Los Angeles is filled with fitness studios, juice bars, adaptogen-infused lattes and vegan fare. But sometimes to get really immersed in wellness, you need to get out of your normal routine. This June, one of the premiere properties in Santa Barbara — which has drawn Michael Keaton and Ryan Gosling of late — is providing the perfect respite.
Beginning Wednesday, June 7, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara — a beachside institution on the edge of tony Montecito — kicks off a four-day, three-night wellness retreat that concludes, appropriately, on Global Wellness Day.
The itinerary is designed not only to invigorate the body, but also the mind. It includes physical fitness sessions such as sunset yoga in the rose garden, a high-intensity boot camp on the picturesque Butterfly Beach in front of the resort and a pool cardio class conducted by renowned fitness consultant Nora Tobin at the iconic Coral Casino pool.
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The pastel-hued Coral Casino private members club and just-over-Olympic-sized pool beside The Biltmore, restored by fashion-industry-favorite architect Peter Marino in 2008, has been a hideaway for Hollywood elite since the Golden Age. Retreat guests have full access if they book a Jungle Room, which also includes individual health consultations with Tobin.
Alongside several workouts a day (stand-up paddleboarding is also on offer), celebrity healer and intuitive Aiden Chase — who himself moved to Montecito to get away from the L.A. scene and traffic — will be on hand to guide meditation sessions set to curated music. The package also includes a pair of customized 50-minute spa treatments.
Rates — starting a $4,000 per person or $6,100 per couple — include accommodations, full meal plan, two customized spa treatments, all wellness sessions, leisure activities, Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club access and a gift bag. (Those who cannot make the June retreat can book the new Wellness Revival package, which is like a choose-your-own-adventure for customized wellness amenities and activities with Tobin and Chase.)
Executive chef Marco Fossati created a specialized wellness menu available for retreaters — think mango coconut chia pudding, sweet potato tacos with tempeh, edamame hummus and kale-tinis (martinis made with kale that you can feel good about drinking). The grand finale of the retreat is a magical group Aquaponic Farm dinner under the stars, for which chef Fossati will incorporate greens and herbs — grown just up the road from the hotel at a sustainable, organic aqua farm — into innovative, veggie-forward dishes.
