Last updated August 4, 2021
I’m sure no one who knows me will be surprised to hear that I love staying at resorts that have world-class spa experiences, and while I’ve visited Palm Springs a few times for work, I have never stayed at the Miramonte Resort & Spa.
So it was a lot of fun to learn more about Miramonte and The Well Spa from their new Spa Director, Cristina Cascio, and it’s now on my bucket list!
I think my ideal day there will include a Precious Sol Gemstone Facial and Body Wrap, the “river bench jacuzzi” experience and hopefully a healing mud treatment if it’s on the menu!
Sallie: What makes The Well Spa special?
Cristina: Location! However, location in more ways than the obvious. Besides being surrounded by the soaring Santa Rosa mountains that literally glow in the sun at sunrise and sunset and have a powerful presence, The Well Spa is set amongst lush gardens with a citrus grove that produces lemons the size of your head and oranges and grapefruits sweeter than you remember them tasting.
The view from every point is beautiful and has a way of putting you at ease. The property herb garden also offers an array of mints and herbs that we use in our spa water and other dishes the Chef creates.
We’re looking at incorporating the citrus into our seasonal treatments next summer and infusing the oil for use all year round. The location also brings with it an amazing, eclectic group of people that we have brought together to take care of our guests.
Since we re-opened after the pandemic, we were lucky to pull together some of this valley’s most extraordinary talent that come together with the kind of passion and energy for their craft, for their team and for service that results in a palpable synergy.
If you ask anyone on our team, they will tell you we are fortunate to have each other.
Sallie: What is different about you than other spas in Southern California?
Cristina: At the Well Spa and Miramonte Resort, we are only limited by imagination. Since re-opening four months ago, we have already created over a dozen custom experiences that you will not find on the menu or website.
I have had an enormous amount of fun listening to our guests’ ideas or hints about what would make an experience extraordinary and delivering, in most cases, beyond expectation.
We’ve delivered everything from a couple’s candle-lit Watsu in our Spa pool, dining on romantic fireside lunches, a sound bath session with a local Shaman and even simple requests like organic, locally made products or packages that include outdoor baths and treatments.
It’s great being a part of a small, non-corporate property that affords so much freedom and flexibility to take care of our guests, as well as having a world-class facility that can accommodate most requests.
Sallie: Can you tell us about some of the guest experiences that are available at Miramonte?
Cristina: One of the newest experiences that we will soon offer is being brought back by popular demand from long-time guests of The Well Spa – body painting for two.
We will use various colorful clays and muds presented on a tray with paintbrushes for our guests to apply to one another in our private, open-air Couple’s Casita patio that allows them to air dry while relaxing in the sun.
A private celestial shower or soaking tub will be available for rinsing off before enjoying massages side by side. It’s a fun, artistic way for our guests to bond and spend quality time together.
Sallie: Describe one of your favorite treatments at The Well Spa.
Cristina: I am a big fan of gemstones and their healing properties, so after experiencing the Precious Sol Gemstone Facial and Body Wrap, I knew I wanted to share it with as many people as possible.
It will be offered on our new menu, and I know it will have a great impact on the well-being of our guests.
With scent being so closely tied to memory, we provide these treatments for our guests in a way that takes them to a “Spa Utopia.” The hope is that every time they catch the scent of the oil after this treatment, they will be brought back to the time they spent with us at The Well Spa.
It’s a vibrant blend of essential oils with a scent profile of orange, vanilla and black pepper. The oil is supercharged with a citrine gemstone in the bottle, a beautiful keepsake from their treatment and the retail product after they use it.
Sallie: When you have a day off, what do you do for your well-being?
Cristina: I absolutely love bike riding! Something about climbing up on that saddle just transports me to a place of fun and freedom, whether I’m taking a ride on the bike path with my family of four or a solo ride to let off some steam, bike riding has helped me stay physically and mentally strong and has been a big part of my life ever since I learned how to ride as a child. I even have a picture with a bike in my wedding dress!
Sallie: If you had one wish for guests that visit Miramonte Resort & Spa, what would that be?
Cristina: I have found that people often know what treatments they crave or those they know will be most enjoyable to receive, but I also noticed they are very focused on their time in the treatment room.
I try to advise guests on how they can get the most out of their experience with us, and I find myself trying to convince people to stay all day, or at least until sunset.
I encourage guests to enjoy the full water circuit in the Spa, especially that “River Bench Jacuzzi” that has individual waterfalls that cascade over you, or enjoy luxurious treatments, then a nice meal from our incredible Chef.
Or make time to dive into the refreshing resort pool, which is just steps from the Spa, with a lively walk-up bar and then wrap up the evening with one of our famous pink mountain sunsets, followed by cocktails at one of the many dazzling firepits under a star-lit sky, they will thank me later!
Our Palm Springs locals are really lucky; they get to enjoy five-star staycations any time!
Sallie: What can we look forward to seeing at The Well Spa in the future?
Cristina: We have a new spa menu, and the entire team is involved in growing our products and services. We have therapists that have advanced education and a passion in areas like myofascial release, cupping, craniosacral and even Thai massage.
We are looking at harvesting the beautiful citrus we have on property and incorporating that into the services we provide. An apothecary area for guests to get involved and get their hands “dirty” in the creation of their own products to use in services or take home is on the way.
For some of us, there is healing in the dirt on property, and we have a perfect setup that lends itself to that kind of therapy. I’ve heard it described that The Miramonte Resort is a wellspring of nourishing treatments and an abundance of discoveries. I couldn’t agree more.
About Cristina Cascio
Cristina is the Spa Director at the Miramonte Resort and Spa’s award-winning Well Spa. Cristina is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the luxury wellness facility which caters to resort guests, local residents and visitors to the valley.
Her passion and dedication have always been focused on caring for others, hence the commitment to hospitality her entire career. Prior to joining the Well Spa team in March of 2021, she held the position of Spa Director at such prestigious properties as the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa and La Quinta Resort &Spa.
Cristina worked with KSL resorts for over 13 years in several positions, most of which were in the Spa, where she has the most fun putting her innovation and authentic experience creation to good use.
