Golden Door, recognized globally as a pioneer in wellness and named the World’s Best Destination Spa, has unveiled a multi-million dollar renovation that includes a complete overhaul of the bathhouse and pools, as well as updates and enhancements to all forty guest rooms and gyms.
San Diego-based designer Kristine Smith oversaw the project, keeping true to Golden Door’s rich history and Japanese aesthetic inspired by a traditional ryokan. Smith aimed to strike a balance between the inherent rustic nature of the traditional bathhouse and a more refined space. This nod to the natural elements blends well with the rest of the property and maintains the sense of Zen that makes Golden Door so unique.
The bathhouse, dating back to the year Golden Door opened in 1958, had the entire layout reworked, adding private dressing rooms, new tile, flooring, a new Jacuzzi, a steam room, and a sauna. In the Jacuzzi area, the design challenge was to brighten up the space and bring the outdoors in—accomplished with lighting and a first-of-its-kind visual healing space that features time-lapse captures of nature directed by artist and renowned filmmaker, Louie Schwartzberg.
“Beauty is nature’s tool for survival because we protect what we love, said Louie Schwartzberg. If we inspire people emotionally, we can achieve the shift in consciousness we need to sustain and honor the miracle of life.”
Other new amenities to the bathhouse include a soaking tub, where you have a choice of soaking in a warm cherry blossom bath, used for its high antioxidant and skin soothing benefits, or taking a cold mood-boosting plunge soak with Epsom salts to benefit faster muscle recovery, better sleep and to enhance your immune system. The new wet room houses a 7-hose Vichy shower, which can be experienced with our body scrubs and signature body treatments. A LightStim LED experience room was built that offers a full-body treatment to promote overall wellness and peak physiological function. It helps to accelerate recovery, relieves pain, increases blood circulation, and helps energize and restore balance for optimal skin function—with anti-aging benefits.
“We know in today’s hectic high-stress world, the benefits of reducing stress and the elimination of toxins is the key to longevity, said Kathy Van Ness, COO/GM. “Our bathhouse is an integral part of our wellness programming. Reimagining the look and feel, and bringing in new technologies will enhance our guests’ experience.”
