On March 2, Golden Door Spa was named Worldwide Health and Wellness Destination of the Year at the World Spa & Wellness Awards 2025. The iconic US spa beat of some serious competition from incredible spas around the world to secure the coveted title. So, what makes it so special?
Founded in 1958 by wellness pioneer Deborah Szekely, Golden Door Spa has welcomed individuals looking for a wellness reset for over half a century.
It was the first luxury spa of its kind and attracts guests from around the world and from many walks of life – from A-list movie stars to business leaders, authors, educators, and anyone seeking a wellness reset and a completely bespoke and transformative experience.
Golden Door is focused not only on indulging guest, but on providing the tools for inner reflection, healthy eating, and fitness so that clients create long-lasting effects to take away with them when they return home.
Recognized globally as a pioneer in wellness, Golden Door works hard to foster and maintain a sense of community, with a 5:1 staff:guest ratio and a maximum occupancy of 40 guests per week.
With this limited capacity, the spa can cater to each individual and create personalised programmes to nurture mind, body and spirit.
Understanding that everyone's path to inner peace is unique, Golden Door strives to provide a safe and nurturing environment for everyone to explore and discover what works best for them. Whether it's through nature, art, therapy, coaching, or movement.
Some of its specific offerings geared toward mental health include sessions with a licensed marriage and family therapist whose services vary from breathwork, to energy and sound healing, to EMDR–Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a technique for resolving trauma and grief.
There is also a certified transformational coach and self love advocate on property, a registered Expressive Arts Therapist and Creativity Coach, life and mindfulness coaches, and wellness guides are all there to help guests embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing.
The spa’s mindfulness movement options include a Labyrinth Meditation walk to enhance mindfulness and gratitude practices. Qigong, Tai Chi and meditation hikes are also on offer.
The spa has now pledged 100% of its net profits to charities focused on children of domestic abuse, which provide shelter, residential services, trauma-informed therapy services, and transportation for youth across America who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.
Therefore, guests come to experience life changing emotional and physical transformations, and leave knowing they have also positively impacted communities beyond our walls.
In 2020, the company opened the Golden Door Country Store one mile off-property in San Marcos, California, supporting local farmers and hosting a series of free events and workshops including yoga classes, story time for children, and maker’s markets.
Nestled on 600 acres that span mountains and meadows, Golden Door strives to preserve the tranquility of its location. In late 2022, Golden Door purchased 2,000 acres in San Diego County for climate action initiatives with the goal of caring for the critical open space, which is a habitat for wildlife.
The spa’s facilities include a bathhouse with Jacuzzi, steam-room and sauna, soaking bath, wet room with Vichy shower, LightStim LED experience room, and nine skin and body care treatment rooms offering facials, herbal wraps, and more.
The resort also boasts seven state-of-the-art gyms including a new pilates studio, two swimming pools, a Watsu water therapy pool, two labyrinths, lighted tennis and pickleball courts, five acres of bio-intensive gardens, 600 acres of native hills, meadows, Japanese gardens, and citrus groves, 12 mountain or meadow hikes of varying challenges on 30 miles of private trails.
Golden Door was announced as World Spa & Wellness Awards Worldwide Health & Wellness Destination of the Year 2025 sponsored by Lemi, in a ceremony in London on March 2.