Just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles and a mere 30 minutes from San Diego lies one of the country’s most revered wellness retreats, though there’s minimal signage to identify what lies just off the road. Once you enter this tranquil spot, however, it’s as though you’ve stepped into another world. That’s because Golden Door, a sanctuary tucked away in the hills of San Marcos, is designed to help you leave the real world behind and reset, both physically and mentally.
I recently had the opportunity to spend a week here, and fortunately, it was at a time over the holidays when I could really disconnect—deadlines complete, laptop shut—and fully focus on being there. I’ll admit I’m skeptical about “life-changing” experiences, but I was eager to spend a week being active, eating well, learning new things, enjoying nature and relaxing. Turns out a complete reset wasn’t feasible as it was Golden Door’s inaugural Champagne Week (more on that later), and with so many exciting offerings it was a challenge to fully relax, but the whole experience was indeed refreshing. Here’s how it went.
First, a little background. Colloquially known as “The Door,” this exclusive resort was founded in 1958 by Deborah Szekely, the wellness maven still going strong at the age of 102. Though she’s no longer actively involved with the resort, her influence continues to loom large, with many of Golden Door’s decades-long employees continuing to extoll Szekely’s core principles.
The luxurious 40-room sanctuary is set on more than 600 acres of property with 25 miles of private hiking trails. The standard, all-inclusive weeklong program includes multiple personalized training sessions, gourmet farm-to-table cuisine, daily massages, beauty treatments, and a schedule of classes ranging from pilates reformer classes and aqua aerobics to restorative yoga and astrology sessions.
Whether seeking personal reflection or physical rejuvenation, guests enjoy a highly customizable experience that has solidified Golden Door's status as one of the nation's premier destination wellness resorts for more than six decades. Just ask any of the return guests—each week brings an assortment of repeat visitors, including guests who have enjoyed more than 100 stays over the years.
The week I spent at Golden Door was one of the few co-ed weeks of the annual calendar. While there are also a handful of men-only weeks, the majority of the year is female-only.
The arrival
Guests enter the retreat through a pair of literal golden doors, and you’re encouraged to leave the stresses of the real world behind as you walk through. You’re greeted with a calming, Japanese-inspired tea service, plus a tote bag and a schedule for the week that’s been personalized based on a pre-arrival interview in which guests go over their goals and interests with a helpful staff member.
If you arrive before your room is ready, you can enjoy lunch in the dining room. Wanting to get the most out of my time over the next seven days, I spent most of the meal obsessing over my personalized schedule. The “matrix,” as some called it, was overflowing with workouts, meditation sessions, art classes and a slate of wellness treatments that were sure to help me get sorted inside and out. But as with the best kind of music festival, there appeared to be conflicts each and every day, with some of my indulgent spa treatments scheduled at the same time as enticing classes like a swimmers workout, wall yoga, and taiko drumming—this was major FOMO-inducing.
The room and the property
After lunch and an initial chat with the guest services staff—who were exceptionally accommodating, doing whatever possible to move appointments around—I settled into my room. Golden Door is modeled after a traditional Japanese ryokan (inn), and the rooms are minimalist yet appropriately luxurious. Walls are adorned with various Japanese prints, ikebana arrangements add a touch of nature and sliding shoji doors open to tranquil gardens with views that vary by location. Obviously, there are no TVs or radios (but there’s Wi-Fi, just in case).
Golden Door provides sweatshirts, T-shirts, and fleeces for use during your stay, plus daily laundry service, which makes packing a breeze. Although I still brought some of my own workout clothes, the provided sets were great when I needed to change quickly between activities.
Arrival day can be for relaxing and familiarizing yourself with the property, but I jumped right in and joined a yoga stretch class in the afternoon. As with meditation, qi gong and other similar activities, it was held in a large treetop room that, with its soft lighting and gentle soundtracks, serves as a sanctuary of mindfulness and relaxation. It was a great start to my stay.
After a good stretch, it was time for a property tour and new guest orientation. The manicured gardens offer serene surprises around every corner. Highlights include a stunning koi pond, a centuries-old bronze bell from a Buddhist temple, a peaceful bamboo grove and meticulously maintained Zen gardens. The landscape just screamed (or rather whispered) calm. The handful of workout facilities on the property featured soothing design and top-of-the-line equipment.
The daily experience/schedule
The following six days were a flurry of activity as I dove head-first into my wellness journey.
Each day begins with a group hike, whether you choose a gentle meadow stroll, a moderate three-miler, or a more challenging five-mile hike. It’s always an option to sleep in of course, but I jumped at the chance to do some real hiking up real mountains (my hometown of New Orleans has one or two measly hills that hardly require conquering). The 5:45am start time was a hurdle, but this week was all about new routines, so I was determined to make it happen. And it was worth it—starting out in the dark and reaching a viewpoint at sunrise is truly a lovely way to start the day. Plus, getting in my 10 thousand steps before breakfast was an achievement I could be proud of, though I did spend a bit of each hike fretting about how to replicate the achievement at home.
I filled the rest of each day scurrying between stretch classes, yoga, pilates, rowing and strength training classes. All instructors were highly skilled, friendly and attentive to everyone’s needs. Aside from the group classes, each guest is assigned a personal trainer for daily sessions to help achieve their fitness goals. This was a game-changer for me, as I greatly improved my strength training technique, which previously could be described as “winging it.”
I found my groove in the more challenging cardio and strength classes, but I also stepped way out of my comfort zone to try a couple of dance classes. I couldn’t resist the '80s dance party, nor could I stop smirking as I bungled through the showtunes dance class led by 80-year-old Yuichi—a decades-long veteran of the Door and former backup dancer for Alice Cooper who was as fit and happy as anyone I encountered during the week (his weekly class is a highlight according to pretty much all staff and returning guests). The verdict? I definitely can’t dance, but Golden Door is all about expanding your horizons.
Other offerings include routine wellness-focused classes like foam rolling, balance and healthy knees. I also attended an introductory class in sumi-e, a Japanese ink and brush art form. Other art classes included ikebana, watercolor and soul vision collage.
The rest of each day’s time slots are filled with a variety of spa treatments, including daily massages (talk about life-changing), facials and body wraps, plus a manicure and pedicure. Before each treatment (and whenever you want, really), you can enjoy the recently-renovated bath house that features a steam room, sauna and luxurious jacuzzi.
From what I could tell, newbies like me generally try to pack everything in, while returning guests seem to know how to let go and just relax. While I couldn’t bring myself to simply chill out (other than during spa treatments), I did make a point to attend the guided evening meditations. I figured I could handle the 15-minute sessions, despite my aversion to sitting still, and they turned out to be the perfect way to wrap up a busy day. Each evening featured a different type of meditation—the visualization session seemed to click for me.
The food
The food at Golden Door is so tasty and satisfying you might question its appearance at a wellness resort. Executive chef Greg Frey Jr. and his team work wonders with whatever’s fresh from the on-site garden, elevating simple salads or plant-based dishes to new levels. Golden Door’s “bio-intensive” farm produces a cornucopia of organic vegetables and greens that are both delicious and visually appealing. Proteins and other ingredients are painstakingly sourced and selected. Prior to arrival, guests select their nutrition goals, preferences, and daily calorie counts, which correlate to portion sizes, but—even with all the daily exercise—not one guest ever mentioned going hungry.
Each day begins with breakfast in your room. Your first meal of the day can be customized, with a choice of coffee preparation (fortunately, you don’t have to give up caffeine, and the coffee was very, very good). A late morning “broth break” brings a nutritious, tomato-based pick-me-up. Lunch—which ranged from a sushi bento to hearty salad—is served at the pool, weather permitting, or you can snag a table overlooking the koi pond. An afternoon juice break with veggies and fruit to snack on will get you through the rest of the day. Dinner is a communal affair, as everyone joins together in the dining room wearing a resort-issued yukata (Japanese robe)—no need to do your hair or worry about your outfit when dining at The Door.
While wine is typically served only on the final night, this week—Champagne Week—meant that we got to enjoy some amazing Champagnes from renowned purveyors, all personally selected and paired by Chef Greg. Each sip of these fantastic selections made for an excellent reward after a day’s hard work.
Aside from the daily meals, a highlight of the program is the garden lunch, in which guests sit at a long, communal table just a few steps away from the colorful hens that are responsible for the top-notch eggs that appear on the menu. Other offerings include lunch with a nutritionist and a cooking class with Chef Greg in his gorgeous, Michelin-caliber kitchen. If you’re particularly taken by any of the meals, he’s happy to provide recipes.
The takeaway
Many guests come to Golden Door in search of something—a life-changing experience, insight during a rough time, support during a new life stage or the opportunity to tune out for a bit—and most find just what they’re looking for. I was simply eager to spend a week being active and trying new things.
Did I mention this week was over New Year’s Eve? While there was a fun countdown celebration (at the responsible hour of 9pm) that included a Champagne toast and festive watch party for the East Coast festivities, there was little talk of the new year or making resolutions. The experience was about discovery and figuring out what you need, all while heading home with the knowledge and experience to make a fresh start, regardless of the time of year. My stay may not have been thoroughly life-changing, but I learned that I can meditate, I can wake up and do five-mile hikes each morning, and it’s OK to dance like a weirdo in public. Now, I just have to figure out how to incorporate these new skills at home (five miles on a treadmill doesn’t sound nearly as fun…).
Golden Door has rightfully earned its reputation among the world’s foremost health and wellness resorts, appealing to anyone facing burnout or just craving a week where someone else handles all the logistics of a first-class wellness routine. Just be warned: reentry into the real world might feel a little rough after this kind of pampering.
