The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn

My mom, sister and I all came here for massages and pedicure. The spa amenities are very outdated and only have a small jacuzzi and steam room with a large outdoor pool. The waiting room had hard unripened fruit and a bowl of granola (no yogurt or milk to eat with it). The bathrooms had decent shower supplies but only had one hair brush (I have never seen this before (why would people want to reuse a hair brush that has been used by other people, yuck!) I had a prenatal massage and it was nothing special! It was so over priced and I didnt feel any more relaxed than I did before I had the massage (don’t pay extra for the foot massage scrub, waste of money!) My mom and sister both hated their massages as well. We paid a lot of money to have a good massage and should have gone some where else. The african american lady that did my sisters pedicure was very nice but for a $ 65 pedicure it was not worth it! It was just like any other pedicure you can get done for $ 25. DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY COMING HERE! HUGE RIP OFF!

I went to the spa with my 3 BFF’s for 2 of our birthdays. It was great. Arlene at the front desk was so nice to us. She came and found us to check-​in through out the day. The sauna and treatments were great and then we had a poolside lunch. Highly recommend this spot. Thank you so much Arlene for the great service.

Loved the saline pool, eucalyptus infused steam room, jacuzzi and peaceful grounds! Fabulous #spa getaway for a #MotherDaughter weekend. We will be back to enjoy more of the services. #myrbistory #INNNFluencers

I came here for my Birthday with my Mother and had high expectations that were not quite met. I have been to many spas in San Diego and really like the RB hotel and restaurant so expected the spa to be just as nice… not quite there. The employees were very nice and my services were good. Although I couldn’t get all the services I signed up for because they had a plumbing problem. The locker room toilets and showers were all shut off. If you need the restroom you had to walk outside and use the gym bathroom, while in your robe, along with all the business people who were at a business convention. can you say awkward!
The locker room, had it properly been functioning is nice, but on the small side. For a busy Saturday, people are very close together while changing, doing hair, etc. The additional «closet» also used as overflow locker area is very small for the amount of lockers.

Visited the spa with fellow teammates for relaxing recovery day after completing the Komen 3 day. 60 miles of wear and tear on our bodies and we were due for some R&R. Can’t say the experience did it’s job. My fellow teammates may have had a different experience, but mine out the gates was disappointing.
Called about two weeks beforehand to book. Asked what therapists were available between 9 and 10 on the desired day to coordinate with the group. The abrupt, disconnected receptionist indicated that if I told her what I wanted… she would see if it was available. After making that selection she indicated that a massage therapist wasn’t available at that time… that I could only have a facial. Hence the initial question. She was not at all accommodating nor informative so I opted to sort out my services after some internet research on their site and call back. I did so several days later and booked appointments at 10am and 11am to finish up before the team lunch poolside. Sadly… upon calling to confirm the day of the appointment… my appointments had been booked at 11 and 12:30. The one ray of sunshine was Arlene… who expressed an apology, indicated she was on it and would call me back with a solution. Indeed she did, calling in a therapist early to make the work around happen. She was equally friendly and efficient upon arrival when checking us in and touring the facility.
Facility and grounds are great. Cabanas should be offered for groups using spa services (we probably spent around $ 1500 in two or so hours of using the spa on a very slow Monday). Nonetheless, my services (the Espa facial and Made daily) were just so, so. I’ve had similar treatments at other spas… and have had a MUCH better experience. For example, a peel was not an option for my facial… though I indicated hydration and exfoliation were my focus and this was the recommended service? I’ve had a more personal, relaxing and knowledgeable experience at several other spas, to include Burke Williams and feel their Mission Viejo facility has equal to or nicer indoor facilities (minus the outdoor pool where Rancho has the one up). Overall, felt the services were overpriced and «meh».
All in all… would go back to the Inn… but frankly would skip the spa. Little things make a difference. I had a facial… but wasn’t given sunblock and had advised we’d be using the facilities (I’d be outdoors). I ultimately purchased it at the shop. I asked if they had samples of the lotion that was put on at the end of my facial and body treatment… since I’d be using the spa and pool. Both therapists indicated «we don’t do that». What is the use of having treatments… and then going into the pool and Jacuzzi? Therapists should be able to provide the moisturizing treatments in a small sample size for later application. I recommend, should you opt to go… do NOT schedule morning appointments. Go, spend the day at the pool, jacuzzi, etc… and schedule late afternoon appointments should you be inclined to give it a shot.
Disappointing experience. Great camaraderie with my girlfriends on a gorgeous San Diego day… but I’d skip the facial and body scrub and keep the $ 400 in my pocket…

This review is a week late but I had to give a big shout out to Heather for my facial. Her knowledge about the products and her expertise about my skin after inspection was on point. Plus, she was extremely thorough which I really appreciate. Then, her facial, neck, and shoulder massage… EXCELLENT! I went straight to sleep! But, really, ask for Heather… She’s fantastic and will be returning to her from now on.

I would give the facility and our deep tissue therapists five stars. But unfortunately, some other factors brought the ratings down for this potentially amazing spa in RB.
Friend treated me to three spa treatments on a staycation (I’m the luckiest girl). You check in with the spa front desk and I personally thought the front desk staff was disingenuous and a bit cold on the first visit. No matter though as my friend shrugged it off and gave me a tour of the spa facility.
The women’s side has a steam room, jacuzzi, showers, restrooms, lockers. There’s a co ed waiting room.
My facial was 50 minutes. Friend would have preferred another esthetician for me but I didn’t mind the laid back, more gentle facial I suppose.
The highlight of our treatments that day were our deep tissue massages. Ask for Alma or Robert.
We both thought the sugar scrub was a waste of money and time. It was the costliest of the treatments and the shortest of treatments. 50 min of what was given and charged wasn’t right. I’d suggest passing on this treatment and using it on massages with the right therapists.
We ordered food poolside while we were there. It truly is such a beautiful pool setting. Service was attentive and you must order their grapefruit mojito.
BUT. My goodness. The food was terrible.
We ordered:
Blackberry Chipotle Wings — I food blog and am sad to write that these wings were *the worst* wings I’ve ever had. In my life. The thick, cloyingly sweet dark purple sticky sauce that drenched the wings was awful. It made the wings completely inedible for us.
Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups — sounded like a great low carb option but the pulled pork was overly salted. There was a weird salty crunch to this dish that makes me still cringe thinking about these lettuce cups.
My second visit here proved disheartening. I wasn’t able to secure Alma for a deep tissue but was assigned someone that, I was told, does deep tissue massage. It turned out the masseuse didn’t know deep tissue but I found out only after the treatment was given. I do thank Lindy and Carol for doing their best to amend this situation. So make sure you know your masseuse’s ability before you book him/​her.
The spa really can be memorable if you have the right therapist and go on a non-​crowded did. We didn’t try any more poolside food on the second visit (the 1^st visit food still haunted me no joke) so we walked to Veranda instead (make sure you to try their Prime Rib french dip!). I hope to revisit the spa (and possibly bring sis/​mom for a holiday present) so I’ll post with an update soon.

A group of my girlfriends and I got together at the spa/​pool at the RB Inn to celebrate a friend’s birthday yesterday, and we had a perfect day, thanks in large part to the excellent staff at the spa!
My friend booked a cabana, and the servers at the bar were wonderful all day about bringing all of our food and drinks over to us. The enter pool staff was so helpful and kind. They were all big smiles and positive vibes all day long! :) And the drinks and food were all super tasty!
I didn’t get any spa services, but the girls in my group that did said they were excellent. Also, one of the girls in my group had a scheduling mix-​up with her spa service, and the spa went above and beyond to compensate her and our entire group for the issue.
I, and my entire group, could not have been more happy with our day – we all said it was absolutely perfect! And, we will definitely get together there again soon!

I made a reservation one month in advance to book a facial and a massage for my friend and myself. When I booked my appointment with the front desk, I asked if I will get an email confirmation and the lady there told me not to worry everything is in order. A day before the appointment, I called the spa and asked if my appointment is confirmed. To my surprise, was told that they charged by credit card for no show. I told them that must be a mistake since I was calling to confirm. They said well we charged because you didn’t show but your friend is still scheduled for the right day. They book my friend and I 1 month apart. They told me they will talk to their spa director and call me back and never did. So disappointing…

Booked a group treatment here for our company. Had the 10 treatments to get that 10% discount and free cabana, well worth it. We got there at 1pm since half of our team had treatments scheduled at 2pm. We ordered our food at 1:18pm and it didn’t come out until 2:15pm half of the team had to wait till after their treatment to eat. The facility and staff was amazing. We were there until they closed. Overall experience was incredible, beside the wait time on the food.

My wife and I had a couples massage (Swedish — aka relaxing) in the outside bungalow. Very nice ambiance from reception to the actual massage. Alma and Gary were the masseuses and we we’re very relaxed afterward.
Ladies at check in were enthusiastic and very nice. For the fee, we had access to the pool, bar, hot tubs, and other amenities.
You can hang out at the hotel from 9 – 6 M-​T and 9 – 7 on Sat-​Sun for the fee paid for spa services. So if looking for a day getaway as a San Diego local, nice value and beautiful property. Also for this with kids, they have a summer day camp from 12−4pm ($ 40/​kid) while you relax at the spa. If you want to stay longer, they have an outsourced babysitting service

The grounds are very pretty. And even though it was crowded at 11a, I didn’t feel we had a lack of privacy except while waiting in the relaxation area before our massages. The groups of women were all extremely chatty. I just went outside. Problem solved.
My massage from Heather was great. My husband said his was just okay. I did like the individual outdoor cabanas. It was nice to hear birds and the water flowing.
My husband and I came for the 50 minute massages plus lunch package. It was $ 165 each. Over the phone it was sold as a great deal, but in reality if we had just chosen a la carte from the pool menu, it would have been less expensive. Just an FYI for future guests. It’s not necessarily a «deal».
The saline pool was nice to swim in. The bottom is little murky but didn’t affect water quality. I enjoyed floating around on my back staring up at the trees having some kind of existential moment.
One minor annoyance is that the women’s lockers are too close together and there’s not a lot of space for more than two people to get dressed at a time. And no private area for changing.
Would I visit again? Yes.

My fiancé thoughtfully surprised me with a couples massage here in one of the casitas for my birthday/​grad school graduation. Our masseuses were amazing and mine (I’m sorry I forgot her name) was pretty good. Just enough pressure but really worked out my kinks and problem areas. It was so soothing and relaxing to hear the water tricking, birds chirping and feel the cool breeze. I would recommend the casitas. Afterward we were greeted with champagne and went over to the secluded outdoor jacuzzi to sip and savor.
My tip would be to come early or schedule enough time after your treatment to enjoy the amenities. I love that there are indoor and outdoor amenities, which allows couples to relax and spend more time together in the coed space. The grounds themselves are so lush and gorgeous.
My only gripe is about the maintenance in the women’s locker room. Although it was mostly clean, I feel they need someone dedicated to picking up after people (I.e. towels, cups, etc). That part could’ve been kept up a little more so thats my –1. Also not many products available to use so be sure to bring your own.

OOOMGGGG heaven has a place on earth and it’s RB Inn! I’ve actually gotten a room at this resort/​spa a couple times and on one of the occasions, my fiancé got the two of us spa passes. I think when he got it, it came as part of the package for the room rate, but normally spa passes are $ 35pp and comes with access to the outdoor pool and jacuzzi as well as their indoor jacuzzi and steam room. We just mostly chill’ed out by the pool and jacuzzi outside. I didn’t go into the women’s locker or the steam room or anything like that bc I wanted to hang out with Hiro S. Actually now that I think about it, I don’t think I really did anything bc I don’t think I went into the pool either bahaha. He did he swam in it, and he said it was a saline pool, so with salt water. yeah the only thing I did was go into the jacuzzi, which is really nice bc it’s in a totally separate area from the pool so more quiet and secluded. I think we went mid week so we had the place virtually to ourselves.
I started writing this review but now I feel kind of silly because I don’t really have anything to review since I just laid in the chairs poolside, sipping champagne and didn’t even get in the water besides the jacuzzi! But I guess I can review that this place is absolutely gorgeous. The staff is friendly. The robes are über plush probably the most luxurious robe I’ve ever worn in my life. And that’s about it. Sorry I can’t go into more substantial detail lol but I definitely want to come back and when I do I’ll edit with more detail

A wonderful birthday treat was spent at the Spa at Rancho Bernardo! Wow!
We got a warm welcome, a tour of the spa which is so pretty and relaxing. Each of us had different treatments, a massage for me and a facial for my cousin, and were just melting with sighs afterwards.
The fountains, the flowers, secret areas to sit quietly, and the overall ambience was perfect!
After our treatments, we went to the private Spa pool where we had lunch — organic, healthy salads… with a glass of cool wine to celebrate! Despite us arriving just as the lunch service was closing, we were still given excellent service.
Will be back, for sure!

Let me start this review by saying it breaks my heart to write this poor review of the Rancho Bernardo Inn Spa. I have been a frequent visitor for many years, but over the last year the basic maintenance and cleanliness of the entire spa area has decreased drastically, to the point that unless they make some serious changes in the near future, I will not be able to return.
You will see from my pictures that on the surface the spa looks like it does in the beautiful photos from their opening on their website, but if you look closer you see a very different view.
My day started a little late because there was no one at the valet stand to ask for a ride down to the spa facility (a good walk down steep ramps and steps unless you get a ride in a golf cart and being handicapped that makes a big difference), which made me have to walk inside to the front desk, wait for someone to help me and then have them call someone for the ride. I got changed and stored my stuff in the locker room. The sandals were tiny and I had to find someone to ask for a regular size (it would have been nice if the attendant had made sure I had what I needed before disappearing).
The massage was nice and after I went outside to the spa grounds to relax for the day and read. By this time it was getting close to lunch time and I searched for someone outside to take my lunch order. I found a guy at the pool bar (the only person out there all day). I ordered my lunch and also had a drink coupon and asked what he had available. He said they were a full bar, so I ordered a drink and was told he didn’t have the ingredients to make it. I tried two more drinks with the same answer before asking what items he did have. Then he got a little snippy with me. Excuse me, but don’t say you are a full bar and then not have anything stocked. I ended up creating a concoction with a similar flavor profile as one of my original drinks and it was ok. I was asked for my credit card at the bar, which was stowed in the locker. He blamed the spa attendant for not informing me that they required me to pay separately. This was not the policy in the past (all items were billed to the spa). This new policy makes no sense and is completely inconvenient to carry only your credit card in your robe after you have stowed all of your belongings in the locker. It took a while for the food to come, but it was a good sized portion and very flavorful when it did arrive.
I had some trouble finding a place to hang out because practically every surface was covered in black mold. The baskets for the towels, lounge chairs, seats, etc. I laid several layers of towels down just to be able to sit somewhere. There was also mineral buildup on the ground and around fountains that had not been cleaned in quite a while. The inside of the spa had chunks broken out of the lining which made sharp/​rough spots. The bottom of the pool looked filthy and I did not go in it.
I basically sat on my pile of towels and read and ate lunch. The only bathroom is back upstairs in the main building, so you have to pick up all of your stuff and walk all the way back up there. Not very convenient, especially when handicapped.
When I was ready to go, I went up to the locker room to shower and get dressed. As you can see in the pictures, the whole area was crazy gross dirty. Huge clumps of hair in the showers, used wash clothes and towels left all over, trash, etc. The worst was the used razors, which present a serious health risk if a customer gets cut on someone else’s used razor. I again had to go find someone to help and ended up having to go all the way out to the front desk. They apologized and sent someone to go clean it up, but they missed a bunch of the items, even after I showed them. I cleaned up one shower enough to use it myself and get dressed and get out of there.
At check-​out I told them again all these issues and was told the manager would contact me and they would like to have me back again. No one ever contacted me and even if they did follow up on their offer to have me back, I wouldn’t want to go unless these issues had been addressed. I had noticed some of these things about 6 month ago and let them know then. Since they were not addressed and have even gotten worse, I can only conclude that they do not care about the health and wellbeing of their customers.
For the high cost, the customer service and cleanliness is very poor. I’m allergic to mold which will make me sick and I am afraid I will get some disease from the facilities. If they allow black mold to grow on every surface like that, then I know they are not doing basic cleaning, so who knows what is on all the surfaces. Again it is very sad, I had enjoyed going there.

By far, this is my favorite spa in southern California! I have been here many times over the past few years and every single time, have just had the best experience!
This last time was my favorite. Took a girlfriend of mine here for a spa day and had just the best time ever. I got a massage from Daphne-​who is amazing! I have had her a few times and she is my go to for all massages!
After a relaxing stay in the sauna and Jacuzzi, we headed down to the pool for lunch in our robes! We were surprised with a cabana and our own personal server. We enjoyed delicious mimosas and the food was great. We had the hummus, the chicken sandwich and a large Cobb. All I would recommend!
Overall, although the spa is a little pricey, they service and attention to detail that they have makes it worth every penny in my opinion!

My stay and play package with the Rancho Bernardo Inn came with a few spa treatments at their in-​house spa. I called for an appointment on the day before and it was completely pain free, though I did settle for two of the earliest appointments of the day, which happened to be exactly what I wanted.
My first treatment was a facial with Sherri which lasted about 50 minutes. What confused me a bit about the process was that there is a menu of treatment options, but when you get there, the aesthetician can sort of tailor the facial to your skin’s needs. I know this SOUNDS good, but you end up feeling like you don’t know the price you’ll pay or whether you got ripped off b/​c something came with/didn’t come with what’s on the menu. In any case, 50 minutes was too short. I barely felt like my skin was steamed, there was really minimal extraction, and way too much talking. I’m a person who likes silent facials and the ability to zone out and fall asleep so this style just wasn’t up my alley. At the end, she provided me with a list of the products she used during my facial and recommended an exfoliant.
From there, I had a mother-​to-​be massage with Robert. He had kindly set up a big giant pillow thing for me to lie on. It was a little bit unnecessary because I probably wasn’t big enough for it at that time and slightly uncomfortable, but I did appreciate it. Like the facial, 50 minutes zoomed by and there was wayyy too much talking. I think he did a good job finding and working out the knots in my back, which felt great but I think I felt a little short changed in the feet department because I’m pretty sure I was supposed to get a foot massage too.
After the treatments, I could have stayed all day in the spa facilities but I opted not to. I also checked out the products they had in the main lobby. At the time of my stay, they were out of stock of practically everything that was used on me during my facial. I ended up buying an Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Exfoliant which I now use regularly but purchased it elsewhere… and for cheaper too.

Beautiful venue for a friends bday/​spa-​day. All the staff were friendly and the «made daily» service I received was Ok (just average). Locker rooms were very full — maybe slightly overbooked since the spa also offers day passes.
Rented a cabana but service was almost non-​existent (was told over phone water/​ice/​refreshments would be provided). Good news is cabana was comped due to apparent staff mix ups.
In addition to massage, paid $ 65 for a pedicure and the polish began chipping the same night.
Ate at the Verdana for dinner, stay away from the gnocchi — drenched in sarachia sauce not edible. Service slow — had to constantly ask other staff for help.
Knowing all this I would still go back but with a different set of expectations. Sad too since the venue is so nice. I would love to spend more money at this place!

I am a spa snob and I won’t spend lots of money for a place that claims to be a spa unless they have the works! This place is absolutely a hidden gem! I’ve been wanting to come here forever and finally got a chance for the first time in August when my brother came to town. Family event! Brought my aunt, sister, bro and his boyfriend and made it a spa day. I got a facial with a massage from Jessica and it was the most amazing experience ever! She was very informative and her hands are a gift from God!
The place itself is gorgeous! They have an outdoor salt water pool with lounges and food and drink service, a smaller outdoor pool in a garden like setting, a whirl tub spa in the locker rooms, and outdoor cabanas for massages! Unfortunately, the treatment cabanas are only for massages so if thats the only thing you’re going to get then I suggest you do so there. However, I don’t believe it has AC so if it’s the summertime it does get hot as balls in RB so watch out for that.
This place is definitely worth the money you pay for the treatments… if you’re going to stay and actually enjoy the facility. If you’re just coming for a massage or facial, you’re really not getting your money’s worth. Make sure you spend your whole day here! It’s just a wonderful place to relax and enjoy. We laid out by the pool, drank, had lunch. Btw their salmon BLT is heaven! My sister and I would definitely come here again for that alone!
The only downside is trying to find the spa if it’s your first time there. The resort is a maze. Other reviewers suggested valet parking and getting a ride from the staff to the spa. If this isn’t something you’re interested in doing especially since there was so much parking available when we went, then come way earlier than your appt. to give you time to find the place and enjoy the facility.
Everyone was super nice and friendly. The products they use Eminence. Organically which is super top notch! I loved how my face felt so much that I bought some right then and there, despite the ridiculous price!
Come on a Tuesday if you can. It’s so much slower and it’s nice having a spa to yourself!!! You won’t regret the experience!!!