Spa Resort Casino

The contemporary elegance of clean lines and cool earth tones surrounded me inside the spacious marble lobby of the Spa Resort Casino Palm Springs.

"You're at the source," enthused Jim Metzger, general manager, as he welcomed me to Palm Springs' first spa and the only Palm Springs area spa with its own natural mineral waters.

Opened in 1963, by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Spa Resort sits on the hot springs for which Palm Springs is named. Photographs on the lobby walls show the springs in the 1880s surrounded by dirt, palm trees and shack-like wooden bathhouses. It seemed incredible that this could be the same location - now crowded with stylish hotels, restaurants, shops and nightspots in the heart of Palm Springs. "The springs are still here, underneath us," Metzger said. "We pipe the mineral waters through a filtration system directly into our spa and two of our three outdoor swimming pools."

"The Native Americans believe the water has healing powers," Matt Zukowski, the spa manager, told me, "and science seems to agree. The waters contain 32 different trace minerals that are necessary for life. You come out feeling rejuvenated."

I couldn't wait to experience the invigorating waters. I checked into my junior suite, donned a swimsuit and rushed down to the pools. Thick Washingtonian palms (native to the Palm Springs desert) created an oasis-like ambiance throughout the expansive pool area.

Easing into the bubbling, 108-degree waters, my tension melted away as I relaxed on the huge, built-in turquoise tile underwater ottoman in the center of the large, sunflower-shaped mineral pool. Stylish mid-century modern white wooden lattice work provided shade from above.

"If you're 52, you'll be 42 when you come out," a twinkly-eyed gentleman said to me, as he and his wife methodically walked round and round the pool, chest deep in the age-defying water. "Every lap takes off a year," he laughed. The cheerful onlookers enjoying drinks at the poolside Sand Bar, agreed.

When I felt I'd pushed back time sufficiently, I switched to the shallower and cooler mineral pool. Similar to a wading pool, but about three-feet deep, it was graced by a mid-century modern abstract bronze fountain. The lukewarm water falling from the fountain pounded my shoulder and back muscles into soothing submission.

Now, I was ready for the highlight of my stay - the signature "Taking of the Waters." Offered since the Spa Resort Palm Springs opened, this five-step treatment is a favorite with both residents and visitors.

Ongoing expansions have kept the cavernous spa facility current with the newest treatments and given it a friendly, eclectic décor of pink and white tiles, river stone, glass bricks, fountains with statues of Native American women, and stained glass clearstory windows. At the far end of the spa, 34 blue-tiled curtained cubicles house the mineral water whirlpool soaking tubs.

Relaxing in an over-stuffed chair in the waiting area, I spoke with a lady from Chicago who spends two weeks in Palm Springs every year. "My husband and I always devote an entire day to the Taking of the Waters," she said. Four women from New Jersey were celebrating a birthday with The Taking of the Waters, and a resident of Palm Springs' tony Las Palmas neighborhood, told me she comes here regularly.

Handing me a large heated towel, an attendant explained the Taking of the Waters ritual. "First you go into the steam room, then the sauna, then the eucalyptus aromatherapy dry sauna (to relieve respiratory congestion), then you soak in the private mineral water bath, and finally you rest in the Tranquility Room. "Do each step for about 10 minutes," she cautioned. "Afterward you can return to what you liked best."

After enjoying step one through three, I felt a buoyant sense of wellbeing as I lounged in the sunken blue tile tub of one of the curtained cubicles. The thermal mineral waters surged around me, aerating my body with calcium, magnesium, potassium and other trace minerals. I controlled the water temperature with hot and cold taps, just like in a regular tub. A wicker chair was nearby, should I wish to relax in privacy.

When I finally emerged, my attendant ushered me into the white stillness of the Tranquility Room. Wrapped in white sheets and laying on a white chaise, the room's temperature and aromatherapy controls were set to promote my relaxation. "Stay as long as you please," she whispered. I was so blissed out that at first the room seemed to be spinning around me. Soft blue lights bounced off the white walls and clear glass bricks embracing me in a halo of calm. I closed my eyes in utter relaxation and drifted off to spa Nirvana.

While I was too relaxed to even think about doing anything else, the Spa Resort offers a tempting menu of massages, facials, body rubs, wraps, and hair and nail services. The new fitness center, which opened in November 2005, features 5,000 square feet of state of the art exercise equipment, and classes from water aerobics and body sculpting to Pilates and piloga.

Suggested improvement: The treatments are the luxuries at this spa. While the entry is architecturally sleek and the large boutique is filled with the latest spa styles and products, the spa itself is more comforting than chic.

In mint condition following its latest make-over in 2003, the Spa Resort Casino Palm Springs features 230 guest rooms and suites, and six meeting rooms. The resort's Agua Bar & Grill serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks are offered at the coffee bar. Golf is available on the nearby year-old Indian Canyons Golf Resort, which is also owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Across the street from the Spa Resort, the elegantly casual $95 million Spa Resort Casino features 900 slots, 30 table games, four excellent restaurants and three lounges with nightly entertainment.

Destinations : California : Spa Resort Casino