Spa: Solange Calistoga and the Napa Valley

On any trip to the Napa Valley, even we have to take time out now and then from all the wine tasting and fine dining to do a little something for our bodies. At Solage Calistoga they make that easy. This sister resort to Auberge du Soliel is located at the northern end of the valley on the Silverado Trail near Calistoga and is a place dedicated to all things physical, from the cruiser bikes parked outside of your “studio” accommodations (they offer suites, too) to the full schedule of complementary exercise classes (Pilates, yoga, spinning, etc.).

And once the exercise part of the day is complete, there’s still plenty to experience at the spa. Designed as a series of separate buildings (wear your long johns in the winter under your bathrobe, it can get downright chilly out there) with an outdoor relaxation room, the spa has 14 treatment rooms and offers the expected massages, facials, and body treatments, as well as their signature Mud Bar and Bathhouse. Solange Calistoga Spa's outdoor waiting area.

A bungalow room at Solange.
That nod to Calistoga’s history as a place where geothermal springs and geysers heat up mineral-rich mud that is then used as a restorative features the “Mudslide Experience.” Begin with an application of all-over body mud, then bake in the sun, rinse, and dip into a large geothermal-water-fed soaking tub. You’ll emerge de-stressed, de-toxified, and ready for another round of sipping and sampling at all those wonderful Napa Valley wineries and restaurants.
Solange Calistoga's swimming pool.
Wine tasting is fundamental to any Napa trip, of course. Check out Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena; it is the oldest continuously operating winery in the valley, and a large producer of high-quality wines. Juxtapose that with a visit to nearby St. Clement, a pretty boutique winery that produces only a few select vintages. Leave some time for shopping, too, both along Calistoga’s Lincoln Avenue and St. Helena’s Main Street (Route 29), where pretty boutiques offer unique goods.
Solange Calistoga's exercise room.
When it comes time for a meal, if you’ve done your homework, you’ll have a reservation at the legendary 3-star Michelin restaurant the French Laundry in Yountville, which is worth every penny of its steep tariff, but requires calling in for a reservation exactly two months ahead of the date you wish to dine (www.frenchlaundry.com). If not, try one of Thomas Keller’s other fine (but substantially less expensive) restaurants in the same area, Bouchon (www.bouchonbistro.com) or Ad Hoc (www.adhocrestaurant.com), or Chef Hiro Sone's equally wonderful Terra (www.terrarestaurant.com) in St. Helena, which recently was awarded a Michelin star. And don’t miss a visit to Tre Vigne (www.travignerestaurant.com) for their sublime short ribs and charcuterie, also in St. Helena.

Solage Calistoga
755 Silverado Trail
Calistoga, CA 94515
866-942-7442
www.solagecalistoga.com