Serena's birthday was coming up so we planned a spa getaway in Wine Country. Even though we don't drink, it is a favorite destination due to its proximity, peaceful vineyard landscapes, and plentiful good eats.
Serena, Sandy and I drove to Napa on Saturday morning. Surprisingly, the usual traffic on the highway was non-existent, and we ended up arriving at the
earlier than expected. I had used
). The hostess had no problem seating us early as there were plenty of tables. The food was fresh and tasty. Kaleb and I had been here before when Emily and Brian visited
After brunch, the three of us walked to
Spa Terra, inside a wine cave at the back of the resort, truly a unique environment. Sandy and I had been here before in
2016 and
2017; safe to say that we enjoy the experience! As a bonus, Spa Terra accepts
Spafinder gift cards, which can be bought at a discount at places like Costco and Sam's Club.
Reservations were conveniently made by emailing the spa concierge. All three of us opted for variations in body wraps.
No pictures allowed in the spa, so I will describe the experience:
After checking in at the spa desk, the hostess led us into the ladies' locker room and showed us the amenities such as the jacuzzi and the steam room, with iced water and cold face towels on hand. Individual showering areas were stocked with shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Hair dryers and other toiletries such as cotton swabs, razors, tampons, and lotion were available. We were assigned lockers to store our personal belongings; a long robe and rubber spa slippers were found inside.
As we had about an hour before our treatments began, we changed into our swimsuits and got in the jacuzzi for a little while. Afterwards, we slipped into robes and proceeded to the co-ed waiting room located nearby. It was dimly lit and furnished with a number of comfortable armchairs and ottomans. Magazines were available for reading. There was a refreshment station with iced water, coconut water, hot tea, nuts and fresh fruit. The estheticians would appear at the entrance to fetch their clients, calling them out by name.
I indulged in a Neroli Blossom Bliss, which included a foot cleansing ritual and dry body brushing before being slathered in lotion and enveloped in a wrap to seal in the moisture. Afterwards, the esthetician gave me a gift bag containing the brush that was used; I had wondered during the treatment whether the brush was clean.
After all three of us were done with our services, we showered and dressed, then headed to
Oxbow Public Market as it was still too early to check into our hotel. Reservations for dinner was at 5:30pm, so we just had ice cream from
Three Twins as an afternoon snack. (company now closed permanently)
Tonight's dinner was nearby at
Pasta Prego, with reservations made on Yelp. The building looked like it used to be a house. Considering that there were existing homes on the street, I wouldn't be surprised. The atmosphere was cozy and unpretentious.
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| complimentary bread and dip |
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| crispy calamari |
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| fish of the day - halibut |
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| Bailey's cheesecake |
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After dinner, we checked into the
Springhill Suites by Marriott Napa Valley. I redeemed a free night certificate that Kaleb received for having the Starwood Business credit card (now called
Marriott Bonvoy Business as Starwood merged with Marriott). Normally, the owner of the certificate needs to check in at the front desk, but Kaleb called Marriott ahead of time and added my name to the reservation so I could check in.
I was lucky to get a room for Saturday night. Due to high demand, many hotels were sold out of both cash and award nights. As the location of Springhill Suites was at the outskirts of Napa, a two-night stay starting Friday was available, but at an inflated cost of $628 a night before taxes. Fortunately, when I checked for award inventory, just Saturday night was available - perfect as we only wanted to stay that night anyway.
The two double beds plus sofabed studio was convenient as there was a lot of space and all three of us would have her own bed.
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| ouch |
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| sofabed in living room |
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| microwave and mini-fridge |
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| double beds were comfortable |
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| sink located outside the bathroom |
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| standard tub/shower combo |
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The next morning, complimentary breakfast was served in the lobby. It was a decent buffet, including fresh fruit, hot selections and pastries - better than I had expected. Outdoor seating was available to take advantage of the sunny weather.
After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and headed to
Napa Premium Outlets for some shopping. For lunch, we went to
Tannya's Taqueria, a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. It was pretty delicious.
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| beef tongue quesadillas |
And that's the end of Serena's birthday getaway to Napa! It was nice to spend time bonding over spa treatments, food, shopping and more food. Our stay at Springhill Suites was very comfortable with a lovely breakfast spread. Even though we don't drink wine, we still enjoyed the cuisine and scenery of Napa Valley, so don't put off a visit here if you are a non-drinker. I would recommend booking your hotel as early as possible, especially if your trip occurs on a summer or autumn weekend. I was very lucky to redeem an award night on a Saturday in July, four months in advance.
In the meantime, where to next? Kaleb and I embark on a grand 14-night Northern Europe cruise on
Oceania Riviera, starting in London and ending with a 5-night post-cruise adventure in Iceland...stay tuned!
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Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
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