stone massage, Thai coconut scrub and massage, and Java Lava Foot Reflexology and Massage, to name a few. Beautiful tubs and showers are available for rinsing off.
In addition to the gurgling fountain, the spa lobby houses a retail display of organic spa products used in the treatments, some of which are not easily available other places. You'll be able to purchase Soleo
sunscreen from Australia that's EWG approved.
Spa manager Kate Riley, a massage therapist herself, has been at the spa for the past two years, arriving shortly after it opened. She’s currently beaming that
The Bohemian, the local alternative newspaper,
named the Gaia Spa the “Best Day Spa” in Napa Valley.
“When I hire a massage therapist, they need to have 700 hours of basic training; 100 or 200 hours won’t do,” says Riley. She goes on to say, “I want people to have a wellness experience here, and think of it as a necessity, not a luxury.” No matter why you are there, if you’re staying at the hotel, it’s just a short walk to your room.
In your room, you'll find organic cotton sheets and towels, organic body care products and bags of organic Numi tea for your morning cup. These rooms come with a reasonable price tag, starting at just $109 per night or less if there's a special in effect, which is a true Napa Valley bargain.
Conveniently adjacent to the hotel is the stylish Gaia restaurant, serving meals made from locally sourced organic ingredients, including a selection of organic wine for dinner. Breakfast and dinner are served daily.
In nearby downtown Napa, just a ten-minute drive, is the highly acclaimed Ubuntu restaurant. The daily menu is determined by what’s fresh and in-season. Even confirmed meat-eaters rave about the meals there and are willing to go vegetarian for the night. Upstairs is a yoga studio if you want to burn some calories and get grounded before sitting down to your meal.
Eco Spa
Issue 1 | September 2009