Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph), the Los Angeles divorcée at the center of the new Apple TV+ series “Loot,” is accustomed to the best of everything, a trait that becomes blatantly obvious at the start of episode one as she walks away from her husband of 20 years, cheating tech titan John Novak (Adam Scott), with an incredible $87 billion settlement! Still, Molly’s many excesses, which include employing David Chang as her personal chef, a helicopter and private plane at her daily disposal, a fleet of $100,000 SUVs and a 105,000-square-foot mega-mansion with a dedicated candy room, are ridiculously over-the-top, even by Hollywood standards!
So producers certainly had their work cut out for them when it came to finding a spot to portray Halsa, Molly’s favorite spa where the series’ fifth episode is set. While L.A. is no doubt chock full of first-class wellness centers, the production team had to secure a spot befitting Novak’s high standards, i.e. the best of the best! They found exactly what they were looking for in Spa Relais, an elegant newly-established retreat situated on the grounds of the historic Westlake Village Inn in the heart of Westlake Village.
The luxury boutique hotel, located at 31943 Agoura Rd., was originally established in 1968 as a 65-room motor lodge by John L. Notter, the Swiss-born financier who is largely considered the father of the entire city of Westlake Village, which, as he noted in a recent interview, is “recognized as one of the most successful master-planned communities in the U.S.” Notter still currently owns and operates the hotel, though it has been expanded and remodeled several times over the years. Today, the grand property comprises 156 rooms and suites (no two of which are exactly alike), strategically laid out amongst 17 acres of beautifully manicured grounds dotted with a vineyard, a large lake, vibrant gardens, cobblestone pathways and three restaurants. A virtual city within a city, as the hotel’s website indicates, “The Westlake Village Inn’s lovely wrought iron fence is your gateway to a magical place.”
Location scouts have, indeed, long found Westlake Village Inn magical, not to mention versatile. Thanks to its gorgeous setting and picturesque European-inspired architecture, the hotel has been pegged for roles in such productions as “Desperate Housewives,” “xXx,” “The Bachelorette,” “Eli Stone” and multiple episodes of the original “Charlie’s Angels” television series. The lodging has also long enjoyed a rich celebrity following that includes such luminaries as golfers Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods, actor Sean Connery, singer Julio Iglesias, and politicians Condoleezza Rice and Ronald Reagan.
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Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography And now, sitting at the center of it all is Spa Relais. A new addition to the property, the facility opened its doors in March 2020, just days before the pandemic hit and forced an almost immediate shutdown. It reopened later that year, implementing strict safety protocols, and hasn’t missed a beat since!
The Agriturismo website explains, “Relais in the French language means a hotel located in the countryside. In fact, in ancient times, Relais was the post office where we stopped to rest in the middle of a long journey and relassier is a verb that still means relaxing, refreshing.” The name is fitting considering the bucolic spa is situated a convenient 40 miles from downtown Los Angeles, yet feels worlds removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The 25,000-square-foot facility, which fronts Westlake Village Inn’s sprawling lake, was designed by Doug Mansfield of the San Clemente-based R. Douglas Mansfield Architect, Inc. firm, who was also behind the looks of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe and The New Inn in Temecula. Inspired by “the great spas of Europe,” his design “embraces a European village-style ambiance based on Tuscan and Italian hillside architectural precedents.” Boasting dazzling stone buildings outfitted with reclaimed bricks and barn wood, arched passageways, trellised overhangs, multiple fountains, foliage-covered courtyards and flowered gardens, Spa Relais truly does feel Old Worldly! There is even a bell tower on the grounds!
Of the design, Mansfield elaborates, “We sought to elevate the existing European Village fabric emanating from the resort and to complete a vision reminiscent of the owner’s memories of his extensive travels to Europe.” Mission accomplished! When I first saw the spa’s exterior on “Loot,” I assumed filming had taken place at a winery located somewhere far outside of L.A. Instead, the production team found the perfect embodiment of a luxe Tuscan-inspired spa comfortably tucked within the Thirty Mile Zone.
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Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography Spa Relais’ extensive amenities are almost as abundant and indulgent as those of Molly’s mansion! On the premises, you’ll find a gym, several pools (including a cold plunge), a Jacuzzi, two lounges, a gift shop, a “health-conscious café,” quiet rooms, Himalayan salt saunas, steam rooms and dressing rooms, all offering the utmost in relaxation and self-care, not to mention serene beauty.
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Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography Even the spa’s locker rooms are works of art! Fashioned in earth tones and cool blues, the state-of-the-art spaces are lined with custom-cut marble tile flooring inlaid with wood and feature SnoBliss Showers, described in a press release as “a therapeutic snowfall that will refresh and revitalize.”
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Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography Boasting a vineyard theme, each of the 13 treatment rooms is named after a wine varietal and all products used are “derived from grapevines and utilize every part of the grape to nourish the skin.” Signature services include the Winemaker Massage, a “relaxing yet therapeutic treatment that combines a Swedish massage technique enhanced with vine-infused aromatherapy” recreating “the ritual of the wine-making process on the body alternating with bare-handed pressure on energy paths.” Guests can also partake of scrubs, facials, wraps, hydrotherapy and other restorative therapies. There is also a Starr MedSpa located on the premises for patrons seeking more specialized treatment options.
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Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography For those hoping for a more extensive self-care experience, Spa Relais also boasts on-site suites, 14 luxuriously appointed spaces complete with fireplaces, private balconies, walk-in showers/steam rooms and soaking tubs, all of which sounds right up Molly Novak’s alley!
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Image Credit: Apple TV+ -
Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography In the fifth episode of “Loot,” Molly decides that the employees of her charitable foundation are in desperate need of a mental health day, so she does what any billionaire would and treats them to an elaborate spa experience at Halsa, a spot so exclusive it boasts a five-year waiting list!
Unfortunately, the day does not go exactly as planned. While there, Molly runs into her friend Jacinda (Caitlin Reilly), whom she learns has just returned from a group vacation with her ex-husband and his much younger new girlfriend. Snubbing Halsa’s “zero negative energy policy,” Molly proceeds to toss all of Jacinda’s clothing into one of the spa’s hot tubs. The move results in the immediate and unceremonious revocation of her membership, with management clearly ignoring the fact that she previously funded the facility’s “entire aromatherapy wing” and even has a scent named after her.
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Image Credit: Apple TV+ -
Westlake Village Inn. Spa Relais. Photo by: Victor Elias Photography.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spa Relais/Victor Elias Photography The episode makes spectacular use of Spa Relais, showcasing several areas including the main relaxation lounge (pictured from differing angles above), a sumptuous space topped by beamed ceilings, a pyramidal skylight and a striking Murano glass chandelier. Decorated throughout with works of art personally curated by Notter, the enclave truly is a space tailor-made for the screen!