Beverly Hills is synonymous with luxury—from hotels and dining to silver-screen celebrities. During a recent visit I experienced that refinement firsthand at Spa Montage, located within the elegant Montage Beverly Hills. With décor inspired by Old World Spain, the spa provides a calm refuge from the stress of daily life.
Drawing on 9th-century Andalusian shapes and colors, Spa Montage blends historic design with modern amenities. The facility includes 17 treatment rooms—12 dedicated to massages and facials and five wet-treatment rooms—along with a hydrotherapy tub, a double Vichy shower and a signature mud ritual suite. Decorative mosaics and thoughtful details create an inviting atmosphere throughout the spa.
I arrived a little frazzled from a meeting, but the front attendant immediately helped me relax and assured me I’d enjoy the experience. Just walking through the space eased the tension in my shoulders; though in the middle of a busy city, I felt transported to a quiet oasis.
Across 20,000 square feet, Spa Montage offers programs focused on hydrotherapy, holistic wellness and anti-aging, with amenities that include a full fitness, yoga and Pilates studio and a Kim Vo salon. Their approach emphasizes connections to overall health and strength that guests can bring into everyday life.
I chose the Surrender Experience, a treatment sequence that includes hydrotherapy, a salt scrub and a mud wrap. The name felt apt as I prepared to let go and enjoy the rituals ahead.
The women’s boudoir departs from a typical locker room: it features a Swiss shower, an herbal steam room, a sauna, a whirlpool and a deluge shower. After changing in a private dressing room, I met my therapist for a brief consultation to review my health, routine and recent surgery. She adapted the treatment to accommodate my need to avoid lying on my stomach.
The hydrotherapy room initially looked more clinical than zen, but that impression soon shifted. I confirmed the water temperature and eased into a large whirlpool. The therapist adjusted the jets and used an underwater pressure hose to deliver a deep, targeted massage through the water. She explained that combining heat with hydrostatic pressure softens tissues and helps move excess fluid toward drainage points—one reason athletes favor this therapy. When I stepped out I felt unexpectedly light and restored.
Next I moved to a treatment room with a Vichy shower. The therapist showed several scrub options and helped me choose a blend of modified Dead Sea salts, almond oil and rosehips—nutrient-rich and well suited to my needs. This was my first full-body scrub, and I started to surrender to the ritual. A Vichy shower consists of multiple adjustable nozzles mounted on a track above a treatment table; the therapist rinses the scrub by moving the shower and changing the pressure so the guest can relax without shifting position.
After the scrub, the therapist applied a green sea mud wrap instead of a Dead Sea mud wrap because of my shellfish allergy. The cool mud felt invigorating against my skin. As she wrapped my legs and arms, a head and foot massage followed, deepening the sense of relaxation. The Vichy shower rinsed away the mud, and any lingering anxiety from earlier in the day melted away. I emerged from the wrap feeling lighter, more organized mentally and pleasantly renewed.
I spent extra time in the relaxation room rather than rushing the finale, allowing the calm to settle in. When I dressed and prepared to leave, multiple staff members commented that I looked like a new woman. I felt a warm glow—physically refreshed and emotionally uplifted.
My visit to Spa Montage confirmed the appeal of indulgent pampering. From the moment I arrived I was treated with attentive care, and the thoughtfully sequenced hydrotherapy, scrub and wrap left me feeling restored and completely surrendered to the experience.
SPA MONTAGE
Montage Beverly Hills
225 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
tel 310 860 7800
www.spamontage.com/beverlyhills