Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa

Highly recommend this resort to recharge and relax! Friends had recommended RV to us and we could not be more happy with our experience. From beginning to end you are treated to top notch service and quality. From the spa to the class offerings to the racket sports facilities this property caters to your every need. You can do things you have never done before...for me I played Padel and took boxing classes. Meals were superb and it is so close to Del Mar and La Jolla so you can easily venture out if you want. Ten out of Ten...

Rancho Valencia is a hidden gem, ideal for total relaxation, a memorable family gathering, a romantic wedding, or a seamless meeting. The property is breathtaking, with beautifully appointed rooms that offer peace and privacy. The on-site restaurants and bar are truly top-tier, offering exceptional cuisine and service. And the spa? An experience in itself — the perfect indulgence for any visit.

Our visit to Rancho Valencia was fantastic. It's high ranking is well-deserved. The entire team at the resort is top-notch. We highly recommend.

Having read all of the positive reviews about Rancho Valencia, my husband and I were really looking forward to our 4 night stay at this 5 star resort. We had hoped to spend a fair amount of time at the spa relaxing. For reference there are 2 pools at the resort. A family pool (only for resort guests) and an adult pool which is located at the spa. To start off, check in was smooth and we were taken to a lovely 1BR suite. Dinner that night at The Pony was very good. The trouble started on our 2nd day. My husband and I ventured down to the spa in the afternoon hoping to relax at the pool before our massages. First warning there was something wrong was the spa parking lot was completely packed and there were flow over cars parked up and down the roadside. As a guest of the hotel, you could easily walk to the spa, so something didn’t seem quite right. We walked over to the adult pool in the spa and it was packed to the gills. An arrogant, young blond female employee at the entry informed us that there was a wait list for chairs at the pool and there were 3 couples ahead of us. She could provide no estimate of how long that wait might be. We told her we were hotel guests paying quite a large nightly fee and this was not really acceptable. Her surly response was “everyone here is a guest of the hotel and I don't see what the problem is”. When I asked her name, she quickly covered up her ID badge and accused me of being “aggressive”. I came to discover the true fact is, the resort has sold large quantities of family memberships to the public and also for the purchase of a simple spa treatment, you can use the spa facilities for the entire day. You, however, as the high paying resort guest have no priority here. The other amenities: sauna, steam room and hot tubs were equally packed. The locker room was uncomfortably full and there were no attendants. It was difficult to find an empty locker with a robe. All of the showers were in use. The seats in the waiting area for the treatments were also full. After complaining to the hotel manager, she did arrange for us to have seats at an empty cabana later in the afternoon following our treatments. Of course by then it was late afternoon, the crowds had significantly died down and my mood unfortunately had soured. The spa was basically a rat race. Not at all relaxing Perhaps we were super unlucky, as it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. This place has SOLD OUT to the public hoping they won’t get much resistance from their out of town, high paying resort guests. Our massages were excellent, but loud groups of young women in the waiting area could easily be heard during our treatments. For a true relaxing experience, go elsewhere. If you still want to have a day at the Rancho Valencia spa, it would be more economical to stay at a cheaper local hotel, book a treatment at RV spa and then spend the day there. Get there early so you can get a locker and seat at the pool (sigh, ridiculous but true)! It was salt in the wound, when I reviewed my final invoice...in additon to the thousands of dollars for a 4 night stay, I then discovered a $60 daily resort fee tacked on....shame on you Rancho Valencia.

I think I've finally found the Spa resort of my dreams. I travel all over the world and here it is right in my back yard of California. This location is absolutely gorgeous, but not stuffy or snoby. Staff is super nice (and honesly love working there). Everyone I met had been there for 6 - 10 years or more. One guy was there for 30 years. Service, rooms, grounds, spa - all super nice. I've been there twice. This last time with my 2 girl friends. Everyone joked we were the White Lotus girls. But joking aside, it makes a fantastic girls get away. The shopin on site is pretty decent, really good merchandiser in the shop. The spa is lovely and all the services top notch. I think my facial was the best i've ever had in 30+years. I'll definitely be back again. My only suggestion is to book your spa treatments as early as possible, because they book up.