Encinitas: Wellness Paradise by the Beach

While Encinitas is a lovely town for Angelenos to have a quick getaway, spending a laid back weekend at the beach, it's also known for its emphasis on spiritual wellness.

Photo bySusan hornik

Shangwen Chiu Kennedy, managing director and owner of the Inn at Moonlight Beach, loves making guests feel comfortable at her quaint bed and breakfast, which is located just a block from the Pacific Ocean.

"Our Inn is celebrated for its sustainable and regenerative practices, reflecting conscious living and personalized service," she said. "Guests can connect with themselves, their loved ones, and what they value most, through experiences like our dynamic urban farm, creative lab, wellness lab, maker station, and personalized healing services."

Photo bySusan Hornik

Voted "Best Boutique Hotel in San Diego" by San Diego Magazine, the Inn captures both Encinitas and Southern California's charm, offering authentic local experiences and personal alignment.

Kennedy loves that the Inn offers a "different" kind of luxury for visitors.

"We focus on slowing down, conscious living, and connecting with nature. Guests are drawn to our unique approach, which blends true healing with mindful choices to create an enriching and distinctive experience."

Foot soak!Photo bySusan Hornik

There are a variety of fun wellness options as add-ons that include healing massages, chakra balancing, farm-to-table boards, beverages, and soothing baths. They also offer flower baths and foot soaks with urban blooms from their biodynamic farm, along with reiki, human design readings, and yoga meditation, either on-site or with selected local partners.

"You also can participate in our workshops on honey and olive oil infusion, lotion, stone, and soap making, and engage in biodynamic farming with hands-on harvesting," enthused Kennedy.

In 2017, Kennedy and her team embarked on a journey to transform the property, aiming to apply the WELL Building Standard, a next-level standard beyond LEED, administered by the same third-party organization.

"We envisioned the Inn as a demonstration project for conscious living—a space where guests can deeply connect with themselves, their loved ones, and nature. The commitment to the creation of this place led to the Inn becoming the first WELL-certified hotel in the world."

After a visit, Kennedy hopes guests will feel regenerated, uplifted, and inspired.

"Our aim is for them to experience a genuine connection with themselves, their loved ones, and nature. We want the guests to leave with a nourished body, a sparked creativity, and a renewed sense of joy. Our focus on conscious living and daily rituals is designed to offer more than just a stay—it’s an opportunity for transformation and to integrate these practices into their everyday lives."

Just a mile away is Four Moons Spa, a fantastic indoor/outdoor wellness space that is perfect for guests who want to unwind.

Photo bySusan Hornik

"We are happiest and healthiest when we are part of a strong community," said spa owner Letha Sandison.

"Having been an expat, living in a society that is still very tribal in nature, when I returned home, I was struck by how separate everyone seemed," she acknowledged. "I would look around at a restaurant and people were looking at their phones more often than engaging with their neighbors. I wanted to create a space to gather for events, music as well as the wonderful wholeness services we provide and build a deep connection with attendees and be able to provide experiences and support on a variety of levels."

Photo bySusan Hornik

The beautiful grounds have numerous rooms where singles and couples can go for facials and massage. While waiting for your treatment, you can have a cup of their unique tea selection and watch the koi fish swim.

There's also a beautiful water rituals area with outdoor soaking tub and sauna. The spa also offers intuitive spirit experiences including psychic/medium sessions, tarot and human design readings.

"We like to say that our services are more like experiences, and we work to create unique experiences for our guests. Our concierge service will create unique Moon Magic days for our guests catering for the types of services they would like to experience. A key value for us is to be relational with our guests, not transactional."

Photo bySusan Hornik

The vibe is intended to celebrate many locations, like Bali, Morocco and Europe.

"The idea is to make our guests feel transported like you have travelled somewhere exotic, but you are really in your own space. We want guests to feel like they have gone on a holiday after spending the day with us."

There are also weekday specials and a locals' discount through a new community engagement + payment platform, Repegs.