Terranea Resort and Spa: Taking a Holiday From the Holidays

Pretty much everybody who counts calories, including busy moms and grandmothers, have told themselves year after year the diet and new fitness routine will start sometime after New Year’s Day … or at least when the kids go back to school. While many fitness and spa resorts will see clients rolling in after the holiday clean-up, there is the argument there is no need to wait for Jan. 1. A mom’s getaway to the spa may be the best gift a woman can give herself, along with her mom, adult daughter, siblings, cousins and so on.

Terranea Resort and Spa, conveniently located — and yet carefully hidden away in Los Angeles a few miles from city’s busy cruise terminal — is a perfect destination to get a jumpstart on one’s good wellness intentions for 2019 with its new Daycation program as well as its customized three-, five- or seven-night Wellness Retreat stays. The 10-year-old resort already enjoys a reputation as one of Los Angeles’ most romantic weekend escapes and a kid- and pet-friendly embodiment of the California dream. It’s also been a popular destination for girl’s getaways and bachelorette weekends through the decade.

However, its prolific array of wellness amenities and services, especially when combined into a bespoke program for the holiday-season weary, takes Terranea up several notches. Small family groups can treat themselves by booking one of Bungalow Suites, special adults-only, wellness-focused housing for longer stays. Perks include in-room wellness equipment such as yoga mat, resistance bands and dumbbells; a free-standing kitchen; laundry area; a deep-soaking tub; discounts for spa services; and connectability to a second bedroom.

Complimentary low impact coastal hikes and more advanced Nature’s Gym sessions are conducted regularly, while the Experience Center can arrange other outdoor fitness adventures such as rigorous kayak sessions with a dedicated naturalist. The fitness and spa areas of the resort, meanwhile, take fine advantage of the California coastal views and year-round warm weather. This includes Seaside Cycle (spin) and Seaside Yoga, as well as access to the airy, well-appointed cardio room with Technogym equipment.

Terranea Kayak Area © Elyse Glickman

Other relatively new offerings add a spiritual (but not too New Age-y) uplift to the physical work. For example, adding something like An Interactive Wellness Workshop and sound-bath session with guest speaker Angela Matthews can further shift paradigms about one’s relationship with food, exercise and healing through discussion and meditation.

In early November, the resort’s spa restaurant rolled out a new Solviva menu of vegan, vegetarian and light protein meals designed by an on-site nutritionist, blending flavorful Middle Eastern, Mexican and California influences. She is available by appointment or via her “Being Present and Positive” talks for guidance on how one can improve her diet while introducing the rest of the family to healthier food — a timely topic after weeks of heavy comfort food and desserts. The spa, which continues to enjoy its cache as one of the city’s great sensory banquets, offers an Intentional Aromatherapy service where a customized lotion or scrub can be created based on the results of a simple iPad quiz.

In keeping with the seaside location, some of the best signature indulgences on the spa menu include the Revitalizing Marine Massage and Renewed Youth Facial, followed by a sunset viewing at the spa’s pool or plush lounge areas.

As this is a grown-up girl’s getaway, however, one can allow for a little indulgence outside the spa, whether it is through a spread of zesty Asian share plates at bashi, an early Sunday brunch of specially-curated creations (served pre-buffet) at catalina kitchen, or the acclaimed mar’sel, serving its custom-created Piper-Heidsieck Champagne and Cal-Mediterranean dishes running the gamut from elegantly healthy to full-on decadence.