A Sylvan Spa

The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn (858.675.8471, www.ranchobernardoinn.com/spa), meanwhile, enjoys a global reputation as much as a globally-inspired treatment menu. In 2008, it achieved the coveted No. 1 spot in Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Poll of best resort spas, and one look around the lushly landscaped property will tell you why. As part of the resort’s $25 million “enhancement and expansion” in 2007, the spa acquired five new treatment casitas in an idyllic garden setting, a 2,500-sq.-ft. saline pool (replete with seven cabanas) and upgraded indoor spaces. In layman’s terms, the spa feels like a cross between a grand old estate and a secret garden. Stand at the entry steps, and the spa unfolds majestically below you. The registration building sits to your right, the treatment building stands to the left and the pool and garden reside grandly in between.

But it’s the inventive offerings devised by Spa Director Michelle Schlekewey that steal the spotlight. Case in point are the Spa-ing Around the World treatments, which visit Latin America, the Mediterranean, Asia and the Hawaiian Islands; and the Moonlight Spa-ing, which marries a signature massage or facial with a light dinner and a Made Fresh Daily (more on that later) enhancement. Sample the Spa—three 15-minute spa treatments with nibbles—and Spa & Lunch packages are also available on certain days this summer.

Which brings us back to Made Fresh Daily, a concept that highlights Rancho Bernardo Inn’s unique gastronomic niche. These treatments go a step beyond the spa’s other foodie offerings like Cocktail Pedicures and orange-peel body scrubs to feature seasonally changing ingredients that get converted onsite into spa-worthy products. This summer features avocado and rosemary as the starring ingredients in a rosemary scrub and avocado mud. The “Zesty Lemon Massage” incorporates rosemary-infused massage oil and the treatment concludes with a serving of rosemary tea. All this so you can exfoliate and massage your way to a fresher, healthier you via San Diego’s finest fresh produce and herbs.