Ojo Caliente Springs, New Mexico: 5 Reasons Not to Go There

Going to a spa can be a wonderful experience. Note: the operative word here is can. Unfortunately this wasn't the case recently (Oct. of '09) when I made a return visit to Ojo Caliente Springs in Northern New Mexico.

My first visit was back in October of 2001, I enjoyed a pleasant afternoon soaking in the iron, lithium, soda and arsenic pools,plus a separate mud pool. It was a nice, calming atmosphere. For those of you who have never been to Ojo Caliente Springs, or taken a mud bath before, it consists of slathering mud all over your face and body, basking in the sun until it dries and then washing it off in the pool. It's simple, fun and easy. It leaves you feeling extremely clean, refreshed and relaxed. I recommend it...at someplace other that here.

Not only was Ojo Caliente Springs memorable, it was low-key and lacked any kind of pretentiousness.

Flash forward to the present. Now it's different, everything that I liked about it the first time changed.

Here are 5 reasons not to go there:

1. I have an simple expectation whenever I go to a spa, and that is, it should be welcoming. Or, at least appear to be! Remember that saying, first impressions are lasting? Obviously it was asking too much because the staff at Ojo Caliente Springs was anything but that. Although the Visitor's Center was new and well-appointed with the latest furniture and doodads and looked welcoming enough it was anything but that! I got the first inkling things had changed when I approached the front desk. The attendant just stared at me, no smile, no greeting, no nothing. If I had listened to my gut instinct I would've walked out right then and there. But because I was tired I stayed. Ignoring the slight I just focused my attention on the services. Without a prior reservation I signed up for a deep tissue massage ($104) and the use of their mineral pools ($16) that same day. The only drawback was the massage wasn't until 7PM. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but it was only 3PM and everything in this town closes early. Not only that but if you've never been to NM before everything is spread out. You have to drive for miles and miles just to get from point A to B. It's not unusual to find a place closed because you couldn't get there in time. Nothing is open late in New Mexico.

Since I was getting a massage there wasn't a charge for the towels or the combination lock they provided, which is usually an extra fee. This is something they didn't charge for the first time I was there. No matter, I was on vacation and this massage was my big splurge. Plus I couldn't wait to go into the mud pool again.

Although Miss Friendly did her little spiel about the rules and regulations and showed me around the locker room, I got the distinct impression she didn't want to spend any more time there than was necessary. After asking a simple question about where to put the soiled towels she sighed and pointed in the general direction. Sorry I asked!

I found the changing section of the locker room unusually small and cramped, and it didn't help the benches were short too! Myself and two other patrons found it extremely difficult to change and pack all our belongings into the miniature lockers. It was so tight I couldn't maneuver around easily without bumping into someone! What I couldn't understand was why this area was so small but the adjacent area, the place where they had the showers and the sinks were unusually spacious? Poor planning on their part.

FYI, my previous experience at spas has been something like this, usually they greet you with a smile, sometimes genuine, sometimes fake-nice. Then with some modicum of enthusiasm explain their services, prices and what it entails. You're treated with some amount of respect and they act chummy with you in the hopes you'll spend a lot of money for their services, which are more often than not on the pricey side. Not all, but most.

2. Not comfortable. This building, which housed a gift shop, welcoming (?) desk and locker room gave off an uncomfortable vibe. It had nothing to do with the furniture or the ambiance, it had more to do with the general attitude. It wasn't until later that I found out it was under new ownership. Figures! This happens every time, whenever the original owners sell it's NEVER the same, regardless of how many cosmetic improvements they make or how much money they put into it. After finding this out it all began to make sense. That would explain the person at the front desk and the staff. New management, new flunkies.

Only time will tell how long they'll be in business.

3. construction workers! How are you suppose to relax with construction workers all around? What about the Whisper Zone?

The pools are all outside, 4 in total, and there were about 3 workmen on the grounds, near the mud pool. I don't even know if they were fixing anything, they just seemed to be there. As if that wasn't bad enough there was one guy standing around gawking, obviously he couldn't help himself. It must have been the first time he ever saw women in bathing suits! Not only was it annoying, but it was uncomfortable too. I had to wait at least 10 min. before going into a pool because of his presence. It was only after he noticed me looking at him that he caught himself and walked away. Of all the spas I've ever gone to this is the first one I've ever been to that had construction workers working (?) on the property during business hours. Honestly this place is run more like a "YMCA" than a high-end spa. It's very odd.

FYI, these were not attendants either, they were construction workers.

4. Mud pool was closed. One of the highlights of this spa, that I fondly remember from my first visit, was the mud pool. They have a special mud from NM made out of red rock clay. you slather it on, wait for it to dry and rinse it off. The result leaves you refreshed, relaxed and revitalized. It was the main reason I went back. However, it was closed. No one, including Miss Friendly at the desk bothered to mention it. So for the first half hour of my hour stay I had to make due with the other mineral pools which were so-so, nothing to write home about. Then suddenly as if by magic an attendant came out of the blue and opened up the mud pool. Hooray! Maybe they forgot. No explanation was given and no one said sorry for the inconvenience.

According to their brochure it's supposed to be open from May - October, from 8AM to 5PM, weather permitting. I was there in Oct. and the temperature was in the 70's and it was about 3:30 in the afternoon.

5. 24 hour cancellation policy. As far as I'm concerned this was the straw that finally broke the camels back...and why I'll never go back! They have this stupid 24 hour cancellation policy....but they neglect to mention that to you at the front desk. Even if you didn't make the reservation 24 hours in advance they still hold you to this idiotic policy. Does this make sense, because it didn't to me?? Unfortunately I made mine an hour earlier and prepaid for a massage. Everything was fine, that is until I made the mistake of asking for my money back. I just didn't like anything about the new Ojo Caliente Spa, the people were weird, the prices were too high, it just wasn't the same. There was a bad vibe about this place. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Word to the Wise, don't ever make the mistake of asking for your money back at the Ojo Caliente Springs!

Everyone from Miss Friendly, to the Spa Manager, to the Spa Director, to even the Security Guard! and then the Operations Manager gave me a hard time citing their stupid 24 hour cancellation policy. Were they on something? This wasn't a doctor's appointment! Randy, the Operations Manager even added that if I canceled they would have to pay the masseuse. Then it started to escalate. The more stubborn they were the more stubborn I was. To make matters worse I could hear them talking about me. It didn't exactly endear me to them and it made me more annoyed than I originally was! I especially didn't appreciate them making me wait...although I'm sure they were secretly hoping I'd storm out of there. Which I wasn't about to do.

Suddenly their fake-nice smiles became icy stares. Then there was a stand-off. I wasn't budging and either were they. Finally Randy,who I should point out was dressed more like an attendee going to a wrestling match than a manager of a high-end hotel and spa, asked me to leave! He actually expected me to leave without giving me my money back! Infuriated I countered back by saying I'm going to call the police if you don't give me my money back. After talking it over for the umpteenth time with the flunky staff he hired, he tried to intimidate me further by saying he called the state police and they would be there within an hour. Fine! Fully prepared to defend myself I continued to wait. I wasn't leaving without my money. Finally at about 7:15 PM he relented after waiting 3 hours. As the Spa Mgr. was giving me my money back he added, "we've never done this before." I bet? Note: the police never came, he was just bluffing. Why am I not surprised???

As I was leaving he tried to save face by telling me never to come back! Don't worry, I won't! Why would I?

Don't go here, go to Jemez Springs up the road for a much better all around experience!