March 27, 2009

US & Canada | US | California | Calistoga

Sol-ful Calistoga

By Nicole Cotroneo

Playing in the mud was never this much fun.

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When you sidle up to the mud bar at Solage Calistoga, don’t expect the “mud mojito” to be some choco variation of the classic rum-and-mint cocktail. No, Napa’s hot new resort spa, which opens July 12, is all about getting down and dirty. Mud baths are already known as the treatment du jour throughout the Calistoga area, where water from natural hot springs is mixed with indigenous volcanic ash. But at Solage’s 20,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor spa, mud baths are prepared by “mudtenders” who whip up a treatment “cocktail” tailored to your physical condition. All you need do is paint yourself — or your pampered partner — in the made-to-order nutrient-rich sludge while grooving to dance music.

The first “Solage” property in the stable of Auberge Resorts (think Auberge du Soleil in Napa and Esperanza in Cabo), Solage Calistoga vies to be a younger, hipper, more eco-friendly affair. The 89 cottage-style rooms are furnished with all-natural materials — hemp curtains, wool throws, pebbled showers. Room service is delivered by bicycle, and guests are encouraged to explore the 22-acre resort the same way (you’ll find two bikes parked outside your private patio lounge). If you’re feeling adventurous though, keep peddling: Calistoga is filled with much more to see than vineyard rows. The Old Faithful geyser goes off every 20-30 minutes and the nearby petrified forest is a gnarly hike. But don’t forget to pack a snack because quick bites are hard to come by here: fast food is banned from this historic town.