About three or four years ago, I figured out something that has genuinely improved my life: I celebrate Mother’s Day a week early. Not because I’m impatient, but because Mother’s Day weekend itself is spoken for. My mother needs to be celebrated. My mother-in-law needs to be celebrated. By the time the actual Sunday rolls around, I’ve spent the weekend honoring the mothers in our family — which I love doing — but there’s very little room left to honor the fact that I am also a mother. So I claimed the week before. That week belongs to me. And the way I spend it is a full day at the Terranea Resort Spa in Rancho Palos Verdes, followed by dinner with my family at Marcel. It has become one of my favorite days of the entire year.
The Setup: How the Day Actually Works
Brad arranges everything. He hires an Uber to pick me up and drive me directly to Terranea — no parking, no logistics, no thinking required on my part. I arrive at the spa, check in, and from that moment forward the day is entirely mine. I spend the full day there: treatment, steam room, sauna, cold plunge, jacuzzi, outdoor relaxation, indoor relaxation, spa pool. I shower at the spa before I leave. Then I have a car pick me up and take me directly to Marcel, where Brad, Charlotte, and Madeline are already waiting. We have dinner together, and then we all drive home. That’s the whole day. It is exactly as good as it sounds, and I intend to keep doing it for the foreseeable future.
The key insight — and I cannot stress this enough — is that going the week before Mother’s Day makes all the difference. The spa is calm. The crowd is manageable. Go on Mother’s Day weekend itself and it gets packed. Go in the weeks after, heading into summer, and it fills up fast again. That quiet week before is the sweet spot, and it’s mine.
The Treatment: Deep Tissue, Every Time
I get a 60-minute deep tissue massage, and I book it with a female massage therapist — a preference I always specify in advance. I’ve been to this spa multiple times now, and I have had a different therapist on each visit. Every single one has been excellent. That consistency across different therapists is genuinely meaningful — it tells you something about the quality of training and oversight at this spa. At a place like Terranea, where the price point is premium, you expect the therapists to be good. What I didn’t expect was for all of them to be good. That has been the reality.
Pricing for a 60-minute deep tissue massage runs approximately $295, which includes a 20% service charge. That is a real number, and I want to be transparent about it. This is not an inexpensive spa day. But for one day a year, as a nurse who spends the rest of the year giving — to patients, to my family, to everyone — I think it’s worth every dollar.
The CBD Upgrade: An Honest Assessment
The first time I went, I added the CBD upgrade to my massage, and it was genuinely wonderful. I melted. After the treatment, they gave me the remaining CBD oil they hadn’t used during the massage, plus an additional CBD oil to take home. At the time the upcharge was around $45, and at that price with the take-home gifts, it felt like real value.
I did it again the second time. By then the CBD upcharge had climbed to at least $70, and they no longer send you home with anything. Same upgrade, significantly higher price, no take-home product. I did not feel it was worth it. I won’t be adding it again. The base deep tissue massage is exceptional on its own — the CBD add-on at the current price point doesn’t justify itself the way it once did. This is the kind of specific, practical detail I wish someone had told me before I paid for it a second time.
The Spa Facilities: What You Have Access to All Day
As a spa guest, you have access to the full range of amenities for the entire day — not just during your treatment window. This is what makes the Terranea spa experience genuinely worth the price. Here’s what’s available:
The steam room and sauna are the workhorses — I use both, usually before my treatment to warm up the muscles and again afterward to extend the relaxation. The cold plunge pool is not optional if you want to feel completely reset by the end of the day; the contrast with the sauna does something for your body that no amount of regular rest can replicate. The jacuzzi is exactly what you’d expect at a resort of this caliber. The outdoor relaxation area overlooks the ocean — sitting out there on a clear day, looking out at the Pacific, is one of the more peaceful experiences I’ve had in Southern California. And then there is the indoor relaxation lounge, which is where I spend a significant portion of my day: a fireplace, extraordinary loungers, and the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below you. I have fallen asleep in that room more than once. That is the highest compliment I can give a relaxation space.
Spa guests also have access to the saltwater pool and spa pool area, and there is a spa café where you can order food and drinks throughout the day. I eat lunch there. I don’t rush any of it. The whole point of this day is that I have nowhere to be until dinner.
Booking: Plan at Least a Month Ahead
I make my reservation approximately one month in advance. This is not overcautious — it’s necessary if you want the time slot you want and a female therapist. The popular treatment times fill early, particularly in the weeks leading into Mother’s Day and summer. If you wait until two weeks out, you may find your preferred time is gone. A month gives you the best selection.
Weekday visits are noticeably quieter than weekends, and the staff operates with less pressure, which subtly improves the overall experience even when the treatment itself is identical. If your schedule allows a weekday visit, take it.
The Full Day: A Mother’s Day Worth Having
I want to be clear that this tradition works because of the combination — the spa day alone is exceptional, but it’s the ending that makes it complete. Arriving at Marcel already relaxed, showered, and fully myself, and finding Brad and the girls there waiting to celebrate me as their mother — that’s the moment the whole day is building toward. The Uber pickup, the solo drive down the peninsula, the full day of being absolutely no one’s caregiver — it all leads to that dinner.
As a nurse, I spend my professional life taking care of other people in their hardest moments. As a mom, I spend the rest of my time taking care of two daughters and a Goldendoodle who would like to be fed constantly. One day a year, I take care of myself first. The Terranea spa is where I do that, and I have never once regretted it.
Terranea Resort Spa — Need to Know
| Location | Terranea Resort, 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 |
| Best Time to Visit | The week before Mother’s Day — calm, not yet crowded. Avoid Mother’s Day weekend and peak summer. |
| Book in Advance | ~1 month ahead for preferred time slot and therapist gender |
| Recommended Treatment | 60-minute deep tissue massage — ~$295 including 20% service charge |
| CBD Upgrade | Now ~$70+, no take-home product — not worth it at current price |
| Facilities Included | Steam room, sauna, cold plunge, jacuzzi, outdoor ocean-view relaxation, indoor lounge with fireplace, saltwater pool, spa café |
| Therapist Quality | Consistently excellent across multiple visits and different therapists |
| Best For | Solo spa day, Mother’s Day treat, annual self-care reset |
