I’ve never been a fan of couple’s massage. The side-by-side treatment often promoted as a romantic spa escape usually left me feeling indifferent.
My reluctance goes back to the first time my husband and I tried the spa version of a table for two. We were staying at a charming hotel on Florida’s west coast and walked along a bougainvillea-lined path to the spa on a perfect day.
We arrived with high hopes but were disappointed to discover our therapists were moving in synchronized unison. Instead of addressing our personal stress points and tight muscles, they followed a shared rhythm only they seemed to hear. Sweeping, uniform strokes and theatrical draping took precedence over individualized therapy. That experience made me skeptical about couple’s massages — until our visit to The Spa at El Encanto.
The difference between the resort spa in Santa Barbara, Calif., and other couple’s treatments began the moment we stepped inside.
Attendants met us warmly and led us to separate men’s and women’s locker rooms. We changed into robes and slippers and returned to a bright, airy lounge decorated in soothing blues and creams. Relaxation set in before our therapists, Yumi and Celeste, arrived to take us to a treatment room outfitted with two massage tables.
Unlike past experiences, Yumi and Celeste began by separating the approach for each of us. Yumi invited me to one side and Celeste took my husband aside to speak quietly. Yumi explained that El Encanto’s signature massage — and its couple’s version — are not strictly synchronized routines. Instead, therapists use a variety of techniques tailored to each person’s needs.
A key element of their method is the use of plant-based oils from Lotus Wei.
Lotus Wei, founded in 2000 by Katie Hess, creates a line of plant-based essences and remedies. The brand describes its approach as flower alchemy: using flower essences to bring the body back into balance by acting as a natural tuning aid when a person’s energy needs adjustment.
Yumi showed me a chart of flowers and asked which one appealed to me in that moment. Many of the blossoms were lovely; my instinct was to pick a delicate iris, but something kept drawing my attention to a bright, buttonlike yellow flower. I noted it despite my initial hesitation.
“Joy,” Yumi said. The choice suggested I needed more joy in my life. It was accurate: though I was in a beautiful setting and enjoying myself, underlying business stress had kept me from fully relaxing.
For our session, Yumi and Celeste blended the flower essences we selected into the massage oils. Reclining side by side, we each received treatments tailored to our bodies. Instead of matching strokes, the therapists addressed individual tension and preferences. After an hour, we emerged feeling rested, relaxed and more connected — exactly the state for appreciating our surroundings.
El Encanto reopened in March 2013 after a lengthy seven-year renovation. The property’s history dates to 1913, when local landowner James Warren built a cottage community to house students attending what would later become the University of California, Santa Barbara. When the rental-cottage plan faltered, Warren converted the site into a hotel.
Over the decades the seven-acre property changed hands several times. In 1977 Eric Friden acquired it; he and his wife Kerin later planned an extensive renovation. After Friden’s death in 2003, Orient-Express purchased the property in 2004 for $26 million and closed the hotel in 2006 for a major overhaul. Seven years and $134 million later, El Encanto reopened to positive reviews.
Gardens at El Encanto © El Encanto
The restoration prioritized the signature lily pond and gardens. Contractors carefully dismantled brick columns supporting the pond trellis, cataloging each piece to rebuild them exactly. Mature trees and flowering shrubs were moved to greenhouses and later returned. Guest bungalows were stripped and refurbished to retain architectural integrity while incorporating modern amenities. Structural issues required the main building to be demolished and recreated on its original footprint to meet safety and design goals.
El Encanto means “The Enchanted,” and the property lives up to the name.
The Spa at El Encanto
El Encanto
800 Alvarado Place
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
tel 805 845 5800
elencanto.com
Lotus Wei
lotuswei.com