GOCO Hospitality has acquired the 155-year-old Glen Ivy Hot Springs Resort in the Temescal Valley of Southern California.

As part of the deal, GOCO has also acquired an adjacent 65-acre plot next to the 20-acre hot springs and spa, where it plans to develop a world-class wellness resort community.

The iconic hot springs resort has been in operation since 1860 and attracts more than 160,000 annual visitors. The resort features 19 pools and whirlpools – including the historic mineral baths – 40 treatment rooms, interactive thermal mud-bathing facilities, 65 acres of botanical gardens, two restaurants, an outdoor classroom area and a labyrinth for self-reflection.

Immediate investments in the property will be used to enhance the current hot springs spa and set the stage for future expansion, the company said, including offering evening access to the hot springs as well as overnight lodging.

GOCO has plans to expand into a 90-room GOCO Retreat with a comprehensive wellness centre, medi-spa, organic farm and retail village, hiking trails, additional hot springs bathing zones, yoga academy, wedding chapel, banquet and meeting rooms, an education centre for holistic medicine and 125 residential units.

“The growth of wellness retreats is supported by an increasing interest in wellness communities that combine accommodation along with residential offerings for wellness-conscious guests outside large urban centres,” said Ingo Schweder, GOCO Hospitality CEO.

At the core of GOCO’s second-phase plan for a wellness community is a 75- to 100-room luxury GOCO Retreat Temescal Valley, a wellness retreat that could potentially also include a village of artists and craftsmen, an organic farm and cooking school, an amphitheater for entertainment and educational events, a special programme for children, and a spa-training academy.

GOCO already has one retreat in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, and also has a large wellness community under development in the artist village of Ubud, Bali. The company said it is actively pursuing further projects in the Americas, and is close to adding a large-scale site in Costa Rica.

Jim Root, Cristen Stier, and the wider Glen Ivy team will continue to operate the day-to-day activities of the resort, with additional corporate resources provided by GOCO.