Spas used to be ‘adults only’ destinations. Once a woman had children, a visit to a spa with her girlfriends might be a once a year event that had to be carefully orchestrated around the schedules of husbands, grandparents, and babysitters. Thanks to a new breed of spas that are equipped with on site childcare for babies, camps and activity centers for kids of all ages, and manis, pedis, and massages for preschoolers, tweens, and teens, a day at the spa can be yours any time you wish. The past five years has witnessed an explosion in the number of spas that welcome babies and toddlers. The spa industry has responded to the needs of Generation X women who want to spend a lot of time with their children, yet don’t want to sacrifice adult friendships, by making their facilities kid friendly, without sacrificing quality, style, or décor.

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai California (www.ojaniresort.com) has recently undergone a $90 million renovation. “Since May 2003 when we began this project,” says Managing Director Thad Hyland, “we’ve demolished a dozen buildings, laid 15 miles of cable, buried 5 miles of pipe, and installed 200,000 square feet of Saltillo tile and 20,000 pieces of decorative tile. Now, more than 5,000 gallons of paint, a half dozen new fountains and 125 trees later, we can really see the results of our labor.” Camp Ojai for children ages 5-12 offers supervised educational activities with a focus on learning about the Chumash Indians, and a daily visit to the Ranch’s small animal farm and a pony ride. Likewise, the Hotel Del Coronado (www.hoteldel.com), located just outside of San Diego, keeps young guests busy at their Tent City Kids Camp (ages 4-12) where kids can do arts and crafts, learn to surf, and practice paddle boating, or make their own tye-die t-shirts while mom gets a Seaside enzyme wrap ($185 for 80 minutes) or deep cleansing facial treatment ($130 for 50 minutes. The camp costs $45 dollars for one child, $40 for each additional, and $65 for an extended Kid’s Night Out. (more…)