One of my favorite indulgences is spending time at the spa. Even when I am on vacation I try to book at least a few hours at the spa for a massage. I once booked a lengthy stay at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale with the goal of doing nothing other than lounging by the pool and frequenting the spa. That was one of my favorite vacations and I often think about doing it again. I shared a bit about that trip in a previous post about outdoor shower design. But trying to get away, even for a few hours, can be demanding on schedules. So what’s a girl (or guy) to do? Leave it to Reviving Charm to figure it out for you….I’ve got your back! Keep reading…
I took full advantage of the spa facilities, including the eucalyptus steam room, on previous trips to Estancia Hotel in La Jolla and most recently to Bacara Resort and Spa near Santa Barbara. Both hotel spa shops offer a product called ShowerSpa Mist. I’ll be honest, I had been tempted to purchase it on numerous occasions but was a tad reluctant. After all, how can a single take-home product compare to the expensive steam shower systems installed at resort spas? Well, after my most recent trip to Bacara I took a leap a faith and made my purchase with the intent of trying to recreate the spa experience at home. What did I learn? After using the product for almost 3 months, I learned that it’s super easy to recreate a spa-like environment that isn’t complicated, involves little to no time, and requires only one product. I also learned that I regret not buying it years ago after first learning about it.
What exactly is ShowerSpa Mist and how do you use it? Each bottle contains pure essential oil. You simply spray it onto your shower walls and let the steam do all the work. You have complete control over how much or how little scent you want depending on the number of sprays you use. I like a strong scent so I will pump 5-10 sprays onto my shower. It automatically transforms my shower into an aromatherapy experience, helps clear my sinuses, and creates a relaxing environment which is also good for the soul. ShowerSpa Mist comes in three scents: Eucalyptus, Lavender & Eucalyptus, and Lemongrass & Eucalyptus. I’ve used all three and enjoy each of them differently depending on the experience I’m trying to achieve. I prefer to use Lemongrass & Eucalyptus (my favorite) in the morning to help energize me, the Lavender & Eucalyptus is the mildest of all three and is good in the evening before bed, and the pure Eucalyptus (my second favorite) is good anytime.
I hope this post doesn’t sound sales pitchy. This is not a sponsored post and is just a product I enjoy and want to share with you. It isn’t entirely the same experience as the professional spas, but that’s something you shouldn’t expect anyway. It does, however, elevate an ordinary shower into something that is as close as you can get to recreating that experience. My showers have been transformed and now I never shower without it. If you want to try ShowerSpa Mist for yourself or give it as a gift, you can buy it at many high-end spas or get it directly from the manufacturer, European Spa Source. Happy Spa-ing….
From the foyer, you automatically enter the dining area of the open dining/living area of the suite. The dining room comfortably seats six.
The room was generously sized to include a living area, dining room, and dedicated office space. You can see the front door to the suite at the right-hand side of the picture below.
This is the office area before I got situated in the room. I ended up using this space as a makeshift dressing room and a place to store my suitcase since the only closet in the suite was fairly small. There are lots of drawers in the room but very little space for hanging clothes. I found that the desk was also handy as an area to layout cosmetics, etc. 
In the corner of the living area there is a comfy chair and ottoman where you can catch up on the reading material supplied by the resort. I am a magazine junkie so I was happy to enjoy some new reading material. The doorway to the left side of the tray table is the entrance to the one bedroom in the suite.
Let’s enter the bedroom now, shall we?
From the bedroom, another louvered door leads you into the main bathroom. The louvered doors are a very nice decorative touch throughout the entire suite but they don’t provide much in the way of privacy when it comes to masking sound. For this reason, I often used the powder room when I needed to tinkle. The hotel should seriously think about making a change to the door situation. 
If you look closely at the bathroom photos you might notice that the floral arrangement moved from place to place within the space. Ultimately they stayed in the location you see below. 
I can’t share photos of our suite without including a picture of our private balcony that overlooks the pool. This was a great place to relax outdoors without having to leave our room. 
So there you have it…the 3rd and final post about Bacara Resort and Spa. I hope you have enjoyed it. Most importantly, I hope this series may be useful in helping you decide any future vacation plans. If you happen to book your next vacation at Bacara, feel free to drop me a note and let me know how your trip was. I would love to hear all about your experience. 
