Glen Ivy -An Inexpensive Day Or Weekend Spa Getaway!
Written: Jul 14 '02 (Updated Aug 21 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Relaxing day spa (or weekend), therapeutic mud, massage, facials, pools, rustic atmosphere
Cons: Crowding, parking, intense heat in the summer
The Bottom Line: Relaxing day/weekend getaway for you, friends, significant other. Off season/weekdays best to alleviate parking/crowds. Need deposit/reservation ahead for massage, facial. Go ahead! You deserve it!
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| Suzer's Full Review: Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa |
Ever have a day or week when you go out to your car, shut all the windows and scream bloody murder, or want to? Well, my sister Teri and I decided we needed to be pampered. We didn't have hundreds of dollars to spend on a luxury spa, so decided to head out to the California Desert, specifically to the Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa near Palm Springs, California. This is a day spa with a beautiful, natural setting, thermal mineral waters, palm trees and flowers, world class skin and body therapies. What I particularly appreciated about the spa, besides the gorgeous atmosphere and friendly employees, and the ability to unwind, is that there was no self-consciousness necessary.
Population:
There were people there from their early twenties to seniors, very thin to average, to a little heavy to obese, it just didn't matter, from all different backgrounds, lifestyles. People were there to have fun, relax, and forget all of their day to day worries. There were women and men, though certainly more women than men. They ran the gamut. There were no children there (they only accept ages 16), but other than that, the group was extremely diverse.
Options:
You can go to the spa for the day, and totally luxuriate in the mud bath pools, the regular pool, the jacuzzis, sun, get a massage, facial, just kick back and relax. The cost for Friday, Saturday or Sunday is $35.00. The cost for a weekday is $25.00 Monday through Thursday (this is waived with certain hotel arrangements).
If you wish to make it an overnight trip or a weekend, there are several hotels with whom they have an arrangement to provide free entrance to the spa, with an overnight stay at the hotel. Some provide continental breakfast also.
Hotels Providing Free Entrance to the Spa Per Their Website:
*COUNTRY INN
*COUNTRY SUITES
*EMBASSY SUITES
*DYNASTY SUITES
*BEST WESTERN
Our Experience:
We decided to stay at a nearby hotel, gain free entrance to the day spa, and just relax and unwind. She reserved time for a facial, and I reserved time for an hour massage. We immediately advised that we were available for our appointments so we wouldn't miss our scheduled time. They were both wonderful, but I am sure it depends on the person performing the service. You will find dim lighting, soft music, and you will be able to let your worries float away. After the appointments, we swam, went to the steam room, hot tub, sprawled out on rafts in the pools, (we skipped the mud baths, but others may love it). We talked, we read, we allowed the sun to relax us (we brought sun block so we wouldn't have to worry). We stayed the entire day (arrived as early as possible to avoid the parking hassles).
Here is what they offer as stated on the site-subject to change:
*Lap Pool with aqua aerobics
*Covered Hot Pool
*Mud bath
*Mineral Baths (15!)
*Champagne Pools
*Lounge Pool
*Terrace Pools
*Sauna
Some of the Types of Massage Offered (from the website, and prices may vary):
~Swedish: $75.00- Long strokes, kneading of muscles, recommended for first timers to massage 50 minutes
~Shiatsu: $90.00-Massage with fingers placed on certain spots of the body; deeper than Swedish
~Combo of both: $80.00 50 minutes
~Stress Reliever: Neck, head, shoulders $45 20 minutes
~Temescal Stone Therapy Massage: Water warmed stones placed on your body for those who have difficulty unwinding $125, 80 minutes
~Reflexology: $35.00
~Aromatherapy massage is $5.00 extra.
~Facial: $65.00
~Acne facial:$80.00.
They request that you be sure to place your reservation 2-4 weeks in advance with a credit card.
What else do they offer?:
They also have a cafe at the spa, a store to purchase swimsuits, gift items including their special therapeutic mud.
For whom would this be appropriate:
This is an excellent getaway for either the day, overnight or weekend. If you wish to schedule a massage or facial, pedicure or manicure, be sure to book in advance by credit card. Also be sure to be prompt, as you will lose your appointment if late.
I have just visited The Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa on three occasions, and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent there. In spite of the enormous crowds, we were able to totally relax and enjoy. We just tuned out the other people. We elected to forego the mud baths, as it looked so messy. They suggest bringing an old, inexpensive bathing suit if you want to use the mud pool. However, later I purchased a small container of the red clay mud, and have used it on my face many times, and it is just phenomenal. My face is so soft and smooth after use. You might also wish to bring a good sized towel or cover up.
The Pros:
The beautiful scenery, wonderful relaxing pools, all the amenities, the lack of self consciousness, ability to get away from it all. The massages and manicures, pedicures are great.
The Negatives:
The crowded parking lot, and the hundreds of people at the spa. I went on a weekend, so it would be preferable to go during the week or off season. If you want a more private spa with less concern about the crowds, they are certainly available, but will be much more costly.
Additionally, it is critical that you reserve your massage, manicure, pedicure. If you are late, you will lose your space! Pricing varies on whether you are just visiting the spa for the day or staying for a night or weekend at a hotel, whether you opt for a massage, facial, pedicure, manicure and other services, so somewhat hard to estimate. Also, if you elect to stay at a hotel, ensure it is reasonable distance, allowing for traffic from the spa or you may miss your appointments.
You may obtain additional pricing, directions and other information at their website. I can't possibly share it all here, and the photo reflected at epinions hardly does it justice, so check out their site through the manufacturers page here or
http://www.glenivy.com
Payment Accepted per their brochure and site:
Visa, Master Card, AMEX, Discover
Additional Information per website and brochure:
Cancellation is permitted up to 5:00PM the day before. If you call after 5:00PM, or don't show up they will charge you $25 penalty per appointment, and they do mean business on this! They suggest you arrive 15 minutes before each appointment scheduled.
To sum up:
If you live in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, or will be visiting there, you owe it to yourself to investigate the Glken Ivy Hot Springs Spa. If you are very well off, you may want to go to a more private spa, but everyone can afford a day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa. I just listed some of their offerings here, as my reviews tend to be wordy enough! Go look at their website and take a tour; see all they have to offer!
Phone reservations:
8:00AM to 9:00PM daily
1-888-CLUB-MUD
Thanks for reading!
Suzi
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
Suzer
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 - Top 100 |
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Member: Suzi
Location: Southern Calif.
Reviews written: 588
Trusted by: 840 members
About Me:
Compromise-Art of slicing the cake so each person thinks they have the biggest piece.
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