We Care Spa — Local services in Desert Hot Springs

I have been going here since 2008. Susanna is amazing and what she has created with WeCARE-will be a lasting legacy. Susanna has relinquished much of the daily operations to her daughter, Susan. For me, Susanna built this amazingly special place with her heart. Her daughter lives from a different currency, that it money. There is no judgement from me on whether one's currency is more valid. It just is. As this transition has happened, I have seen the environment change dramatically. The detox program is surely one of very few that exist...AND still I mourn the loss of vision boards and the ability to walk and hike off campus, expecting the body scrubber in your WeCare bag and LIZ : ( probably the worst casualty since I stared going there. Three trips ago, I paid for 8 days in the main building. (Off the kitchen) and the woman in the adjacent room was a chain smoker. (Smoking not allowed at WeCARE) My purpose for booking at WECARE was to get through a horrible bout of bronchitis/pneumonia. When I used my voice, the chain smoker bullied me and the manager at that time (Martha?) " told me she was a long term CELEBRITY client. I finally left 3 or 4 days into my trip -as both the manager on duty (no longer there) and the woman were not going to budge. The manager charged me for the full 8 days. I put something on the site after my experience-and on Facebook. Both reviews were taken down. Two trips ago, I booked at Villas which is more expensive, but I needed to reset my system. After I booked, I received a call from another previous guest of We CARE that had found out I had booked for that week. Would I mind sharing my room with her, since their are two beds? Huh? Reservations had shared my information! Isn't that illegal? I adored my new friend from Colorado, however, -it was inappropriate for me to be approached by another guest through reservations wanting to share my room. For reasons not applicable to this conversation, I booked again at WECARE. I was grateful for the opportunity to go, and grateful for the workers who are absolutely the best part of the experience. This last trip was my worst. Two things happened that make me certain I will not recommend nor plan to go back to WECARE Spa in this lifetime. I shared with at least two of the staff members what I learned on the Monday of this visit from a group of us that took a field trip to SAM'S mineral spa.. There were at least two male masseuses that were providing "Orgasms" to females. Thursday, 4 days of ZERO food and SPA BRAIN, I did not take note of my massage person. SPA BRAIN- I didn't put together that my masseuse was one of the "Diddler's. (Is that a word?) I had not heeded the warning from a fellow guest about the "Extra Benefits" .

The therapist was very inappropriate to me. I told a few of the staffers what happened. Responses varied. No one from senior management even "sorry" Zip. David was terrific, Danielle too, Patricia, in Colon therapy too. T U. .Today April 17th when I followed up by phone on another matter to Dominic, he was RUDE. When I pressed he told me it was against the law for him to share any information with me. Okay, I said but what about the $486 or $487 dollars that was stolen from my room? Dominic said "We provide you with safes for that.-It is your responsibility. I had an idea who might have stolen the money, though I would never accuse anyone. I quietly went to the "person" that had come in my room high AND asked if he might know where that money went. I didn't accuse him, I just gave him a chance to put it on my dresser before I left. He said, "Yes, that is a lot of money to lose." So a little lighter in the pocket and having taken a ride on the wild side" I am going elsewhere. Starting a list of alternatives to WECARE...

When did We Care become We Don’t Care?!

My twenty-seven-year-old daughter suffers from a debilitating chronic illness. We Care has been very effective in treating her during two previous visits, with the staff providing the exceptional and caring service for which the spa is known. We were thrilled to be able to send our daughter for a third visit this fall and my daughter was looking forward to her trip to We Care with great anticipation.

Unfortunately, during this visit my daughter came down with a severe case of the flu on the day she arrived (her symptoms included vomiting, fever, chills, sore throat, cough, etc.) The flu left her bed-ridden and, ultimately, she had to return home early to recover. During her short-term stay, We Care staff insisted that she didn’t have the flu – despite spa policy that doesn’t allow staff to make a medical diagnosis – and told her she was “just” detoxing and needed to power through with her scheduled treatments.

Knowing the difference between her illness and the flu, my daughter self-quarantined, particularly avoiding the communal kitchen, something that We Care absolutely should have insisted upon to protect other guests from getting the flu. Upon her arrival home, I would have walked right past her at the airport if she hadn’t called out to stop me! It was shocking to see that my daughter’s condition had deteriorated so much that she was in a wheelchair – a wheelchair! I’m quite certain that if she had stayed at We Care, and especially if she had followed their advice and continued with the spa treatments, she would have ended up at the emergency room in Palm Desert.

We are not a family of means, so the cost of the visits to We Care represents a significant financial hardship on us. Because my daughter missed out on nearly 90% of her treatments and classes and had to leave early, I subsequently spoke with the spa manager, about a credit toward her next visit, for which we would have immediately started saving. In that conversation the manager was incredibly rude, argumentative and summarily dismissive about any consideration about a credit of any kind. I was shocked and appalled that We Care has in its employ (and in a leadership position no less) someone who is so surly, disrespectful and lacking in empathy.

It is terribly unfortunate that, not only did my daughter miss out on a treatment protocol that has proven extremely helpful in the past, she came home dramatically sicker than when she left. Because we used all our savings to send her to the spa, we are not able to afford any type of alternative treatment to help her recover.

I was initially reluctant to write this post because my daughter’s the two previous visits were so positive and so healing, but this wasn’t just an “unpleasant” experience, it was disastrous at almost every turn. We Care should have the well-being of their clients uppermost in their minds, but this wasn’t my daughter’s experience – not by a long-shot. Even the airlines refunded the cost of my daughter’s ticket! The fact that the airline was more accommodating than We Care is an extremely sad commentary on how bad service at We Care has become. So I have to ask, when did We Care become...

So, What’s the Big Deal About We Care?

Have your friends been raving about We Care, and you're still wondering what all the fuss is about? Let me take the mystery out of it.

We Care is Shangri-La.

Located in Desert Hot Springs, CA—just outside Palm Springs—We Care is where your healing journey begins. You lose weight, your skin glows, you rest deeply, you're uplifted by transformative classes, moved by unforgettable experiences, and cared for through healing treatments. You make new friends, notice the flowers, and feel surrounded by genuine love and attention.

The setting is stunning, serene, and intimate. While the grounds are expansive and lush, the retreat hosts just 30 rooms, so the attention is incredibly personal. Everyone knows your name. You’re not a guest—you’re part of something amazing.

It’s your fantasy come to life.

And it's family-run. Susana, who founded We Care in the 1980s in her own living room (!), still inspires with her deep wisdom about health and wellness. Her daughter, Susy, has expanded the retreat with breathtaking vision, elevating every corner of the experience with unmatched taste and care.

Then there’s Jim—the kind of general manager everyone wishes they had. With a background spanning every kind of business and even a medic’s license, he works personally with every team member and handles challenges with calm precision. (Yes, there was a real emergency recently—and Jim resolved it solo.)

The therapists are world-class. The rooms are immaculate. The desert wildlife—rabbits, roadrunners—adds to the magic.

Just the other day, my husband asked if I wanted to go on a river cruise in Europe this fall. My response? “Does that mean I can’t go to We Care?!”

No contest.

In a chaotic world, it's nothing short of miraculous that We Care not only still exists but continues to flourish—and gets better with each visit.

But the most extraordinary part? They don’t do it for profit.

Yes, it’s not cheap. But this place isn’t about a money grab. Susy and Susana pour their hearts into it out of a genuine, unwavering commitment to sharing their knowledge and healing mission with as many people as they can—for as long as they can.

They do it because they truly care.

And I, for one, am deeply,...