Surfus
Jun 16, 2007, 06:41 AM
Upscale Oakhurst spa earns travel guide's recognition
By Don Mayhew / The Fresno Bee
06/16/07 04:28:46
Looking for a relaxing place to be pampered amid opulence? You don't have far
to go.The Mobil Travel Guide has awarded four stars to the Spa du Sureau in Oakhurst, less than an hour's drive north of Fresno. Tucked into the Estate by the Elderberries, alongside the Chateau du Sureau inn and the Elderberry House restaurant, the spa is one of only 56 across North America to earn the rating.
The guide (www.mobiltravelguide.com) gave two spas its top five-star rating.
Erna Kubin-Clanin, owner of Spa du Sureau, had hoped to join them. But because the spa is smaller than many highly rated places and relatively new (it opened 18 months ago), it may take a while to climb that last step.
"Our spa is small, but it wraps you up," she says. "It has the feeling of making you feel special."
The guide's inspectors noticed, describing the 1920s Art Deco style of the spa as "the opposite of Zen. The cozy, romantic reception lounge is covered in eclectic antiques and art, with rich, tactile fabrics and tapestries."
"Everything around you is authentic," Kubin-Clanin says. "All the pieces, all the furnishings, are from France."
Enjoying such luxury isn't cheap. Massages range from $140 for an hourlong "Hikers Repose" to $250 for a "duet" (two people massaging you at the same time). Hydrotherapy and body wraps are similarly priced, although the "Hydrostorm" ("the ultimate water ritual") costs a mere $70.
Kubin-Clanin says because her spa is secluded, removed from a large urban area, the Mobil rating hasn't translated into a crush of new guests.
"In the city, it might do that," she says. "But as you drive by, you don't anticipate the spa being here. It takes us much longer to get where we want to be."
Details: (559) 683-6860, www. chateausureau.com.
The reporter can be reached at dmayhew@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6322.
By Don Mayhew / The Fresno Bee
06/16/07 04:28:46
Looking for a relaxing place to be pampered amid opulence? You don't have far
to go.The Mobil Travel Guide has awarded four stars to the Spa du Sureau in Oakhurst, less than an hour's drive north of Fresno. Tucked into the Estate by the Elderberries, alongside the Chateau du Sureau inn and the Elderberry House restaurant, the spa is one of only 56 across North America to earn the rating.
The guide (www.mobiltravelguide.com) gave two spas its top five-star rating.
Erna Kubin-Clanin, owner of Spa du Sureau, had hoped to join them. But because the spa is smaller than many highly rated places and relatively new (it opened 18 months ago), it may take a while to climb that last step.
"Our spa is small, but it wraps you up," she says. "It has the feeling of making you feel special."
The guide's inspectors noticed, describing the 1920s Art Deco style of the spa as "the opposite of Zen. The cozy, romantic reception lounge is covered in eclectic antiques and art, with rich, tactile fabrics and tapestries."
"Everything around you is authentic," Kubin-Clanin says. "All the pieces, all the furnishings, are from France."
Enjoying such luxury isn't cheap. Massages range from $140 for an hourlong "Hikers Repose" to $250 for a "duet" (two people massaging you at the same time). Hydrotherapy and body wraps are similarly priced, although the "Hydrostorm" ("the ultimate water ritual") costs a mere $70.
Kubin-Clanin says because her spa is secluded, removed from a large urban area, the Mobil rating hasn't translated into a crush of new guests.
"In the city, it might do that," she says. "But as you drive by, you don't anticipate the spa being here. It takes us much longer to get where we want to be."
Details: (559) 683-6860, www. chateausureau.com.
The reporter can be reached at dmayhew@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6322.