If you know me at all you know for the past 4/5 years I have dreamed of going to Solage. Well the time finally came where I got to go and I loved every relaxing minute of it.
For my 30th birthday this year I had gone wine tasting in Yountville. One of the places we checked out was Cornerstone Cellars. It was very highly rated so we went in for a tasting and fell in love with the wine. So when a notification from TravelZoo popped into my inbox offering a discounted tasting and cheese plate at Cornerstone. I jumped on the chance to buy it! So on the way to Calistoga this was my first stop!
After drinking wine, eating cheese and joining a wine club, it was on to Solage. The drive from Yountville was about 25minutes. Upon arrival at Solage - the concierge took our bags, car and offered up some ice tea.
Each room at Solage is bungalow style with a parking spot next to your location. Two cruiser bikes and a lock await you as your main mean of transportation around the resort or into town. And an eco friendly tote and water are waiting for you upon arrival in the room.
The room includes high tech amenities such as an iPad programmed as resort guide, free wifi (strong signal! I was actually able to work) and Apple charging station.
The main pool is just as gorgeous as all the pictures make it out to be. Seating was never a problem when I was there and they have 4 - 5 cabana's you can rent out for the day at the end of the pool. The pool bar offers a large selection of items and the pool staff was very attentive. I do recommend the Kirin Frozen Beer - although I am not much of a beer drinker... the frozen top keeps the beer so cold all the way to the last drop. Amazing for those hot hot days!
Sol Bar was tied for my favorite part of the trip - along with spa. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! I actually ate here all 3 days. :) The fish tacos were the bomb - hands down best I have had in California! I got these each day. It comes with a pickled cabbage and a spicy aioli sauce -- thinking about this right now has me drooling! The pork belly steamed buns on the dinner menu were also really good. Tons of flavor - good size.
In regards to food - other than being at the resort - I did not feel like downtown Calistoga had much to offer. I biked into town each day as well, looked around, got some ice cream, got an appetizer or two but that was about it. Everything closes really early and there are not many shops to walk around to - One or two cute ones but you can be in and out in 10/20 mins.
Now the spa...which is probably why most people come to Calistoga/Solage anyway! The grounds are amazing -- best I have seen at any resort. Walking in there is a relaxation room - recently redone - and almost pure white from the ceiling to the floor. So pretty! Right outside of this waiting area is an open garden where you can see across to the fitness area. Down one path are the massage rooms - each offering a private entrance from the path and an outdoor shower. Down another path you will find the entrance to the bathhouse and mud bar. And just a little further in you will find the geo thermal mineral pool - 18yrs and older only and at a temperature of 98 degrees.
The treatment I did was the Solage sampler only offered between Monday - Thursday. For 320 dollars - got 3 treatments. First it started with a 30 minute body scrub - you have 3-4 scrubs/scents to choose from. I chose the lavender scrub - not only does it smell amazing - it is locally made. After the scrub - I rinsed off in the outdoor shower and moved on to a wonderful 60 minute Solage massage. As most of you - working on a computer with my horrible posture all day leaves me with neck and shoulder pain so there is nothing better than a good massage. Sadly 60 minutes is way to short. Thankfully - that was not the end... I then moved over to the 60 minute signature mudslide. The first portion of the mudslide is the mud... shocking I know. Here you pick essential oils to be mixed into the mineral enriched mud. Some will mix up the mud and send you into a heated room where you will apply the mud all over your body. The mud then dries and pulls out all those toxins from your body. After about 20-25 minutes an attendant will knock on your door - ask you to shower at one of the indoor showers in your heated room or at the outdoor shower. The next 20 minutes is the water portion of the treatment. You relax in a private soaking tub which is filled with the geo thermal mineral waters. Lastly you will then move into the rest portion. Here you get into a chair and put on headphones -- the chair syncs the smoothing music to vibrations. They say that 20 minutes of sleep in this chair is equivalent to 2 hours of REM sleep. Sadly I was so focused on trying to sleep within that 20 minute timeframe...I could not fall asleep. :(
The only disappointing part of the trip was a bachelorette party at the pool on Sunday. The group was girls were way to loud and way to drunk to be at the pool. By 6pm they were falling over which lead to getting the pool with bloody cuts and dropping phones in the pool. Ugh - so annoying and not what you want to deal with when you are paying close to 500 dollars a night.
Overall I loved my trip to Solage and I would not change it for the world. I am so thankful I got to check it off my bucket list. Next time (yes there will be a next time) I think instead of staying at the hotel - I will stay in Yountville and drive to Solage for a spa treatment and some fish tacos. :)
Highlight of my Trip:
- Fish Tacos
- Spa
- Crusin' around on the Cruisers!
On my to-do list next time:
- Explore some wineries around the area
- Try something new at the spa
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