San Francisco’s Huntington Hotel has long been a playground for the rich and famous ever since it first opened in the 1920s. Having attracted the likes of Bogart and Picasso to Luciano Pavarotti and Oscar de la Renta, it is still recognized for its discretion and attentive service today. The connecting spa — named for the tony neighborhood that surrounds the hotel — is just as timelessly elegant and posh as the hotel property itself.

Nob Hill Spa guests can enjoy a variety of bodywork, facials, and scrubs, with state-of-the-art anti-aging peels and healing treatments inspired by ancient holistic and Ayurvedic treatments.

The Spa Experience

Here you’ll find a haven of understated elegance, with an 11,000 square-foot layout arranged by the rules of feng shui to evoke a serene, harmonious experience. Just like the hotel, Nob Hill is accented with Victorian, Italian, Chinese and Japanese influences. The main attraction is the stunning indoor infinity pool lined with teak furniture that connects to an outdoor terrace setting straight out of an Italian villa. Battle the San Francisco chill by basking in the warm glow from the fireplace while taking in the panoramic city views afforded by the pool’s surrounding 18-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ten generously sized treatment rooms, plus a whirlpool, sauna, steam room, spa menu, and wellness studio with carefully designed fitness programs ensure guests will have plenty to do for the day.

Pampering Treatments

One of Nob Hill’s popular full body treatments is the bamboo tea scrub, that takes its cue from ancient Japanese bathing rituals, combining green tea and bamboo exfoliation with a rice buff shower rinse. I chose to get slathered in a delicious scented wild lime silk oil at the end of the 50-minute treatment.

Nowhere on the spa menu is there a treatment more aptly named than the nirvana, which combines two other menu treatments based on the principles of ancient Indian medicine: the first is an Ayurvedic bindi body mask and aromatherapy wrap; the second is a Shirodhara massage treatment. My therapist began by pouring a gentle stream of herbal oil over my forehead (known as the “third eye” chakra). As it seeped over to my scalp, she gently massaged my head and body, leaving me feeling lighter, calmer and refreshed. I slept like a baby that night.

Indulgences and Added Amenities

One of the spa directors gave me a tour of the private spa suite, located on the hotel’s fifth floor and overlooking Huntington Park. It is a beautiful room, with a marble bath and plenty of space to lounge and relax, that would be perfectly suited for a girls’ weekend (it can accommodate up to 10 people).

After a refreshing dip in the spectacular indoor pool, I went onto the open-air patio and settled into a plush lounge chair to enjoy a delicious, healthy spa lunch salad of grilled prawns and pan-seared day boat scallops. The a la carte menu sources local, organically grown produce for green-conscious diners who don’t want to sacrifice flavor.