The site of the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring in downtown Palm Springs, CA, is a place known for its cultural and spiritual significance. Here, rainwater and mountain snow naturally combine underground and reemerge from the hot mineral spring full of healing properties for the first time in 12,000 years. The hot mineral spring, which belongs to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians can now be enjoyed by spa-goers at The Spa at Séc-he.
Located on top of the hot mineral spring, The Spa at Séc-he (“Séc-he” is the Cahuilla word for the sound of boiling water) is a relaxing oasis designed to both embrace and reflect the natural desert landscape. The spa is situated at the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, which also includes the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, and is adjacent to the Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs and in driving distance to the Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City Casino locations. The more than 73,000-square-foot spa boasts ample indoor and outdoor spaces for guests to relax and be pampered. “Inspiration for the design and landscaping at The Spa at Séc-he can be found in the nearby Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon, the ancestral lands of the Agua Caliente people,” says Daniel Spencer, director of spa at The Spa at Séc-he.
According to Spencer, ancient traditions shine through in The Spa at Séc-he’s architecture, design, and services. One of the most unique features of the spa is the sacred tradition of Taking of the Waters, a private mineral soaking experience exclusive to The Spa at Séc-he. The spa boasts 22 private mineral baths for guests to experience the power of Taking of the Waters, where the combination of hot water and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and sodium, create a natural environment for full-body rejuvenation. Among the benefits of the mineral spring is easing muscle and joint pain, encouraging deep relaxation, improving skin conditions, and renewing one’s spirit. “Taking of the Waters is a sacred experience practiced by the Agua Caliente people for generations, and the tribe graciously shares the healing waters with the world,” says Spencer.
Inspired by the nearby landscape, the spa’s 15 treatment rooms feature desert botanicals depicted in beautiful mosaic tile, and treatment tables that enhance each face and body service. “Quartz gemstone treatment tables in the body treatment rooms are lined with crushed gemstones,” says Spencer. “Chromatic light, infrared heating, and grounding pads are highlights of the massage treatment tables, while facials are experienced on The Spa Wave tables.”
The menu highlights and incorporates California desert botanicals, and local ingredients are found in some of the treatments, including prickly pear, aloe, and desert sage. What’s more, all massage services include the use of heated gemstones, including tourmaline, smoky quartz, petrified wood, and aquamarine.
While the Taking of the Waters offering is the most popular treatment at the spa, its signature treatments on the quartz gemstone table, such as the Quartz and Poultice Massage ($325, 90 minutes) and Native Grains Aromatic Buff ($225, 60 minutes), are also highly requested. Reminiscent of lying upon the sand on a warm summer day, the quartz bed treatment table serves a special purpose during the treatment. Another popular treatment, the Water Cupping Massage ($265, 60 minutes) is performed on a waterbed table, and includes a cupping technique over the body that gently pulls and loosens soft tissue and muscle tension and helps to encourage blood flow, cell repair, and an overall general feeling of wellbeing.
Pre- and post-treatment, guests can enjoy a nearly endless array of premier amenities, including a boutique fitness room, a grounding room with zero gravity loungers, an acoustic wellness lounge for audio therapy, a tranquility garden, a menthol dry sauna, a eucalyptus steam room, two halotherapy salt caves, a waterfall pool with a paradise-inspired grotto, a zero-edge mineral pool, whirlpools, luxury cabanas, cozy day beds poolside, and a full-service salon with scalp treatment beds. The spa also features Málmal Café, an indoor cafe offering a combination of healthy and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, and the poolside Pál Bar, which serves entrees and snacks highlighting locally and seasonally sourced ingredients. “In addition to serving our spa guests, Málmal Café, named for the Cahuilla word for butterfly, is also a great way for visitors to get to know The Spa at Séc-he, whether it’s sitting down with friends or coworkers to experience a quick meal, or grabbing a fresh-made smoothie on the go,” says Spencer.
While the spa attracts many visitors to the area, it strives to be a place that also welcomes and encourages locals. Part of this initiative includes offering a Taking of the Waters Day Pass ($145), which allows access to all spa amenities, including a private Taking of the Waters bath experience. Also, a Be Well Balance Fitness membership is available and includes access to the state-of-the-art fitness center along with the spa’s wellness amenities.
Regardless of where the guest hails from, the spa ensures that each guest is fully aware of the significant history of the spa and its many wellness benefits. “Our team at The Spa at Séc-he is trained on the many tools and technologies we offer for wellness, and we strive to provide our guests with knowledge about the properties that make our offerings so unique,” says Spencer. “It is also important to us that we share with our guests the history of our spa. We meet these goals by providing training tools for our team members, and by creating informational materials for our guests to take home with them.”
As for the future plans for the spa, according to Spencer, the spa plans to continue to grow its service offerings, promote wellness trends, and keep its guests interested in taking the best possible care of themselves.
The Spa at Séc-he
OWNER: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
SPA DIRECTOR: Daniel Spencer
OPENED: April 2023
CLIENT BASE: 70% female 30% male
SPACE: More than 73,000 square feet; 15 treatment rooms
PRODUCT LINES & EQUIPMENT: Bio-Therapeutic, Body Bliss, Book4Time, Cryo Innovations, Dazzle Dry, Epicuren, EuroSpa Aromatics, Feelgoodz, Gehwol, Gharieni, G.M. Collin, Haia, Hammer Strength, JetPeel, Knesko, LaFlore, Lemi, Life Fitness, Living Earth Crafts, Majestic International, Milbon, Moroccanoil, OM4Men, Rock On Minerals and Design, Salt Chamber, Superior Float Tanks, Tara Spa Therapy, Urbana, VitaJuwel