Fly & Foto

Exploring the world together, one flight at a time. 

Category: Mineral Hot Springs

  • Escape to the Ultimate California Luxury Hot Springs Resort

    Soak in mineral hot springs and experience a wellness getaway.

    Recharge in a soaking tub with mineral-rich waters from a 600-year old hot spring at an adults-only resort in the middle of the desert. 

    Everyone goes to Palm Springs or Joshua Tree. What about Desert Hot Springs? 

    If you like relaxation and a serene atmosphere, add Two Bunch Palms resort in Desert Hot Springs, California to your travel bucket list. Two Bunch Palms is a hidden gem that offers the perfect blend of relaxation, wellness, and natural beauty. It’s an adults-only wellness resort nestled in a grove of palm trees in the middle of the arid desert. The focus of this bucket-list resort are the mineral soaking tubs with waters from a 600-year old spring. 

    Two Bunch Palms Wellness Resort

    Where is it?

    Two Bunch Palms is in Desert Hot Springs, California, which is a neighbor to Palm Springs. It’s about a 3-hour drive east of Los Angeles. As you approach the resort, you pass through an industrial section of Desert Palm Springs and will be scratching your head wondering where this oasis of serenity is. There is no sign for the entrance so drive slowly and keep your eyes peeled for a guard tower, which is the entrance.

    What are the rooms like?

    Opened in the 1920s, this wellness oasis has gone through a renovation and expansion over the last three years so it has a lot of new upgrades and increased capacity. The resort has a variety of rooms and suites spread throughout the 77 acre property, some of which come with their own firepits or private mineral soaking tubs. Check out a map of the property.

    Also, four stand-alone suites can be rented alone or together. They’re connected by a communal patio, which is a great option for a group trip.

    Check-in begins at 4pm and check-out is at 11am. The rooms come with individual robes that you wear around the resort property to go to the soaking tubs, mineral pools, spa, and even the restaurant. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere so comfort-wear is key.

    Complimentary robes are provided in the rooms.

    You will be given a number to text with any questions or assistance. We texted to ask them to come and light our fire pit and order room service and ask where the ice machine was and all requests and questions where answered within minutes. Tip: you can also ask the reception for sandals if you forget yours which is a nice touch since you definitely want a pair to walk around the hot springs, pools, and spa areas.

    We stayed for three nights in Desert Suite #300 which has a firepit.

    Desert Suite Room 300

    What are the mineral pools like?

    There is a large mineral hot springs soaking area called The Grotto which is surrounded by a series of smaller concrete and teak mineral soaking tubs. These are all first come, first serve, and you may have to share some of the larger ones depending on how busy it is that day. For ultimate privacy, there are a number of mineral hot springs soaking tubs on the other side of the property that you can reserve online for free so that you are guaranteed to get a tub to yourself and do no have to share it with anyone.

    Concrete mineral soaking tub

    For the reservable tubs, the concrete tubs are always full of the mineral waters and are reserved in 90 minute increments. The teak tubs are smaller and must be filled up and can be reserved in 60 minute increments.

    Teak mineral soaking tub

    The hot springs mineral pools and soaking tubs are open 22 hours a day and are only closed from 6am-8am for cleaning and sanitizing.

    The mineral spring soaking tubs are open 22 hours a day so you can enjoy a late night soak.

    Hydration and towel stations are located around the property so you can fill up your water bottle and grab a towel.

    What are the benefits of the mineral waters?

    The mineral waters at Two Bunch Palms come from a 600-year-old hot spring that recharges itself every 24 hours and provides therapeutic and restorative health benefits. The geothermal waters are over 100 degrees and what is unique about them is that they are low in sulfur (no rotten egg smell!) and high in lithium. Lithium is said to boost your mood, promote feelings of calmness, happiness and joy, and leave you with a general feeling of well-being. It can also help ease arthritis and improve circulation.

    The mineral waters are low in sulfur and high in lithium.

    What is the spa like?

    The spa area is completely new – there are a handful of standalone spa rooms and one that is for couples massages.

    The new spa rooms at Two Bunch Palms

    We booked 60-minute massages in the couples room. Jason chose the Balancing Massage and I chose the Lymphatic Massage. Each was $213 for 60 minutes. They also have body treatments and facials. Click here to take a look at the full spa menu.

    Couples Massage Room at Two Bunch Palms

    After our massages, we made our way to the bar to choose from three complimentary non-alcoholic wellness cocktails. We both chose the Turmeric Spritz and it was delicious.

    Post-massage Turmeric Spritzes

    What other amenities and activities does the resort have?

    Besides soaking in the mineral hot springs and indulging in spa treatments, Two Bunch Palms has a variety of other amenities and activities to take advantage of.

    There is a cold-water pool that is heated during the winter months.

    Cold-water pool at Two Bunch Palms

    Pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts are located at one end of the property. A beautiful pond with turtles and ducks is next door and has lounge chairs in front of it so you can relax and read in the scenic environment or star-gaze at night.

    Star-gazing at Two Bunch Palms

    There is a yoga dome that features yoga classes and sound baths. And a glass house that holds paint and sip classes. The classes and activities change but you can click here to see the ones that were available when we visited.

    Glass house where classes like Vino Van Gogh are held.

    What is the food situation like?

    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the main restaurant and there’s also room service. Click here to peruse the menus.

    Breakfast: 7am to 11am

    Lunch: 11am to 2pm

    Pool: 10am – 5pm

    Dinner: 5pm – 9pm [Friday + Saturday: 10pm]

    The main restaurant at Two Bunch Palms

    A cafe called The Twine serves complimentary tea and coffee in the mornings. This cafe hosts a 5-course communal dining event every other Friday and we were fortunate to visit the weekend one of these special dinners was held. If you want to know more about this phenomenal tasting menu and wine pairing, take a look at our blog entry about the Two Bunch Palms’ Twine Dinner Series.

    We ordered room service the first night, attended the Two Bunch Palms’ Twine Dinner Series the second night, and ate dinner at the main restaurant the last night.

    What should you bring?

    Sandals – I like these memory foam sandals because they’re easy to walk in and super comfortable. They can be indoor or outdoor sandals.

    Swimsuit – I have these in a few different colors. They’re cute and cheeky (😉).

    SPF – I like to bring a tinted SPF as well as a stick SPF which is easy to apply on the go as well as a spray SPF which works great to spray on your head.

    Swimsuit coverup – you can walk around the resort in the robes you’re provided in the room but I like to have options, especially if the robe is already wet from being in the soaking tubs.

    Sunglasses – these are my favorite oversized ones that I have in multiple colors.

    Hair clip – I like these oversized 5 inch hair claws, which keep my long hair secure.

    Pool bag – I like this rubber bag that can get wet since you’ll want a bag to carry around your books, towel, sunglasses, etc., since the property is pretty spread out.

    Anti-chafe stick – I love this MegaBabe anti-chafe stick to rub on the inside of my thighs. It’s compact and easy to apply with no white cast.

    Face mist – the air is dry and my skin would dry out after soaking in a mineral tub so I like to have this travel face mist on hand to hydrate my face on the go.

    Face masks – I would do a rich face mask at night after my shower to help increase the hydration to my face.

    Thick moisturizer – Nivea is my go-to for face and body moisturization.

    Eye drops – the air is dry in the desert and my eyes needed some relief.

    Click on the shoppable collage below to see my go-to items from Amazon:

    Shoppable collage for go-to items from Amazon.

    A few things to be aware of:

    It gets chilly at night if you go in the winter and spring so bring a hat and warm jacket or sweater. We visited in the winter and temperatures were in the 40s F at night so a hat and a sweater or jacket was handy to have.

    The floors in the rooms are stone so you may want to bring slippers since they don’t provide any in the rooms. We visited in the winter and the floors were cold so it would have been nice to have slippers to walk around the room in. Also, since the property walkways are made out of sand it can get dusty so tracking dust and sand into the room makes it even more useful to have slippers. I like to bring a pair of these disposable slippers whenever I travel just in case a hotel room doesn’t provide their own.

    No glassware is provided in the rooms, bar or pool area. I assume this is to prevent broken glass accidents but for a luxury resort, drinking wine or champagne out of a plastic glass meant for water feels strange. You get real stemware at the restaurant but otherwise, you must use plastic glasses.

    There is no coffee machine in rooms/suites. While there is complimentary drip coffee at the restaurant and you can purchase specialty coffees at the restaurant or through room service, it was surprising that there were no Nespresso machines inside the rooms.

    For more videos and photos from this trip, check us out on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or BlueSky.

  • Staying at the Blue Lagoon in Luxury: The Retreat Hotel

    Staying at the Blue Lagoon in Luxury: The Retreat Hotel

    The best way to experience the Blue Lagoon in Iceland is by staying at its Retreat Hotel. Here are the 5 reasons why.

    Visiting The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon was a dream for me and a nightmare for Jason because it raised the already high bar of my travel expectations. We soaked, we floated, we sauna’d, one of us cold-plunged, we lounged in bath robes, ate an alarming assortment of smoked things, and one of us pretended they were in a skincare commercial (same one that cold-plunged). 10/10, would recommend. 

    On our first trip to Iceland, visiting the Blue Lagoon was on our bucket list. Apart from that, we didn’t know much about where we should stay. In one of my endless Instagram doom scrolls, I happened across a reel about staying at the Retreat Hotel while visiting the Blue Lagoon and I was sold (my wallet shuddered). A 20-minute drive from the Keflavik international airport, the Retreat Hotel is part of the Blue Lagoon and is a 60-suite luxury resort that has a spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant on site. The property looked stunning and since the Blue Lagoon was on our bucket list, we decided that staying at the Retreat Hotel would be the splurge of our trip. The main lesson learned from this plan was that when you start your trip with the most luxurious accommodations, you get spoiled real fast and every hotel that follows is quite the letdown. “Where are the assortment of smoked fish and pastries?” I would fume at our next hotel’s breakfast as I scanned the buffet of congealing cheese slices and rock-hard boiled eggs. “This juice is not freshly squeezed” Jason would sigh, resigned as he poured himself a glass of something from concentrate. I digress.

    1. Luxurious suites that have stunning views.

    Both of our jaws dropped open when we walked into our Lagoon View Junior Suite King at the Retreat Hotel. It was stunning. The suite has a modern design and includes amenities like a complimentary minibar that is restocked daily with a variety of beverages (alcohol and non-alcoholic) and snacks. You get bathrobes and slippers and you’re encouraged to walk around the property in your robes (most people come to breakfast in them, we did). There is shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the shower and you get a little Blue Lagoon skincare gift waiting for you in the room, which was a fun touch and a great way to sample the Blue Lagoon line of products. More on that later. The views are incredible. Take a look…

    The Lagoon View Junior Suite King at the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon.

    2. Access to a private lagoon, with its own swim up bar, that is only open to Retreat Hotel or spa guests.

    The private lagoon at the Retreat Hotel has multiple pools to explore and we had the area all to ourselves one evening, which felt like you were in the Blue Lagoon all by yourself. No personal photography is allowed and we learned that the hard way after Jason took the below photo and a security guard popped out of somewhere to tell us cameras are not allowed. Oops.

    Kasey in the private lagoon of The Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon.

    Instead, a staff member is available to take your photo during the day – they are literally in their swim gear in the pool and take multiple photos and email them to you. They also have the famous silica masks at the ready so you can have a photo with one of the masks on.

    Speaking of the masks, you must try them through either the Signature Mask series in the public Blue Lagoon (video below) or by going through The Ritual in the spa. The Signature Mask series is focused on the face and neck while The Ritual is a full body experience. Both of these experiences are great for the skin since the Blue Lagoon’s geothermal waters are rich in silica and algae. Silica helps with eczema, acne, and psoriasis, and strengthens the skin’s barrier. Algae accelerates collagen production. In the Signature Mask series, you can try the four different masks available – Lava Scrub Mask, Silica Mud Mask, Algae Mask, and Mineral Mask. Retreat Hotel guests (and spa guests) have the added perk of doing The Ritual in the spa instead of with the masses in the public Blue Lagoon section, which gets crowded, but is still very fun. Jason and I did both. Since you can’t take your phone into the spa, we only have a video of the public Signature Mask series.

    The Blue Lagoon Signature Mask series.

    In addition to the masks, the in-water treatments are a unique part of the Blue Lagoon spa experience. You get a massage while floating in a private section of the Blue Lagoon. I tried the 120-minute Signature Massage. It starts with a salt body scrub, followed by a silica or algae body wrap, and ends with a massage. While I’m glad I tried it because I’ve never done an in-water treatment, I don’t think I would do it again. Wrapped up in a giant plastic bag, steaming inside, I floated around the lagoon like a bag of seafood boil.

    3. Delicious breakfast spread and The Library bar.

    The breakfast options at The Retreat Hotel are *chef’s kiss*. From the fresh-squeezed juices to the assortment of pastries and cheeses and smoked fish, to the a la carte menu that you can customize to your preference, these were the best breakfasts we had in Iceland. I was so busy stuffing my face, that I didn’t take any photos or videos.

    The Library is a lounge area where you can pour yourself an after-dinner libation from their selection of drinks on the honor system. It’s such a fun touch and great way to sample local liquors.

    We poured Jökla cream liquor over Rökvvi espresso liquor on ice and this became our go-to after-dinner tipple. We liked it so much, that we stocked up on Jökla cream liquor at the duty free airport shop on our way home. We didn’t have room for the Rökvvi, sadly, as we had to prioritize the local Icelandic gin to bring home (these were very serious deliberations).

    The Library at The Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon.

    4. Chance to see the northern lights.

    I didn’t think we would see the northern lights at the Blue Lagoon so I was pleasantly surprised when we caught the auroras on our first night and were treated to a beautiful light show.

    The northern lights visible at The Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon.

    5. It may not be around much longer.

    The Blue Lagoon and The Retreat Hotel are a few miles from an active volcano that just erupted for the 7th time this year. We were able to visit the Blue Lagoon and stay at The Retreat Hotel days before it was evacuated following the November 20th volcanic eruption in Grindavik. It just reopened and who knows when the next eruption will be, so if this is on your list, book your trip! We started our trip by staying at The Retreat Hotel and were spoiled by it so I think it would be a great way to end a trip to Iceland. Or to hell with saving money, do both! 😆

    The view of the Grindavik volcanic eruption on Nov 21, 2024 from our hotel in Reykjavik.

    Key Essentials to Bring to The Blue Lagoon

    The Blue Lagoon’s geothermal waters are great for the skin but can be super damaging and drying for the hair since the waters contains high concentrations of silica, magnesium, and sulfur. I would cover my hair in conditioner or hair oil before going in. Also, because we went in November, the weather was cold, dry, and windy and chapped lips and skin was a challenge. I would slather myself in all the lotions and potions. Nivea and Aquaphor were my friends on this trip. I curated an Amazon list of the most useful items that I used while visiting the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, especially for face, body, and hair moisturization.

    Souvenirs That We Bought

    You can purchase Blue Lagoon skincare online but we brought home sets of travel-sized Blue Lagoon Signature Mask Series. I fell in love with their body oil and would basically bathe in it after getting out of the lagoon. And I brought back their signature scented candle, which makes me feel like I’m back in the spa. All three of these are included in my Amazon list.