Canyon Ranch Woodside - Woodside, California

Deena

Underwhelming, severely overpriced and obviously poorly-managed. The staff here was very kind, especially the spa technicians - they are incredibly warm and skilled. The cafe staff were also very kind.

However, to pay so much money only to have windows where you can access the selective food menu is very bizarre and limiting. The "spiritual" services are an actual joke. The spa facilities are extremely outdated, co-ed (which they do not state beforehand, which is highly insensitive to those with religious or personal preferences), tiny and limited lockers, and people taking up the 2 massage chairs chatting loudly, scrolling on their phones. Their sauna and steam room are co-ed, again, not stated anywhere on their site beforehand.

This place is trying to take your money for an overpriced "retreat" which is anything but. Zero land acknowledgement for the unceded Ohlone land it sits upon, however happy to claim the nature all around. They put effort into the modernized rooms, and that's obviously where their effort stops.

Save your dollars and take a drive to the ocean to unwind or book a trip to an actual resort. Enjoy the free trails all around Skyline Blvd. SAVE YOUR DOLLARS, this place is a complete scam.

Ghufran Z. E.

The restaurant :
High quality food everyone is so nice !
The manager Jose is welcoming.
I want to mention Liis the sweetest waitress ! And has a beautiful smile she gives positive vibes and is very efficient and helpful!
I also want to mention pasha ! He is nice , polite and very kind! I would recommend this place ! The tree room is beautiful and everyone is nice !
And definitely take classes with Evon ! She’s very spiritual ! The hike guy rowan very knowledgeable!

Julianne B.

Unfortunately, very underwhelming. Far from relaxing - noisy airplanes flying over and the sound of racing cars nearby. Food was decent. Service was ok - certainly not what you’d expect at the price point.

VeronicaUWS

This was my second trip to CR Woodside and unfortunately I was deeply disappointed. The daily schedule has been significantly pared down so there is not a lot to do if you don’t join one of the hikes. Quality of food was also hit or miss. Some dishes were excellent and others quite terrible (eggs, roast chicken legs and duck). The spa is tiny and has limited daily offerings; I note the theme of my retreat was “Spa Renewal” though there were only a handful of services to choose from. I had an excellent massage with Maya and a very poor massage with another provider. Seems that quality and management has gone down significantly since my first trip in 2021. I love CR Tucson and will be sticking to that location from now on.

Ellen W.

What a wonderful spa. The food is exceptional as was the staff especially Lisney who gave me a great facial and maya who gave me one of the best massages I’ve ever had. My only criticism is that they don’t offer manis and pedicure. otherwise I most highly recommend this lovely spa. And a beautiful setting.

Marcelle O.

Canyon Ranch was incredible! My mom and I felt much happier and healthier after the first day. By the end of our visit we were glowing ✨

The staff is fantastic, they make you feel like family. The treatments were lovely as well! (I recommend Soul Journey and Forest Massage)
The entire facility was beautiful with easy to access hiking trails.

Hope to be back soon!

Ben G.

We stayed at Canyon Ranch in early 2024.

What we liked:

• The staff. Beyond just being friendly, the staff was a joy to interact with. And, there were plenty of them around at all times.
• The room. We stayed in a detached building on top of another unit, which didn’t seem to be occupied during our stay. The view was of the forest was sublime, and fully sold the illusion that we were isolated in a peaceful setting. The room itself was nice. No complaints.
• The overall vibe. A peaceful and lovely forest setting.
• The food. Every meal was delicious and the portions hit the right balance between sufficient and indulgent.
• The guests. We engaged many other people in conversation, and everyone was universally friendly and interesting. My wife tells me two of the guests were television celebrities, but I didn’t notice, which says something about the chill atmosphere.

Things we didn’t appreciate as much:

• The gym. A few rudimentary cardio machines, an anemic dumbbell set that topped out around 20 lbs, and a full array of kettlebells. Some other things, but we were hoping for a proper set of equipment.
• The pool. Was hoping for something outdoors; the pool and hot tub were indoors, and didn’t seem appealing.
• The classes. While we enjoyed most of the half-dozen classes / activities we participated in, it felt as though some of the instructors were winging it a bit, and didn’t really know how to teach the subject very well.
• A few snafus. Nothing that spoiled our visit, but in a review, I feel I need to mention that (a) the staff messed up our meal orders on two occasions, and (b) right after we arrived we were trying to enjoy some peace and quiet in our room—a well-deserved break from our kids for once—and within ten minutes the front desk called our phone, and when we ignored it, called again, and then finally came over and knocked on our door repeatedly. It turned out they told us to park our car in the wrong spot and forgot to take our car key, as apparently they need to rotate cars around. Not a big deal, but also not what you expect at this sort of place.

Finally, I’ll take the blame on this, but they told us they’d alert us when it was time to sign up for activities. And, when I received the email, you can guess what I did first: tried to sign up for massages. And, there was nothing available the entire weekend of our stay, until Sunday around noon. No facials, either. Apparently the spa takes reservations from guests much earlier than the rest of the activities. I should have guessed this, but it was a very sad outcome for us. Upon arrival, I asked if maybe they might squeeze us in. The manager said, “Absolutely, there are usually openings in-between the hours, and some cancellations,” but the spa staff quickly disabused us of that possibility when we tried to follow-through on it.

So, why four stars? Well, I wouldn’t travel from afar to this place; it’s not a destination resort, nor does it claim to be. But, as a local escape? It’s great.

Diane W.

I had a lovely, relaxing 2 day spa vacation at CR Woodside with my friend. I wish we would have stayed Thursday-Sunday to experience everything they had to offer. The staff, headed by the fabulous manager, Rona, were all so friendly and responsive. The food is incredible, service is impeccable, treehouse room is large and lovely, setting is peaceful and wooded and spa treatments are wonderful. We went on two hikes that were amazing where we got to know some of the other guests well. We loved the Yoga Nidra class in the evening. I’ve also been to CR Tucson and would say that Woodside is more down to earth and peaceful.