Trust Me: You Need This
I spent almost 36 hours breathing the rarefied air of the Cordevalle resort in San Martin, CA, and while I easily could’ve stayed for another week (or month), even that small taste was immensely rejuvenating.
After driving for over four hours on the barren I-5, Cordevalle’s rolling green hills, lush golf course and babbling brooks felt like nothing short of paradise. The resort’s architecture is tastefully understated and the standalone guest bungalows are spread out to provide a welcome sense of peace and privacy for each guest. Mine was spacious, beautifully appointed, and afforded a postcard-worthy view of the golf course and hilly terrain beyond from its furnished patio. The bathroom was huge and featured a deep spa tub and separate shower. Cushy leather chairs provided a convenient place to watch the plasma television.
But the rest of the property beckoned, so my husband and I dragged ourselves from our comfortable surroundings to sample all that Cordevalle had to offer. First on my agenda was a visit to the on-site Clos LaChance winery. A private golf cart (always available on call to transport guests around the sprawling property) drove me up to the winery, where I enjoyed a tasting (complimentary to resort guests – surprise and delight feature #1) and mingled with the other visitors, marveling at how friendly the locals were. I met back up with my husband for a few leisurely laps in the resort’s heated outdoor pool, followed by a late-afternoon walk along the golf course (along the way, we helped ourselves to the fresh-baked cookies at the café outside the golf pro shop: surprise and delight feature #2).
The front desk had made dinner reservations at the resort’s Il Vigneto restaurant, where we enjoyed a romantic farm-fresh dinner on the patio next to a blazing firepit. We were headed back to the room when we discovered all the makings for s’mores next to the roaring fireplace outside the lobby (surprise and delight feature #3). Before bed came a bath in the spa tub (warning: a few too many squirts of bath gel + use of the spa jets = nearly being swallowed by bubbles inside the deep tub). Between the comfy goosedown pillows and blackout curtains, we both slept better (and longer) than we had in months.
My 60-minute Cordevalle Classic Massage was scheduled for 10am the next morning. I arrived early to take advantage of all the amenities of Sense, a Rosewood Spa, including steam room, Jacuzzi and fully appointed locker rooms. Ten minutes before treatment time, I was escorted to the Tea Room, where I made a cup of looseleaf tea. My delightful massage therapist led me to the treatment room, which boasted a high loft-style ceiling and a private fountain and garden outside the window. After a thoroughly relaxing 60 minutes, I went out to relax by the pool one last time before reluctantly checking out and hitting the road for the 4 ½-hour slog back home (I grabbed a few more of those golf café cookies for the drive).
Boasting a location and atmosphere that feels a world away from Los Angeles but is fairly easy to get to (the resort is about half an hour away from the San Jose airport – snag a cheap Southwest fare and there’s really no reason to waste time driving), Cordevalle is pretty close to an ideal getaway.
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