Planning Your Glen Ivy Retreat
Glen Ivy Hot Springs
Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a wellness location in Temescal Valley, California. If you are local to Southern California or are planning a trip to the area and looking to focus on your self-care this is your stop!
I describe Glen Ivy Hot Springs as a waterpark for adults! This destination features many different pools with healing properties such as a saline pool, a cold and hot plunge, and mineral pools. You can get a range of services from massages and facials to visiting the grotto where you get a full body treatment. You can lounge by the pool all day, take a yoga or water aerobics class, or visit club mud and apply healing mud to your skin. They also have an onsite restaurant, bar, and a Starbucks.
This is the perfect location for a full day of self-care!
Who should you bring?
This wellness Disneyland is great for a solo self-care day, perfect for a girl’s day or bachelorette celebration, and even makes for a nice anniversary or romantic getaway.
Preparing For YOur Self-Care Day
When planning your trip, you need to decide what you’d like to do. You can purchase a day pass where you have access to the pools, club med, and locker room. If you are looking for a service, that will cost extra. The body treatment in the Grotto, an underground experience is also extra. If you are looking to go all out, you can purchase the Passport to Wellness or cabana package which includes extras like a robe, designated lounging area, personal attendant, lunch, and a mimosa. You must make a reservation ahead of time and you usually have to call to do this.
Some tips . . . it is cheaper to go during the week versus the weekend. They often run promotions for cheaper prices like around Mother’s Day. They also have a deal where they offer a $100 gift card for $80. I usually buy one when they offer it and use it to pay for the reservation.
What to bring?
They have a locker room which includes showers, bathing suit dryers, and hair dryers. Here are the things I usually pack:
Pool bag
Sunglasses
Hat
Sunscreen
Wallet
Towel clips
Sandals
A brush
A cover-up
A bathing suit and a change of clothes (I typically go in my bathing suit with a dress and then bring a pair of underwear and a bra for later)
An empty water bottle (They don’t allow food or drinks but have water stations around the site)
A book or magazine
Day of Plan
On the day of, you should plan to show up close to opening. This is usually around 9 or 9:30 as there is often a line to get in if you wait a little later.
The first thing I do is visit the locker room to drop off my extra stuff (change of clothes, brush, my wallet minus the card I’m using)
Next, I grab a towel and scope out a spot. The lounges fill up fast so you want to get one right away. The big pool in the middle is a popular spot, it is more shallow and there are floating lounges there for relaxing. I tend to like a deeper pool so I go to the North Pool as it tends to be quieter and I can usually find a sunny spot. From there the rest of my day varies.
Here are some “day of” tips and things to think about:
The restaurant can get crowded during the lunch hour. I tend to do an early lunch around 11:30 am or a late lunch around 1:30 pm.
If you are planning a spa service, I suggest doing it near the beginning or end of your day.
At the end of the day, usually around 5:00 pm, the locker room can get crowded and there is sometimes a line for the showers.
The mineral pools can harm your silver jewelry so maybe leave your jewelry at home.
Make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day.
If you plan on doing the mud mask then wear a dark or older bathing suit as it can sometimes stain your suit.
They also have evening events in the summer so if you want to make a full day of it or just attend an eventing event check their calendar.
It is less crowded in the off-season (anytime but in summer). The spring is a great time to go or after school is back in.
After all that, get excited for a rejuvenating day! If you have any other questions or tips to share, feel free to leave them in the comments.
