Wellness at the Bacara Resort and Spa
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Bacara Resort and Spa in Goleta, Ca. I now know why most wealthy people are happy, thin and run marathons for fun. I’ve lived in Southern California my whole life and had never even heard of the Bacara, it’s no wonder why with its average nightly room rate of $750 (on hotels.com don’t quote me) it never came across as a viable option whenever I’ve visited the Santa Barbara area. A family wedding named this hidden gem as its venue so I booked my two night stay, coupon clipped my way through the week to compensate and arrived at this paradise totally overwhelmed by its low key beauty and splendor.
The open air lobby gave it a casual grace that was further enhanced by its personalized customer service. After being escorted to our Villa I was excited to see a unique floorplan and fabulous décor that included a private terrace, fireplace and Fresh brand amenities. The whole resort screamed wellness and relaxation. With direct beach access and multiple pools it was effortless to spend the day basking in the sun or swimming laps (who does that on vacation?) The in room dining menu featured more wholesome offerings than usual with smoothie selections like the West Coast Smoothie with avocado, spinach, blueberries and protein powder; egg white frittatas with aged balsamic, spinach and fresh goat cheese and enough alternative nut milk options to make the dairy industry worry.
Even their gastronomic splurges included Kobe beef and duck fat fingerling potatoes at their Angel Oak restaurant (that stellar meal deserves an article all by itself.) I, of course needed to somehow carve out time to visit their ESPA spa which I did manage to enjoy a couples massage with my husband alongside a visit to their eucalyptus steam room, sauna and whirlpool. The Foley wine tasting room located on site rounded out my stay with great wine selections from an extensive collection. I’d love to go back, and so begins the room rate watch (think stock market watching for room rates) until I’m able to enjoy again.
*Please note, no endorsement or compensation has been accepted for this article, if I did it would probably be much longer and I would have checked my spelling and grammar more thoroughly. All opinions are my own and I take no responsibility for resort information which was current at the time of my booking and is subject to change; June 2-4, 2017.
