Palm Springs has long served as a retreat, gaining popularity in the 1930s as Hollywood stars flocked to the desert oasis for sunshine, majestic mountain views and poolside play. It’s a tradition that continues today as a buzzy destination for creatives, artists and architecture aficionados.
But the original attraction here has always been the water. While that might seem to be a contradiction at first — this is the arid desert, after all — the natural spring is what sustained the ancestors of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians long before others arrived.
This is the original spring, the thing that gave Palm Springs its name. Known by the indigenous people as Séc-he, which means “the sound of boiling water” in Cahuilla, the Spanish, who arrived later, referred to it as Agua Caliente.
For generations, the Agua Caliente people served as stewards of this resource while sharing the water with visitors. Today, the spring still serves as one of the area’s most important cultural resources.
The first bathhouse was built on this site in 1886, so solace-seekers could soak in the mineral-rich water. As Palm Springs gained a reputation for wellness (many early travelers were tuberculosis patients), a succession of bathhouses were built around the spring. More recently, it was the Spa Hotel, constructed in the early 1960s, where Steve McQueen was a regular at the gym, Natalie Wood often popped into the salon, and Truman Capote got massaged. That structure was demolished in 2014 to build the current Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza.
This impressive site is a far cry from the two-room bathhouse of yore. It features a tribal museum, a desert trail that offers a glimpse of the tribe’s ancestral home in the nearby canyons, and a 73,000-square-foot spa complex, unveiled in April 2023.
Though the Spa at Séc-he has already drawn accolades, recently nabbing the No. 1 spot in the nation by Spas of America, it’s meant to be more than a place to get a massage. It’s the cornerstone of life in Palm Springs.
“The site of the Agua Caliente hot mineral spring is where it all began,” says Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich. “It is a place rooted in tradition, healing and tranquility.”
The facility
While the water remains the showstopper (and I’ll get back to that), the Spa at Séc-he is remarkable beyond the spring.
Here, you can enjoy every conceivable way to heat, cool, knead, immerse and indulge a body. With 15 treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art cryotherapy chamber, invigorating cold plunge pools, serene float pods, and private spa suites, any desire for restoration or relaxation can be fulfilled. Most of these amenities are included with a day pass or any treatment over $200.
I opted for a therapeutic arnica treatment, one of the deep massages designed to relieve inflammation with a blend of stress-busting oils and the application of heated stones. The table is layered with light therapy, infrared heat and grounding earthing pads to maximize the therapeutic effects. Some of the other treatments, including the quartz and poultice massage, take place on tables lined with warmed quartz.
“We call it the Birkenstock of massage tables, because it forms to the contours of the body,” says spa director Daniel Spencer.
Between treatments, anti-gravity chairs invite moments of rest and reprieve, while grounded lounge areas beckon guests to sink into vibrational loungers with acoustic therapy or guided meditation. And, for those seeking an active escape, there’s also a boutique gym with an array of fitness equipment and free weights.
Inside two halotherapy rooms, generators disperse tiny, pharmaceutical-grade salt particles into the air. These salt caves offer a soothing, Mars-like orange glow, but they’re not just pretty; some studies have shown that halotherapy can have benefits for respiratory ailments, allergies and skin conditions.
“I think of it like putting salt on an icy road. It kind of does the same thing with the sinuses and lungs,” Spencer says. “It clears that pathway so you breathe better, sleep better and just feel more vibrant afterward.”
The spa’s full sensory experience includes the scentscape, which deliberately shifts throughout the facility. The outdoor garden, where guests wait for their treatments, smells like a verdant redwood forest. The steam room bursts with clouds of eucalyptus, while menthol crystals lend a hint of aroma to the dry sauna. Aromatherapy shower heads are infused with citrus.
“What usually happens is that you walk into a spa, and you’re like, ‘Oh, that smells so good.’ But then, once you’ve done that for a couple hours, you don’t really notice it anymore,” Spencer says. “So the trick was to change smells, so that throughout the day you’re always smelling something new and fresh. Keep your nose from getting bored.”
Outdoors, guests will find a tranquil oasis, with mineral pools, Jacuzzis and day beds nestled beneath swaying palms against a picturesque mountain backdrop. Once again, the elements here — the dramatic waterfall, rock formations, basket-like shapes of the cabanas and more — are nods to the ancient home and traditions of the Agua Caliente people.
When the urge to grab a bite strikes, guests can enjoy food from two on-site cafés. There’s the Málmal Café (also open to the public), which offers an array of wraps, salads, sandwiches and bowls. For those craving an al fresco experience, the outdoor Pál Bar echoes the offerings from the Málmal menu but with a few added entrées and enticing small bites.
Back to the source
The essential experience at the Spa at Séc-he is the Taking of the Waters ceremony, when guests spend 15 minutes in a private, clothing-optional bath, soaking in the 105-degree ancient spring water.
It’s a profoundly relaxing experience. I enjoy a good soak anyway, but the high mineral content gives this water a satiny texture, more of an embrace than a bath. As sand flows through the hourglass marking time on the wall, I feel an unspooling within my muscles. The minutes fly by.
But where did this special water come from? A 2011 United States Geological Survey study found that Séc-he comes from its own reservoir of rainwater and snowmelt about 8,000 feet below the San Jacinto Mountains. It emerges from the ground here for the first time after 12,000 years at a rate of approximately 25 gallons per minute.
“We’re not pumping the water out,” Spencer says. “It comes over here where the gathering plaza is (outside of the spa), and then as soon as it comes up, we’ll basically fill these big tanks underneath the parking structure, and that goes into some pumps to push them into the tubs. It’s not hitting the surface until it comes out in the baths during the Taking of the Waters.
“This is water in its purest form,” he continues. “When people say Palm Springs, well … here’s the spring.”
If you go
Ready to relax in the Palm Springs water? Enhance your stay with these ways to eat, stay and play.
Learn: The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is a fascinating trip back in time, where the local tribe shares their own stories in their own words. You’ll find ancient objects and artifacts, including some that were found on-site during the construction of the building, as well as exhibitions detailing modern milestones.
Eat: While Palm Springs restaurants have yet to nab a coveted Michelin star, eight local eateries have been recognized in the esteemed Michelin Guide. Among them: Bar Cecil is a lively option if you can score a reservation. Otherwise, The Colony Club and Tac/Quila are two faves, while Boozehounds is best for travelers with pups in tow.
Stay: Luxury boutique hotel group Kirkwood Collection recently acquired three historic hotel properties in downtown Palm Springs: La Serena Villas, a welcoming Spanish hacienda-style property, and two midcentury gems, the Del Marcos Hotel and The Three Fifty Hotel.