Have a Spa Day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs Resort

I’ve visited California many times, and on my recent trip, a friend who lives in the area recommended Glen Ivy Spa. I’m so glad she did! The spa is beautiful, and I’d definitely suggest booking a massage—it’s worth it. The grounds are stunning, and you could easily spend the entire day here. Just a heads up: it can get crowded, especially in the restaurant, and seating is limited unless you head to the mud section. Also, be cautious with your swimwear—I wore a white bathing suit that got stained from the mud. Thankfully, they have a shop on-site where I was able to purchase a new suit. All in all, a wonderful experience, and I’d definitely visit again—maybe during an off-peak month!

It has been a long time since I’ve visited Glen Ivy Hot Springs. I had been 2 times before about 15 years ago, so def a long time. I received some gift cards to Glen Ivy several ago and never got around to using them until now. As someone stated in another review, in order to make reservations using gift cards, you have to call. I didn’t have an issue getting through or booking. I went on a Monday morning when they opened and had a Tranquility Ritual booked (massage and scrub combo). It was extremely crowded. They have a pool with floats to use and there were no floats available. The mineral baths were full and I walked around a while waiting for one to become available. I found the Roman style bath which was inside and found that to be a peaceful spot for a while, I think it was less crowded because it’s harder to find/indoors. I found it to also be quite loud and not very relaxing because of the noise. Loud music, loud patrons. If you’re looking for a peaceful, relaxing and calm spa environment, this isn’t it. My service was also not great. My therapist rallied hard to upsell me on one of the enhancements, saying a few times that it would be more therapeutic for me. For context, I am in my late 30s and have fairly severe arthritis for someone my age, which I always disclose in these types of settings. I opted for the hot stone enhancement. It was a mistake. The stones were unbearably hot and my therapist kept dropping them on me as I assume they were probably burning their hands to hold. My therapist rubbed them around on me a little bit with almost no pressure. They also spoke through almost the entire service. They seemed like a nice person, nothing they said was inappropriate—it was just a lot of talking. In the end, I felt like I got little to no massage at all. This was all very different from my previous 2 experiences at Glen Ivy. The first professional massage I ever had was at Glen Ivy and it was wonderful, as were the other services I had received there (facials, pedicure). I remember the environment being quiet and relaxing, enough to be able to read a book. I remember there not being as many people and the facilities being easier to use. I also remember more amenities in the locker room, such as brushes and more lotions and sprays. I didn’t interact with the staff much, but everyone seemed agreeable. The grounds were clean and well kept. Not many chairs available. I didn’t have anything to eat or drink. I only stayed for about 2 hours, got my service and then felt comfortable leaving and also feel comfortable saying that I probably won’t re-visit. I’m thankful for the two trips I had there before that were nice, but I think I prefer something different nowadays.

I had a lovely third visit, but dealing with customer service after I realized I had never been refunded for my gift card was a terrible experience. HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND GIFT CARDS! I received one as a gift from my sister for my birthday. I was puzzled initially when I could not find a place to input my gift card information while booking online. I realized that they do not have that option at all. After looking around the website, the FAQ portion of the website tells me that I can use my gift card online, I just need to email their concierge "prior to the date of your reservation". So I purchased my tickets for next day and emailed concierge with my reservation number and my gift card information the day before my visit. My gift card was purchased almost a week before this. I got an automatic reply telling me that "their goal is to respond to every email in 24-72 hours". My boyfriend and I had a nice day, we always love our time in the pools and enjoying the amenities. I still kept checking back for an email thinking maybe the service was just slow, as it seems like they have to manually apply gift cards. I noticed yesterday that my gift card was never applied and I never received an email back. I called customer service, it was around a 30 min wait. I started to tell the employee my issue, and she was asking me if I had purchased my gift card after my visit date. This makes me think she automatically assumed I was trying to scam or something, I genuinely thought I had done things the correct way. She then informed me that I was supposed to email them at least 48 hours in advance when using gift cards. I cannot find this information anywhere on the site, I only see that it tells me I cannot book and use gift cards same day. She also chastised me a bit for calling 10 days after my visit. Honestly I was thinking service was just slow and I was really just looking for peace of mind that they'd get to my email. I did get my issue resolved (in her words, "out of courtesy they will give me a one time refund"). It just really soured the experience for me. I was pretty disappointed and surprised.

(Glen Ivy is NOT a hotel). Have been many times. Glen Ivy is a beautiful, unique resort-type place with lovely grounds and several pools - both hot and cold. Years ago (this was never official, but it was this way) it was really only women -- which made for a very relaxing day. But now it is co-ed (but still mostly women). There were couples of course, enjoying the experience. You can get a service (or 2!) if you want but you don't have to. Most recently the admission price was $85, discounted to $65 if getting a service. If you don't get a service.. you can still just RELAX and it's wonderful. The food is VERY good! We enjoyed the greek salad and the hummus plate; and wine. And there are bars as well, for mixed drinks, wine, soft drinks etc. The locker room / dressing areas are really large and well-appointed. My friend and I went on a Tuesday in September and the weather was perfect. Not too hot! There were some operational / front desk issues during our stay but they all got handled; resort manager was very responsive. My favorite part is toward the end of the day.. lounging in the big pool with a beverage. Nothing to do all day except catch up with a good friend. I will definitely go back! Here are some tips: - you DO need a reservation, plan to book several weeks out - go on a weekday! the admission fee is lower and the crowds are smaller - go AFTER the main summer rush. September / October are great. - when you go for lunch, bring your credit card / gift cards with you, as the cafe is not able to access whatever card you have on file. - if you're going into the MUD.. don't wear your brand new bathing suit; it likely will get stained. - they DO issue you 2 towels, but bring a beach towel anyway (to lay on, on the loungers) - bring a bathing suit cover up (men AND women!) to keep the nice high end resort-feel going. - bring small sizes of any toiletries if you want, but they DO provide body wash / shampoo / conditioner in the showers, and hair dryers in the locker room / dressing area. LEAVE YOUR CARES AT HOME.. and get away for the day !

I absolutely LOVE this place! My sisters and I live in different states and for the last 3 years we have made it an annual trip to go to Glen Ivy and we always enjoy the experience. Whether you get a service or just enjoy the many amenities, it is always awesome. I would 100% recommend and definitely worth the price. My one and only complain would be the restaurant, for some reason every time we go they either forget one of our meals and end up waiting a while or we get our food cold.