Now The Spa at Séc-he continues the tradition of sharing these sacred waters and the healing power they provide.
When travellers first arrived in the Palm Springs area of California in the 1800s, the Agua Caliente people shared access to their sacred hot mineral spring.
By the late 1880s, Séc-he and its bathhouse had become the first tourist attraction in what would eventually become Palm Springs, today a major international natural destination for wellness.
The site hosted a succession of bathhouses throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries and became the epicentre of development, the force around which the urban village and resort destination of Palm Springs was built.
Designed to both embrace and reflect the natural desert landscape, Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza and The Spa at Séc-he honour the history and heritage of the local Tribe while introducing a new generation to the mineral spring’s restorative properties.
“The hot spring water means everything to us,” said Reid D. Milanovich, Agua Caliente Tribal Chairman.
“It’s at the heart of tribal life and has been a cultural resource for us and our ancestors for thousands of years. The power of these healing waters is real and we are proud to offer the experience to all who come.”
The sacred water is sourced directly from the underground Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring (called “Séc-he” in the Cahuilla language), which last saw the earth’s surface more than 12,000 years ago and has a unique mineral composition.
The Spa at Séc-he complex is more than 6,700 square metres, which includes the interior and an expansive outdoor pool area. The state-of-the-art day spa provides a variety of pampering, relaxation and wellness services.
Guests have access to 22 private mineral baths, 15 spa treatment rooms, a cryotherapy (cold) chamber (said to help with muscle pain and some joint and muscle disorders, such as arthritis, and faster healing of athletic injuries), two float pod suites, two halotherapy salt caves, a “grounding” room, an acoustic wellness lounge, a menthol dry sauna and eucalyptus steam room, a tranquillity garden and the Málmal Cafe.
