Calistoga Spa Hot Springs — Attraction in Calistoga

I have come here for so many years and now I'm so disappointed. Unfortunately the customer service here has really gone down hill.

I understand that if I arrive before 3pm my room may not be yet and that is fine. But to tell me I cannot use the pool area while I wait is beyond pathetic. The pools are literally the only reason I come to this specific place.

Whoever came up with this policy let me tell you that is the worst most regrettable idea you have ever had and you have totally ruined the experience for me and I'm sure many others.

It was never this way before. If you came early they just let you go change in the locker room and go to the pools no problem. Seriously it's a Tuesday in the middle of the week and there are maybe 15-20 people in the area with 4 pools and you literally told me NO you don't qualify for using the pool and we will text you when your room is ready, so in other words go away.

Do you think that if people drove hours to get here and enjoy the weather and are here asking about check in at 11:30 that maybe the receptionist should communicate to the housekeeping staff to get their room ready first?

It's after 2:35 pm I've called twice and it's still a 'no your room is not ready'. She made some excuse about the housekeeping staff going to lunch and said just come back at 3 pm when it's guaranteed to be ready. It's like a power trip for this one receptionist to be as unhelpful as possible. So sad about this place now and there's just too many other options to choose from to want to come back after having such a miserable customer service experience.

I was here last month and the young man behind the desk was much more helpful. I don't know if it's because I had booked a massage for 11 am but guess what, when I arrived at 10:30 am I got upgraded from a queen to a king room that I could check in to right away.

When I was here last month another guest was complaining about all the construction noise in the street. The noise was really bad. She said when she asked about changing rooms to try to get away from the noise the receptionist was rude to her and didn't even apologize about the noise being disturbing. It was just nope don't have any rooms. That was it. The lady said it felt like the girl didn't care at all about her experience and the girl's attitude was like 'oh well too bad for you'. Instead of the girl saying something more appropriate like "I'm so sorry about the road work noise, I wish that there was something that we could do to help, but unfortunately we don't have any other rooms". And to think I tried to defend the front desk people and I said well it's not their fault that we have to listen to all the noise, they can't control it.

I was planning on dropping another few hundred dollars in the spa over the next couple of days but not now I'll go down the road for my services just because of the receptionist.

You really need to rethink your policy of telling paying customers that they cannot use the pools a few hours earlier than check in.

So seriously where was I supposed to go? I don't drink. I didn't come for the winery's. I stayed sitting in one of the chairs and I read my book and I know they saw me and I watched. The staff could have totally had a room ready for me much earlier if they just wanted to.

So now to top it all off after I posted my review I walked into the lobby and guess what there was my reservation form printed out alread and the key to my room already set up sitting on the back counter waiting for me for who knows how long but nobody bothered to text me to say my room was ready.

I really hope that management reads this post and takes into consideration what I have said and make some changes around here because if you have people at the front desk who do not make people feel welcome or cared for and just want to talk about some policy instead of making a person's experience special then you need change your policies and hire new people who actually have customer...

While there were a few small positives: such as clean, updated rooms and complimentary robes, the overall experience was far from what was advertised. The resort positions itself as a rejuvenating spa getaway in the heart of wine country, but in reality, it felt more like a modestly renovated motel with limited amenities and a highly disappointing spa experience.||Key issues:|Misleading Marketing vs. Actual Experience:|The website paints a picture of a serene, high-end spa destination with healing geothermal mineral pools and a full-service wellness retreat. In reality, this was not the case. The pools, while nicely arranged, were essentially standard heated pools with extremely high levels of chlorine. If this water truly comes from a natural geothermal source, the excessive chlorine completely negates any healing or mineral benefits. There was nothing “pure” or “rejuvenating” about it; in fact, my scalp broke out and my skin was left dry and irritated, which is the exact opposite of what you’d expect from a mineral soak.||Pool Area Under Construction & Poor Ambience:|The adult-only hot pool (the one pool maintained at the highest temperature) had a partially broken sun shade and was under construction during our stay, which wasn’t disclosed at the time of booking. This took away from the relaxation experience and made the property feel unfinished (not worth the price I was paying)||Room Kitchenette Not Functional:|The room was nicely decorated and came with a stocked kitchenette: dishes, pots, pans, etc; but the electric burners barely functioned. I couldn’t boil water even after an hour on the highest setting. It gave the impression that the kitchenette was more for appearance than utility, which was frustrating when trying to prepare a simple meal. I ended up having to go out to eat because I could not cook in the room with low temperatures from the burners. ||Lack of Amenities & Dining Options:|Aside from the pools and a limited spa menu (mud baths and massages), there were no other on-site amenities. No restaurant, no breakfast, no lounge, and no food or drink service whatsoever. For a place calling itself a "spa resort," this lack of offerings was extremely disappointing. We had to leave the property even just to get coffee or breakfast in the morning.||Value Does Not Match Cost:|I paid over $320 for a one-night stay during the off-season, expecting a relaxing spa retreat. What I received was a glorified motel experience with lukewarm, over-chlorinated pools and minimal amenities. Other boutique hotels and B&Bs in the same area offer more charm, comfort, and hospitality; often at a lower or comparable price.||Suggestions for Improvement:||Offer at least one truly mineral-based pool with no chlorine for guests seeking therapeutic benefits.||Notify guests in advance of construction or maintenance.||Upgrade or replace in-room cooking appliances so they’re usable.||Add basic food and beverage service: at minimum, breakfast or grab-and-go options.||Be more transparent in marketing. Guests expecting a luxury spa retreat should not be met with a motel-level experience.||I genuinely looked forward to this stay and wanted to love the property, but what was promised online, “rejuvenation,” “healing waters,” and “spa retreat”, was not reflected in the actual experience. A clearer and more honest representation of what’s offered would go a long way in setting appropriate...

While there were a few small positives: such as clean, updated rooms and complimentary robes, the overall experience was far from what was advertised. The resort positions itself as a rejuvenating spa getaway in the heart of wine country, but in reality, it felt more like a modestly renovated motel with limited amenities and a highly disappointing spa experience.

Key issues: Misleading Marketing vs. Actual Experience: The website paints a picture of a serene, high-end spa destination with healing geothermal mineral pools and a full-service wellness retreat. In reality, this was not the case. The pools, while nicely arranged, were essentially standard heated pools with extremely high levels of chlorine. If this water truly comes from a natural geothermal source, the excessive chlorine completely negates any healing or mineral benefits. There was nothing “pure” or “rejuvenating” about it; in fact, my scalp broke out and my skin was left dry and irritated, which is the exact opposite of what you’d expect from a mineral soak.

Pool Area Under Construction & Poor Ambience: The adult-only hot pool (the one pool maintained at the highest temperature) had a partially broken sun shade and was under construction during our stay, which wasn’t disclosed at the time of booking. This took away from the relaxation experience and made the property feel unfinished (not worth the price I was paying)

Room Kitchenette Not Functional: The room was nicely decorated and came with a stocked kitchenette: dishes, pots, pans, etc; but the electric burners barely functioned. I couldn’t boil water even after an hour on the highest setting. It gave the impression that the kitchenette was more for appearance than utility, which was frustrating when trying to prepare a simple meal. I ended up having to go out to eat because I could not cook in the room with low temperatures from the burners.

Lack of Amenities & Dining Options: Aside from the pools and a limited spa menu (mud baths and massages), there were no other on-site amenities. No restaurant, no breakfast, no lounge, and no food or drink service whatsoever. For a place calling itself a "spa resort," this lack of offerings was extremely disappointing. We had to leave the property even just to get coffee or breakfast in the morning.

Value Does Not Match Cost: I paid over $320 for a one-night stay during the off-season, expecting a relaxing spa retreat. What I received was a glorified motel experience with lukewarm, over-chlorinated pools and minimal amenities. Other boutique hotels and B&Bs in the same area offer more charm, comfort, and hospitality; often at a lower or comparable price.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Offer at least one truly mineral-based pool with no chlorine for guests seeking therapeutic benefits.

Notify guests in advance of construction or maintenance.

Upgrade or replace in-room cooking appliances so they’re usable.

Add basic food and beverage service: at minimum, breakfast or grab-and-go options.

Be more transparent in marketing. Guests expecting a luxury spa retreat should not be met with a motel-level experience.

I genuinely looked forward to this stay and wanted to love the property, but what was promised online, “rejuvenation,” “healing waters,” and “spa retreat”, was not reflected in the actual experience. A clearer and more honest representation of what’s offered would go a long way in setting appropriate...