Twelve Senses Retreat

The one-of-a-kind Twelve Senses Retreat, in Encinitas, just up the coast from San Diego, is devoted, at least in part, to the esoteric thought of Rudolf Steiner, whose work serves as something of a manifesto. It’s too much to get into here, but it’s safe to say that owner/designer Anke Bodack has a vision. Her modernist house was built in 1958, and has recently been rebuilt and expanded into the four-room mini-resort you see before you today, where each of the rooms is dedicated to one of the traditional four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

You’d be hard pressed to find accommodations more restful, in Encinitas or anywhere else. The rooms’ interiors are visually focused and soothingly spare, but if you’re a design aficionado they’re a quiet feast for the eyes, featuring pieces by a globe-spanning collection of designers. They’re a feast for the other senses as well, of course, with Ethnicraft mattresses, Nest thermostats, Duravit rain showers, and too many other useful and beautiful objects to name.

Yoga, massage, and beauty treatments are on offer, as well as more specialized therapies, from nutritional counseling to energy healing. At Twelve Senses’ size, a proper restaurant is not in the cards, but there’s an impressively healthful breakfast service, as well as daily sundown cocktails.