Solage Spa & Hotel Calistoga generally receives rave reviews as one of the top spas in Calistoga for good reason – this luxury spa is a stunning place to eat and to stay.
Solage Hotel Calistoga, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, is beautifully designed and laid out. The entire area has the most wonderful relaxed feel and everything seems to glimmer in the Napa sunshine.
Solage Napa is the type of place where you could quite feasibly not leave whilst staying and have a fantastic time! Having said that it would be a shame to miss the lovely bikes that are provided with each of the rooms and don’t miss the Solage restaurant and their Calistoga day spa – more to come.
Let’s work our way through the Solage Auberge Resorts offer element by element, starting with advance trip planning! And you may want to read my post on 14 Great Things to do in Calistoga California as part of your trip planning.
It is critical to check availability for Solage rooms, the Solage Calistoga restaurant and its Napa day spa ahead of time. It does book up quickly. They do some special offers but they tend to be more suited to Californians coming for a weekend.
It is not common to see a Solage spa discount offer but they do also offer gift cards which are great ideas as gifts. They are generally quite generous with their Solage Spa treatments in these packages.
⇒ Check Prices and Availability for Solage Calistoga Now
Getting to Solage Spa Calistoga
The nearest airport to get to Solage is San Francisco.
There is also an option to fly into Sonoma Airport albeit on a limited range of flights.
To get from San Francisco to the Napa Valley and Solage there are several options. I personally think the easiest option is to take an Uber from San Francisco. I did this and the cost was reasonable relative to other options. The next best option would be to hire a car.
⇒ If you’re staying in San Francisco check out my post on the Top 17 Unique Restaurants in San Francisco.
Planning Your Trip to Solage Spa
Many people based in San Francisco and close by do weekends away at Solage. They have a lot of great packages on their website that you should definitely explore.
As always if you are coming from further away you generally want to stay for longer so check out my links in this post to trip advisor for the best prices and for Solage reviews.
When I was booking, I found it much more difficult to get a deal for two queen/king-sized beds. The best deals at Solage Auberge du Soleil were definitely for couples based on the bed situation.
Regarding how long you should stay at Solage Calistoga, it could be anything from a weekend to a full week. The resort itself offers loads to do in terms of classes, spa treatments, cycling, the pool etc. And if you like wine you will have no issue keeping yourself busy doing some Napa Valley wine tastings.
If you stay just a weekend I would focus on enjoying Solbar and eat all meals there. If you are staying longer than it is ideal to branch out and try a few other places. The highlights for me were Single Thread in Napa and the Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.
⇒ Check out my post on The Best Eating Experiences in the Napa Valley.
If you want to visit Single Thread, French Laundry, Bouchon Bakery etc do try to book your table as far in advance as possible – don’t wait till you arrive! French Laundry has a massive waiting list. If you can be flexible and go for lunch you will have much better options. I used Bouchon Bakery to make my restaurant bookings.
We didn’t hire a car and of course, wanted to drink! So we used Uber and Lyft to get around the Napa Valley. It wasn’t super expensive but it wasn’t cheap – however, it was certainly cheaper than using the car service options at the Solage front desk.
The availability of cars was mixed. If you are visiting the Napa Valley at peak time you will be fine but be careful about assuming you can use the apps during quiet times. And we also found there were very few cars available on public holidays.
Ask about restaurant bookings when you check in to Solage but as guests, we were normally ok to get a booking at Solbar for that day. If you want to sit outside at Solbar definitely make sure you book just before your arrival or when you arrive.
It is possible to have most of the Solbar menu as room service which we did and enjoyed.
⇒ I love visiting spas! If you’re looking for some more spa inspiration check out my posts on spas: Kamalaya in Thailand, Daylesford Spa in Australia, Czech Republic Spa Towns, Baden Baden Spa options in Germany, Luxury Hotels Yorkshire with spas, African Spa options, Ockenden Manor Spa in Sussex, Spa Hotels South West England, Dhulikhel Resort in Nepal, Blue Lagoon Iceland Reviews, Monart Spa in Ireland, how to take a fantastic Solo Spa Break, the Where to Stay in the Cotswolds for great spas, Spa Breaks Scotland and Solage Spa in California.
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs
Calistoga mud baths and Indian Springs spa options and hot springs are well known. There are other mud baths in Napa and mud bath spa options but this area is the best known.
There is a range of spas in Calistoga – from Calistoga hot springs spa to mud baths in Calistoga to general Calistoga spas. Hot springs plus volcanic action needs mud spa and most well-known place for this in california is the mud bath Calistoga. The mud spa offers here are said to be the best.
⇒ Yosemite Valley is one of the most stunning places in California – check out my guide to Yosemite in One Day and great things to do in Yosemite in October.
The Solage Calistoga Spa
Solage is a very very nice spa. It is a big area filled with stunning white couches. Within the Solage Spa, there are two more outside pools. One is a geothermally heated pool.
There is a lengthy Solage Spa menu. The signature spa treatment at Solage is the Napa Valley mudslide – its take on the Calistoga mud bath. It would have been rude not to test it out.
The Solage Napa Valley mudslide is a 3 stage treatment. The mud bath Calistoga, the waters and then the rest. It begins in a big shower room where it is time to apply the Calistoga mud.
After having the local mud applied, I was directed to a perfect warm bathtub to sit and relax. The final stage of the Solage spa treatment was my favourite.
It involved a very comfortable lounge in the spa where I was wrapped in special super soft warm towels/blankets and just stayed amazingly cosy for quite some time. Fabulous.
If you are staying at the hotel you have free access to the Solage spa. You don’t need to book one of the Calistoga spa packages to use the geothermal pool etc. The Solage spa menu also includes a range of massages and facials. Also on offer are couples treatments and treatments designed for men.
Solage Napa Rooms
Solage Calistoga offers 83 studios or 6 x 1 bedroom suites. I was travelling with a girlfriend so we went for the two queen studio which was fantastic. The queen studio at Solage is very roomy – no climbing over each other’s things – and bigger than most rooms at similar hotels.
The main room includes a seating area and there is then an outdoor patio. Next up was a decent-sized dressing area with space for suitcases and closets.
There is then a separate area for the toilet, for the shower and for the sinks. This is always great when you’re sharing as you have more privacy.
The rooms at Solage Calistoga are beautifully and simply decorated with high-quality linen and pillows as well as throws. And of course, there is a good-sized tv. The hotel also has a range of DVDs that can be borrowed. We watched Sideways and pretended that it was set in Napa (we had had a few wines by that time).
Solage Resort Facilities
Solage has a GREAT pool. It is huge. Really huge. 130 foot huge. And there are so many sun loungers at the Solage swimming pool. It is hard to imagine that you could head to the Solage pool and they would all be taken.
The pool at Solage is also extremely photogenic, especially in the morning. The pool boys are very helpful in setting up beds and towels. There is also a full pool service for meals and drinks at Solage. We had lunch by the pool a couple of times which was just lovely.
Even better Solage has a separate family area pool which is a great idea. The Solage family area also has a hot tub and a cabana. There is also a state of the art fitness centre. Alas, I never used it so if you did please do email me and I’ll add in some comments.
I’m embarrassed to say the same thing applies to the yoga and wellness classes at Solage. But I did use the bike a couple of times.
I cycled into nearby Calistoga which is super cute. There is also a program with Mercedes Benz where you can hire cars. I’m not quite sure how this worked in terms of cost but I am afraid they lost me when it came to driving in a winery area. No wine no reason to be there.
Instead, we relied on the app lyft and uber. There are 2 bocce ball courts at Solage – one is next to the restaurant.
The service levels at Solage Auberge are outstanding. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. We used the front desk of the hotel quite a bit to help us with getting around the Napa valley without a car and they were terrific – even suggesting the app lyft which we didn’t know.
Solbar Calistoga
I have saved the best for last. Everything I ate at Solbar Calistoga California was fantastic. And I ate a lot at Solbar.
Let’s start with breakfast. There is a magical outdoor seating area which is absolutely where you want to sit if possible. The indoor area is also lovely but you just can’t beat the lovely courtyard.
The Solbar breakfast menu is lengthy and a great mix of healthy and decadent. There are approx. 12 hot dishes which vary from the health of an egg-white omelette to the wonderfully titled What the Chef would eat (it involves pancetta) to the lemon ricotta pancakes.
Everything at Solbar breakfast has a slightly healthy edge – or maybe I should say a wellness edge – and is delicious. There is then a range of delectable pastries and bread, smoothies, coffee etc etc etc etc. Lunch by the pool is a more relaxed shorter menu and the fish tacos were a favourite.
The highlight of Solbar Solage really is dinner. Solbar did have a Michelin star and has been very well-reviewed. The Solbar menu structure is great. A la carte is an option or you can take a 4-course meal for an extremely good value USD$85.
The menu at Solbar Solage changes regularly and features classic dishes with an inventive edge.
Many of the meals at Solbar restaurant are almost little works of art they are so pretty. Ingredient quality is very high – I had the most amazing heritage tomatoes.
The menu is inventive but approachable. If you are a foodie but travelling with someone who is not quite at the same level they will still find great options at Solbar Calistoga and be delighted.
Oh, and as you might expect the wine list is pretty darn good. They also do wine flights which I love. This allows you to try small amounts of several say California chardonnays. The only issue is how quickly they tend to disappear………..
⇒ Click here to Check Prices and see Availability for Solage Calistoga
Wine Tours around Solage
There are several options for visiting Napa Valley wineries around the Solage area without having to have someone in your group as the designated driver.
Firstly, there are several Calistoga wineries quite near Solage and it is relatively easy to use the bikes that come with every room to get around. The Solage front desk will help you with a map.
There are also a couple of great Calistoga wineries within strolling distance of Solage. I really liked the von Strasser and Lava Vine Winery which is literally a couple of minutes walk from the Solage hotel. Vons Strasser and Lava Vine do a nice tasting offer and we had a very pleasant afternoon sitting outside and being brought lovely wines.
Brian Arden is also extremely close and has a good name. There are then several more Napa Valley wineries within a couple of miles so easy to bike (it is very flat as well).
If you are looking for something more leisurely then try a Small Group wine tour which will take you to visit 4 Napa Valley wineries. Or private vehicles can be booked for 6 hours or 8 hours and you can set the wine tour itinerary.
Or try the Napa Valley wine trolley which takes you to several wineries and a castle. If you feel more active there is a full day Sip n Cycle Tour.
I also tried the Napa Valley Wine Train which was great!
⇒ If you love finding hidden gem wine areas and California check out my Livermore Wine Tasting Guide
Who Paid for What in this Post
I covered all of the costs associated with my visit to Solage. If you click through on the links that appear on my blog posts around flights, accommodation, tours, travel insurance etc. I get a small commission if you end up buying on these sites. Just wanted to let you know.
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Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.
Oceana Holistic
Friday 11th of September 2020
Lovely post!!Thanks for sharing this post here
Chard Kim
Friday 11th of September 2020
This is a great hotel with all the luxury facilities. The spa and pool area looks so beautiful. Even the food seems delicious. Hopefully you'll enjoy this place too. this place has just been added to one of my favourite list.
Oceana Holistic
Wednesday 12th of August 2020
Great article,thanks for sharing with us.
Oceana Holistic
Monday 10th of August 2020
WOW!!! Great post,lovely place i will definitely visit here, thanks for sharing with us.