The Best Spa in Palm Springs, Plus Massage Without Leaving Your Suite

The best spa in Palm Springs for most visitors is The Spa at Séc-he, the downtown spa built around the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring. Go there for the soak. For the massage, you don't have to leave the hotel: The Muse books in-room massages in your suite, which makes it an easy base for a Palm Springs spa getaway.

Why The Spa at Séc-he is the best spa in Palm Springs

The water is the reason. The spa sits on the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring at 200 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, right downtown, and it's rooted in the spring's long history with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. No other spa in town has a spring under the floor.

What to book:

• Hot mineral baths in private soaking rooms.

• Massages and facials from a full treatment menu.

• Float suites and a salt cave if you want something beyond a standard massage.

• Lunch at the on-site café so you never have to change out of the robe.

Weekends book up, so reserve treatments before you arrive, and check the spa's site for current hours and day-access rules.

Can you get a massage at The Muse?

Yes, and it comes to you. In-room massages run 60 or 90 minutes per person and need to be booked at least 48 hours ahead. Couples treatments are back to back rather than side by side, so one of you gets the hot tub while the other gets the massage. Nobody loses.

A few more ways to slow down without leaving the property:

• Private yoga for the whole group is $150 with three days' notice. Book yoga at The Muse for the morning after the big dinner.

• The courtyard has a pool, a six-person hot tub, pergola swings and an outdoor fireplace for the evening.

• Your suite. Brigitte, Audrey, Marilyn and Taylor are king suites with private fenced yards, which is about as quiet as Palm Springs gets.

Planning this for two? Our couples massage guide has more ideas.

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Other wellness stops worth the drive

• Organic Glow Skin Studio, Indian Wells. A small day spa down valley for organic facials, massage and spray tans, by appointment seven days a week.

• Nature's Health Food & Café, Palm Springs. Part organic café, part juice bar, part natural foods market on South Sunrise Way. Good for a smoothie after yoga and snacks for the suite.

• Desert Hot Springs. The mineral-water town about 20 minutes north. Our Desert Hot Springs vs Palm Springs guide explains what's up there.

• A sunrise hike. The Indian Canyons have palm oases and easy trails (check seasonal hours). Go early, then nap.

How to plan a spa weekend in Palm Springs

• Friday: check in, soak in the hot tub, early night. Yes, really.

• Saturday morning: private yoga in the courtyard, then breakfast from Aspen Mills.

• Saturday afternoon: mineral baths and a treatment at Séc-he downtown.

• Saturday night: a slow dinner downtown, home by ten.

• Sunday: in-room massages back to back, one more swim, and a drive home with very loose shoulders.

When is the best time for a Palm Springs spa trip?

October through May brings warm days and cool nights, and that's when spa calendars fill up, especially on weekends and festival dates. Summer afternoons often top 100 degrees, which makes a cool treatment room and an early pool session sound pretty good. Midweek is the easiest time to land the appointment you want.

Spa FAQ

What is the best spa in Palm Springs?

For a classic spa day, The Spa at Séc-he downtown, built around the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring, with mineral baths, massages and facials.

Does The Muse have a spa?

The Muse doesn't have a spa building, but it books in-room massages of 60 or 90 minutes per person with at least 48 hours' notice.

Can couples get a massage together at The Muse?

Couples treatments are back to back, not side by side. Plan two to three hours for both.

Are there hot springs in Palm Springs?

Yes. The Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring is downtown at The Spa at Séc-he, and Desert Hot Springs, about 20 minutes north, is known for its mineral water.

A small hotel with a very good pool. Check your dates and book the massage before you pack.