About Santa Fe

Ten Thousand Waves is inspired by the great Japanese mountain hot spring resorts. Ten minutes from downtown Santa Fe, but only minutes from the National Forest, there is nothing quite like this on the North American continent.

Among piñons and junipers are beautiful outdoor hot tubs and spa suites, world-class bodywork & skin care, and the amazing izanami restaurant. For a lucky few, it is the closest lodging to the Santa Fe Ski area.

History and Philosophy
Ten Thousand Waves is dedicated to providing a Japanese sense of serenity and relaxation. Everything we do from the gardens to the woodwork, from the therapies to the therapists has been constantly and thoughtfully refined over the last 31 years. We pride ourselves on being "real". We offer a unique 'Japanese-adobe' esthetic, combining the traditional with state-of-the-art technology.

Our humble beginning was a small bathhouse, eight outdoor hot tubs, and one massage room back in 1981. The emphasis then, as it is now, was on the salutary effects of hot water in the Japanese tradition.
Historically Americans have always treated spas as a place to get something done, be it to lose weight, stop smoking, or cure TB. In the Europeans Kur tradition, spas are places to go if you're sick; you often need a prescription. The Scandinavians use their spas to get warm.

The Japanese, however, go to their traditional spas--onsen and sento--to have a good time (often in a beautiful place), and that's what we relate to at Ten Thousand Waves. Certainly, they use hot water to achieve all the goals above, but bathing is mostly about winding down from the day, meeting friends, taking time off with the family, and relaxing. The other health benefits are bonuses.

Ten Thousand Waves is much more than just bathing, but all our massages, spa treatments, and skin care regimens are designed to compliment that amazing feeling of release that occurs when we settle into a big pool of hot water.