Half Moon Bay along the coast of northern California roughly an hour or less drive from San Francisco is a perfect place to spend a romantic weekend, or a solo weekend if you just want to get away for some rest and relaxation. Inside the Ritz Carlton along the ocean’s edge sits a luxurious 16,000 square feet spa, which is adjacent to the hotel’s Cybex gym, cafe and gift shop.
Inside the spa, they have a host of traditional spa services that range from facials and massages to pedicures, however what’s uniquely worth noting is their co-ed romantic jacuzzi in the middle of the men’s and women’s lockers rooms.
Facials include a half moon bay pumpkin facial, a deep cleansing organic renewal, a calming facial, an age regression facial, a luminous body facial and the one I opted for, which was a Transformational Facial, which includes a lot of anti-aging products. My facial gal was Anna Paula if you have a chance to request someone specific, however the entire team is fabulous, so you’ll be in great hands regardless of who does your facial.
Their anti-aging products come from the Skin Authority line. My facial started with a cleanser which is gel based and uses Glycolic Acid. Other products she used during my treatment included:
- Dramatic Eye Lift: designed to lift and tighten skin around the eyes. It includes peptide complex, green tea, grapefruit extract and bergamot fruit oil.
- Moisturizing Life Cream: designed to hydrate and firm dry, depleted and sagging skin. It includes jojoba seed oil, apricot oil, green tea extract and ribonucleic acid.
- Resurfacing Accelerator: designed to penetrate the skin and fight infection. It includes glycolic acid and Canadian Willowherb.
- Vitamin A Cell Renewal: designed to unclog pores and stimulate cells to smooth out acne caused damage on the face and prevent further breakouts without irritation or side effects. It includes 7% Retinyl Palmitate, sweet almond, birch bark, chamomile and aloe.
Other services include massages of course, which range from hot herbal poultice massage, Thai, Lomi-Lomi, Ocean Mist Stone Massage, Neuromuscular, Sports Massage, pregnancy massage, reflexology, hot stone, Shiatsu, Reiki and Cranio-Sacral. You can also get a number of massage enhancements including a Moroccan Oil scalp treatment, a self-heating detoxifying mud masque, a full body dry brush exfoliation, a hot stone tension relief and a full body stretch.
In addition to the co-ed hot tub which I LOVED, they have hot tubs in the women’s and men’s locker rooms as well if you want a little more privacy.
They also have a steam room and a sauna, as well as a relaxation room where you can read magazines, sip tea and munch on nuts while you’re waiting for your treatment. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, I’d recommend trying out their spa — the ambiance truly puts you in a serene mood, something we could all use more of from time-to-time.
Details:
Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton
One Miramontes Point Road
Half Moon Bay, California 94019 USA
Note: I was hosted by the spa but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
