Murrieta Hot Springs , a palm-shaded haven of steaming streams and coveted mud just north of Temecula, has been home to a Christian Bible college, a TV-free vegetarian commune and a popular mostly Jewish resort. Now comes a new chapter that will open the grounds and waters to the public for the first time in nearly 30 years. On Feb. From until , the property housed the Calvary Chapel Bible College and Conference Center, which was closed to the public and made only limited use of the waters that bubble up from below.
The bathhouse was converted into a library. Now the acre site, which includes several historic buildings, is all about water again. The resort includes more than 50 pools, tubs and other water features, including a lake that serves as the hub of the compound.
The bathhouse is once again a bathhouse. Most of the guest rooms date to the s and have been redone in a minimalist style with muted tones. The property also includes the casual Cafe Azuli, Brew coffee shop, a Dynamic Fitness center, gazebo and lounge bars, a mud loft with clay trucked in from the Mojave Desert and a sauna with panoramic views. A signature upscale restaurant, Talia Kitchen, is due to open in spring, followed by a wine bar, Novel, later in the year.
The property also has several cold-plunge pools whose water is 54 degrees or less. A decorative pillar outside what will become the bathhouse at Murrieta Hot Springs Resort.
Myung J. Murrieta Hot Springs Resort is a geothermal spa that goes back more than a century. The springs first gained popularity as a commercial venture in under the ownership of German immigrant Fritz Guenther. In , the minor league Los Angeles Angels held their spring training at the hot springs. Over time, a hotel and other amenities grew, including live music and miniature golf.
