The Spa at Beverly Wilshire, located inside the legendary Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, is a refined sanctuary of beauty and relaxation. Amongst its long list of indulgent menu items, enjoyed by both locals and guests alike, is a treatment that doesn’t just pamper the body, but also tells a story. Crafted by longtime Spa Treatment Supervisor and skin-care visionary Gillian Garcia, The Beverly Hills Journey is a sensorial 90-minute escape designed to mirror the elegance and rhythm of a perfect day in Beverly Hills.
Among the top spas in Los Angeles, The Spa at Beverly Wilshire is known for exemplary customer service, hand-tailored treatments, wellness technology, and a best-in-class team of therapists, guided by Garcia, who’s been with the hotel for the past 25 years. A pioneering force in luxury skincare, known for creating bespoke treatments such as The Beverly Hills Journey, Garcia never could have imagined that her childhood love of the movie Pretty Woman would one day lead her to the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel—the very hotel featured in her favorite film. After moving from the Philippines to Los Angeles in 2000, she started at the hotel as a pool attendant, steadily rising through the ranks to her current position in the Spa. “I was meant to do what I do now,” says Garcia. “When you’ve found your passion, you don’t have to work a day in your life.”
The Beverly Hills Journey is an illustration of Garcia’s simple but powerful philosophy: “You are unique, and so are we.” The distinctive treatment is designed not only to reflect the elegance of the iconic hotel, but to also offer a glimpse into what a day might look like for a Beverly Hills local. “My inspiration was to create a luxurious, sensorial spa experience that captures the essence of spending a memorable day as a guest at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel.”
The result is a Forbes Five-Star-awarded experience that feels less like a spa treatment and more like a luxurious narrative told through touch, texture, and aroma. The journey begins with a nourishing and restorative Repairing Body Oil, meant to mimic the glow of the California sun. Following is a trio of exfoliants, each symbolic of a Beverly Hills moment: a coffee scrub on the legs and back that evokes the rich aroma of morning espresso enjoyed at the hotel’s THE Blvd terrace, overlooking iconic Rodeo Drive. (The caffeinated scrub helps to firm the skin and assist in targeting excess water retention which is a common cause of cellulite.) Next is a rose clay scrub on the arms and décolleté, channeling a sun-drenched stroll past the famed Beverly Hills Garden Park and its bounty of roses; and then, a detox body scrub on the stomach, of which ocean mineral-rich dead sea salt, seaweed, and sea clay draw out impurities and toxins. This recalls perhaps a poolside detox green juice.
“You are unique, and so are we.”
Gillian Garcia
After a refreshing rinse, the body is enveloped in whipped shea body butter infused with organic sweet orange oil—an ode to the hotel’s Mediterranean-style pool terrace and its sense of carefree luxury. The final act is a facial ritual using a Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and Regenerative Serum to restore skin elasticity and encourage cell regeneration. Then, an amethyst gemstone roller is used to reduce puffiness and balance energy. Not only does this prep the skin for an evening at the hotel’s Michelin-recommended CUT by Wolfgang Puck, but the amethyst is also a nod to the spa’s striking centerpiece, a large amethyst geode—a symbol of balance and inner calm.
The treatment is both whimsical and powerful. It’s a curated escape, designed to leave guests feeling renewed, restored, and just a little more radiant. “My hope,” says Garcia, “is that guests walk away feeling refreshed, balanced, and grounded—like they’ve experienced a true Beverly Hills day, from sunrise to starlight.”
Photos courtesy of the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
Hero photo: David Vives, via Unsplash