An outdoor mineral water pool provides space to lie in the sun.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ETHAN KAMINSKY
For more than 130 years, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has shared its healing hot spring — known as Séc-he, or “the sound of boiling water,” in the Cahuilla language — with visitors. Until 2014, visitors could soak in these waters at the former spa. Today, with the recent opening of The Spa at Séc-he in downtown Palm Springs, visitors are welcome to experience these healing waters once again.
TAKING OF THE WATERS
The Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring water is unlike any other in the world, with unique mineral properties unmatched by any other hot spring. The Tribe has long known about the sacred healing properties of this hot spring, making it especially significant that guests will be able to experience them at The Spa at Séc-he.
“The opening of The Spa at Séc-he is a defining moment for the Tribe,” says Chairman Reid D. Milanovich. “The hot spring water means everything to us.
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.”
Perhaps the best way to experience Séc-he is through the “Taking of the Waters.” The Spa at Séc-he offers 22 private mineral baths, where guests can take a 15-minute soak in these pure and sacred waters, a gift from the Tribe that has been stewards of this hot spring for generations.
The entrance to The Spa at Séc-he.
A SPA EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER
With more than 73,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, The Spa at Séc-he is an oasis for tranquility and total relaxation.
In addition to the 22 private baths, guests can enjoy an impressive array of spa services to heal, soothe, and rejuvenate. The treatment menu includes a variety of massages, facials, scrubs, and wraps, as well as couples’ treatments and salon services.
The Spa at Séc-he also offers cryotherapy treatment, a salt cave for halotherapy, a quartz bed with heated ground quartz and amber, and magnesium-rich, zero-sensory flotation suites.
An outdoor pool area offers a tranquil space to relax. A zero- edge mineral pool is reminiscent of a calm beach, while a waterfall feature, grotto, tanning deck, pool bar, and luxury cabanas take guests’ relaxation journeys to a deeper level. Day passes are also available.
A halotherapy room calms and relaxes.
The healthful on-site eatery, Málmal Café, was named after the Cahuilla word for butterfly. This wellness-focused café offers a juice bar and Mediterranean-inspired dishes and is open not just to spa guests, but to anyone who would like to enjoy a quick and wholesome bite.
Special flooring designs throughout the plaza nod to the patterns of traditional woven baskets.
AGUA CALIENTE CULTURAL PLAZA
The Spa at Séc-he is just the first offering of the larger Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza that will open later in 2023. In addition to The Spa at Séc-he, the 5.8-acre plaza will share culture with visitors through the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, which will feature historical artifacts of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The museum will also feature works from contemporary Native American artists, as well as exhibitions on loan from the National Museum of the American Indian, thanks to a partnership between the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Smithsonian Institution.
The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza will also take visitors on an immersive journey throughout the expansive complex with its Oasis Trail. Along the outdoor trail, visitors will reflect on the beauty of Agua Caliente ancestral lands, enjoying Washingtonia filifera palm trees, native plants, a calming stream, and otherworldly rock formations denoting the Tribe’s nearby Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon. All this is just minutes from Palm Springs International Airport in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, making it the perfect first stop for a visit to Palm Springs.
To learn more and plan your experience at The Spa at Séc-he, visit thespaatseche.com.