Spa of the month | September 2014

Page 10 • LNEONLINE.com Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa • September 2014 September 2014 • Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa LNEONLINE.com • Page 11

WOODLAND GETAWAYTHE SPA AT VENTANA INN & SPA BIG SUR, CA

OF THEMONTHSPA

Perched on a hillside overlooking the ocean, the cozy wooden structures seem as if they have sprouted from the rich soil just like the redwood, oak and bay laurel trees that surround them.

Quite appropriately named, Ventana Inn & Spa—ventana means “window” in Spanish—opens to the breathtaking views of the valley, its greenery and blue of the ocean. It blends in with the landscape and complements its sur-roundings. Tucked away and spread across 243 acres of rolling meadows and wooded hillsides, the hotel and spa invites guests to a peace-

ful atmosphere, perfect for relaxing, reflecting and reconnecting with oneself and nature along California’s central coast just 28 miles south of Carmel. Ventana offers a blend of rustic sophis-tication and elegant simplicity, where suites and guestrooms, spread across the property like cozy wooden cabins, are all appointed with thought-ful details. In harmony with the natural setting, the spacious sanctuary abounds with pamper-ing amenities.

With more than 40 years in operation, Ventana is a veteran in the hospitality world and an iconic fixture of Big Sur. With the opening of its spa in 2002, the hotel and spa has swept dozens of awards, making Travel + Leisure’s

by Amanda Clinton Winter

pho

tos:

cou

rtes

y of

ven

tana

inn

& s

pa

World’s Best Hotels list four times and Condé Nast Traveler’s The World’s Best Places to Stay Gold List 3 years in a row.

Big Sur encompasses 300 square miles of predominantly state parks, national forests, unincorporated public lands, and seemingly endless beautiful coastline, ocean cliffs, steep ridges, jagged peaks, deep gorges and rivers.

The lay of the land allows for innumerable hidden gems for guests to explore before re-treating into Ventana for delectable, healthy foods and some well-deserved pampering at the spa.

Although most spa guests are also patrons of the hotel, Ventana—an adults only property—also attracts locals, who come in for a luxurious day at the spa to indulge in the cuisine at the restaurant or visit the art gallery. “Big Sur and Ventana are about experience,” says Donna Shoemaker, spa director at Ventana. “Many guests are here with a sense of adventure to

explore and restore. Relaxation, retreat and regroup with a focus on whole health of mind, body and spirit.”

Branching out from the main Ocean House where the reception area is located, The Spa at Ventana offers a myriad of services to its guests and features a dry sauna and Japanese hot baths, including a clothing optional area adjacent to the sun deck and the pool.

Guests can lose themselves in the fragrances of wild mountain lavender and other natural bo-tanical essences as they are pampered with the spa’s many signature treatments.

With more than 40 years of operations,

Ventana is a veteran in the hospitality

world and an iconic fixture of Big Sur.

Page 14 • LNEONLINE.com Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa • September 2014

With their guests’ sense of adventure in mind, Ventana’s signature treatments focus on catering to their every need after their long day in the wilderness. The Jade Ilex revives and re-news tired feet with warm jade stones and cool-ing ointments to ease fatigue, while the back is treated with self-heating mud (50 min, $140).

The Essence of Big Sur Herbal Massage is an herbal poultice massage where organic and wild crafted herbs of eucalyptus, lavender, pine, sage and arnica are used to capture the essence of the healing nature surrounding Big

Sur, while providing soothing aromatherapy and deep muscle release (80 min, $210). The El Sur Grande Hot Stone Massage relaxes taut muscles with therapeutic basalt and jade stones to relieve joint pain and reduce stress and tension (80/110 min, $220/$295).

Aside from their signature massages, The Spa at Ventana features an array of treatments from facials to body services and specials for couples such as the Couples Experience, where guests are spoiled with a customized bath, fol-lowed by a signature Fusion Massage accom-

spa of the month | ventana spa

pho

tos:

cou

rtes

y of

ven

tana

inn

& s

pa


panied by candles, gourmet chocolates and tea (80 min, $410). Other popular treatments include the Fusion Massage, where therapists adjust the pressure to the needs of the client and blend their own synergized massage modalities with virgin coconut oil, jojoba blend oil or crème (50/80 min, $130/$195).

The Advanced Renewal Facial, which is also in demand, is customized to guests’ specific skin conditions, and treats concerns with an ex-foliation and masque, along with a massage of the face, shoulders, neck and scalp (50/80 min, $145/$215). The sought after Detoxifying Seaweed Body Wrap, rich in potent antioxi-dants and minerals, features sea algae, umeboshi plum and essential oils to eliminate lymphatic sluggishness and restore healthy body tone (80 min, $185; 110 min with massage, $245). Other treatments include the Espresso Mud Body Treatment, where fragrant and finely ground cof-fee beans are blended with Indian sarsaparilla, honey, tobacco and black silt clay for a detoxi-fying scrub and mud treatment to promote cel-lular detox with anti-cellulite properties (80 min, $185; 110 min with massage, $245).

pho

tos:

cou

rtes

y of

ven

tana

inn

& s

pa




The Body Polish gently buffs and stimu-lates the skin with aromatic organic essential oils blended with warm organic brown sugar or mineral rich sea salts (50 min, $140; 80 min with massage, $195). Traditional Thai massage, Reiki and Chakra balancing are offered as well.

The Spa also offers private activities that in-clude yoga, Pilates and tai chi classes (50/80 min, $105/$180); astrology readings (90 min/$225); and kinesiology, which releases blockages, old habits, attachments, old decisions and more (90 min, $225). Once their treatments conclude, guests can stroll through the forest on a quaint winding path to The Restaurant at Ventana, where sustainable ingredients from California’s central coast are expertly combined to cre-ate memorable dishes that pair perfectly with Ventana’s award-winning wine list.

Guests can either savor the exquisite tastes in the lodge-like dining room or on the terrace, overlooking the spectacular coastline to enjoy the fresh and pure air. Those in the mood for

some unique art can venture into The Gallery at Ventana where collections of paintings, sculp-tures, jewelry, hand-blown glass, stone and woodwork, ceramics, basketry and photogra-phy are displayed.

Indeed, Ventana takes great joy as well as great advantage of the opportunity to partner with local businesses, and to participate in local events to keep up with its legacy and continue to promote its services. Shoemaker points out that their marketing technique also focuses on the Internet, their website and social media, which “fit the modern traveler,” she says. To maintain their level of service, the staff—including massage thera-pists, estheticians and yoga instructors—receives constant training and communicates at periodical meetings to address any issues. Products selected for retail and used in the spa, says Shoemaker, fit the identity and the feeling of the property. As for the spa menu, Shoemaker adds, it is fined tuned “based on treatments that are a fit for the area and our guest needs and requests.”

pho

tos:

cou

rtes

y of

ven

tana

inn

& s

pa

Say you saw it in LNE & Spa and circle #190 on reader service card


A true woodland retreat, Ventana invites guests to slow down and revitalize with a return to nature. “The setting, nature, Mediterranean climate, mountains and ocean, along with the indigenous treatments and amazing caring prac-titioners who exceed in treatment and customer experience,” says Shoemaker, are what make Ventana truly stand out. n


VENTANA INN & SPA FACTSLaunch dates:Ventana Inn, 1975; Ventana Spa, 2002Owned by Joie De Vivre Hospitality

FACILITY• 60 villas and suites• Six spa treatment rooms, two pool areas, a dry sauna, Japanese soaking tubs, one out-door Zen garden with cabana

PRODUCT LINES USED AND RETAILED Naturopathica, Kerstin Florian, Kimberli’s Organic Creations (locally grown and created body care), Thaiyurveda (locally made com-presses created for Ventana Spa)

SIGNATURE TREATMENT Jade Ilex, Essence of Big Sur Herbal Massage, El Sur Grande Hot Stone Massage

The Ventana Spa menu is updatedperiodically.

48123 Highway One, Big Sur, CA831.667.2331ventanainn.com

VENTANA INN & SPA

pho

tos:

cou

rtes

y of

ven

tana

inn

& s

pa

Amanda Clinton Winter is the managing edi-tor of Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Psychology from Wheaton College in Norton, MA, and a master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Miami. Contact her at [email protected].

Whole. Raw. Real.WWholee.. RRaaww. Real.Experience the diff erence between real pulps and extracts…and let your skin decide!

Your body and skin are bombarded by free radicals from pollution,

UV radiation, stress, smoke, poor nutrition. The BDIH certifi ed

ilike organic skin care Grape Stem Cell Solutions™ product line for face and

body is fast, effective and lasting against free radicals due to highly

bio-available polyphenols synthesized

by meristematic (stem) cells.

what we seek is within reachplump, full of life, fi rm to the touch

[email protected]/ilikeorganicskincare

1•888•290•6238made in Hungaryfor over 55 years

GSCS Harvest ad 201407 LNE.indd 1 2014.08.05. 21:11

Documents

Spa of the month | September 2014