Make sure to watch the video above for 31 unique features about the Sensei property.
I’d never experienced anything like it.
After a quick 25-minute drive from Palm Springs International Airport, we drove through a non-descript neighborhood before pulling up to the gates of Sensei Porcupine Creek.
The gates opened, and as we rolled down the windows to take in the landscape, the intense smell of jasmine came flowing into the car.
The entire property smells like it, and it’s wonderful.
As we drove up the driveway we began seeing numbers in bright bold colors implanted among the impeccable landscaping.
1, 2, 3…all the way up to 9 – before ending with 0.
1 to 0.
Life becomes death.
Between the luscious smell and the thought-provoking sculptures from artist Robert Indiana, it became clear in less than 2 minutes that this wasn’t going to be your typical resort vacation.
And it most certainly, was not.
What my wife and I experienced over 3 days at Sensei Porcupine Creek was a time of activity, wellness, relaxation, and reflection unlike any I’ve experienced before.
Wildly memorable experiences were peppered in with opportunities to assess where we were at both physically and mentally.
Sensei gives you the space to think about that, but more importantly, it gives you every tool you could ever want to take action and create a plan toward your desired wellness goals.
And that’s exactly what happened for us.
Today I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about Sensei Porcupine Creek. We’re going to look into its history, its ethos, the accommodations, activities, classes, spa, and dining options.
I’m going to share my personal experience there, and help you figure out if it’s the right place for you to visit depending on your current needs and goals.
It certainly isn’t for everyone, and I wasn’t even entirely sure it was for me.
But having experienced it? I’m excited to tell you about it.
Because a few days here might be just the catalyst you need to make legitimate changes in your life – and create some incredible memories in the process.
Ready?
Let’s go.
The History of Sensei Porcupine Creek
The 230-acre Porcupine Creek was originally developed in 2004 by billionaire Tim Blixseth as a private estate for his family.
What’s interesting is the actual “Porcupine Creek” is located in Montana. He’d hoped to develop a property near there, but it didn’t work out. So he turned his eyes South and named the estate that’s tucked in the mountain foothills of Rancho Mirage after that original property.
One of the most unique aspects of the property is the 19-hole golf course he built exclusively for private use.
More on that in a minute.
In 2011 Oracle Founder Larry Ellison purchased the property, and used it in a similar manner for a decade.
This is until he and Dr. David Agus had a mutual friend pass away.
This caused them to start thinking about health, longevity, and how they might best be able to help other people improve both.
Opening in November 2022, Sensei Porcupine Creek is the result.
First Impressions of the Property
I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as a “six-star” resort, but if there is, Sensei would be awarded the designation.
I’ve stayed at many high-end properties from Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, St. Regis, and others.
But there’s something about the understated elegance of Sensei Porcupine Creek that feels a step above.
Part of this is the boutique nature of the property and it’s “Estate House.”
There are currently only 22 accommodations and a maximum of 68 guests on the property at any given time.
Although I was told 45 people would be considered “busy.”
During our stay, there were 19 guests there, and I hardly saw a single one of them the entire time.
Part of what makes Sensei Porcupine Creek so special is that when you’re there, you feel like you’re the center of their universe.
Like you’re the only one that matters.
I’ve never quite experienced this level of care, service, and attention to detail.
When we rolled up to the Estate House (the main building of the resort) it was impossible not to be taken aback by the landscaping of the property.
It may very well be the most well-landscaped place I’ve ever been. Period.
The aforementioned smell of jasmine permeates no matter where you go. There are water features throughout the grounds that lead to the feeling of being in a desert oasis.
And the collection of world-class sculptures from artists such as Keith Haring, Robert Indiana, and Yoshitomo Nara – would be right at home among any of the best museums in the world.
But despite the beyond-pleasant surroundings, it’s what Sensei provides among them that is what makes the experience so special.
Check-in Process and Accommodations
When we arrived at the Estate House we received a warm greeting from multiple staff members. Our bags were whisked off to our room, and we were treated to a tour of the property.
The extra high touch “check-in” was great.
It immediately gives you a sense of place and helps you get your bearings.
We were offered a coconut shiso mocktail as a welcome drink that was just as good as you’d expect it to be.
The main lobby area is known as the Living Room, because well, it used to be the living room to the estate.
It still feels that way, and is where you meet any experts, therapists, or guides for your 1:1 sessions or treatments.
Just sitting in the room and admiring your surroundings never got old here.
There are currently 22 different accommodations including “hotel” rooms in the Estate House and larger casitas and villas nestled among different parts of the property.
Of those, there are 10 rooms in the Estate House. They truly do feel more like private bedrooms in someone’s home, rather than a hotel room in the traditional sense.
There are 4 casitas which are standalone rooms surrounding a beautiful courtyard and spa.
Finally, there are 8 villas that are either 2 or 4 bedrooms each. I imagine these are a big hit for spa retreats with friends, or those looking for as much privacy as possible.
Our Room in the Estate House
We stayed in a Deluxe Estate House room, and it was fantastic.
One of the great things about staying in these rooms which we learned very quickly was just how convenient everything is.
The property is the perfect size. It’s big enough to allow people to spread out so you don’t feel overwhelmed with other guests, but small enough that you can walk to anything very quickly and easily.
Our room was beautiful.
It was very generously sized, and featured the same “Japanese Minimalist” type aesthetic as the rest of the resort.
The king-size bed was very comfortable and on par with the best hotel beds I’ve ever slept on.
I appreciated that it wasn’t too soft. Some 5-star beds can feel amazing when you fall into them, but if they’re too soft, after a couple nights you can feel it.
There’s a Nespresso machine and a small honor bar that’s all well done.
You can tell everything about the room was intentional down to the smallest details.
The door was custom-designed.
All of the hangers were custom-designed to keep clutter to an absolute minimum and add a feeling of space to your closet.
Every room comes with a Japanese toilet, which is a wonderful high-end touch. Even more unique than that, every single toilet I used on property, whether at the pool or the golf course – was also Japanese.
It never gets old when it opens up to welcome you and then has a heated seat for added comfort.
Our room had a wonderful lanai with comfortable seating for 2, and a pond with waterfalls behind some greenery.
The Golf Experience is Unlike Anything Else on this Planet
Before we go too much further into the resort itself, I need to talk about the golf course, considering this is a golf website after all.
No one knows for sure who built the golf course, but the names Tom Weiskopf, Dave Stockton, and Annika Sorenstam have all been mentioned as being involved.
For years, Porcupine Creek was recognized as one of the most exclusive courses in the world. Generally, only presidents, foreign dignitaries, and celebrities would have the honor of teeing it up.
However, even though it’s now open to the public, it’s still one of the most exclusive and unique experiences in all of golf.
Why?
Well for one, it hardly gets any play.
My wife and I were the only ones golfing the day we played.
I expected the course to be cool because of its exclusive nature. I wasn’t prepared for the fact it’s an excellent golf course in its own right.
It will easily make my list of favorite courses I’ve ever played.
I’ve covered the course and playing experience in extreme detail right here. So check that out if you want to see what it’s like to play the most private, public course I’ve ever heard of.
Not All Tennis Courts are Created Equal
Yes, the golf course is something special. But the tennis program at Sensei is just as good.
You see, Mr. Ellison also owns the nearby Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home of the BNP Paribas Tournament.
The 2 hard courts at Sensei are the exact same as the ones the pros play on during the tournament.
And there’s also a clay “Har-tru” court for those looking to perfect their game on an alternate surface.
Like the golf pavilion (clubhouse), the tennis pavilion is stunning. It’s designed to invoke the feeling of being in someone’s home – and they nail that vibe.
I took an hour-long lesson from Director of Tennis Caroline Vis, who was a former top 10 doubles player in the world.
As someone who grew up playing competitive tennis, the lesson was one of the best I ever had. She immediately helped diagnose the problem I was having with my backhand.
For as much as most of us are into golf, if tennis is your thing, you have a lot of options to customize what your experience will look like.
Wellness Packages and Offerings
One of the unique aspects of Sensei Porcupine Creek is that it’s all about wellness.
No, really!
A lot of places say they’re about it, but here they walk the walk.
What does that look like?
Well for starters, there are typically no regular “hotel guests.”
You have to stay for a minimum of two nights, and your stay has to be part of a wellness package.
There are currently 7 to choose from, including:
- Discover Sensei Experience
- Guided Wellness Experience
- Rest and Recovery Program
- Optimal Well Being Program
- Golf Optimal Well Being Program
- Tennis Optimal Well Being Program
We did a 2-night, 3-day Discover Sensei experience.
This was perfect for allowing us to experience all that the resort has to offer, while still being able to customize and personalize the experience based on our unique goals.
For instance, I really wanted to focus on improving my flexibility and working on nutrition.
My wife was more focused on mental well ,being and mindset after a stressful period at work.
After filling out a pre-arrival form, we each received personal itineraries that allowed us to focus on the areas of ourselves that we wanted to work on most.
Every expert we met with, was just that: an expert.
Whether it was yoga, fitness, nutrition, or massage – everyone at Sensei is among the best at what they do.
They were always happy to answer even the most basic of questions, and elaborate with feedback on how it pertains directly to us and our life and personal situation.
Because the retreat is so small, every session we were in felt like a private lesson, which was very cool.
Science and Data
At Sensei you get access to a lot of technology. But the tech that’s there is always used to enhance and inform your experience, rather than overwhelm it.
The tech is very intentional.
With some of the Optimal Well Being programs, they’ll actually send you a Whoop band ahead of your trip. This way you can start wearing it, get some baseline biomarkers, and then they’ll use that data to inform your wellness experience at the retreat.
Classes and Activities
There’s a regular offering of different classes and activities you can choose from while you’re there.
For instance, we did a morning meditation and yoga class, a foam rolling class, a private sound bath experience, and a wall yoga class.
The last two were among the most unique.
Wall Yoga
There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of wall yoga. Well, let me enlighten you.
The setup includes a wall with 6 rows of 3 brackets. You can adjust a stabilizing bar for height among the brackets, but the primary component of wall yoga is a loop harness – that you’ll use in a wide variety of ways during the session.
We started our session by simply resting our head in the harness. By the end, we were doing full-on inversions with our feet on the wall and waist in the harness.
I’m not sure how this isn’t a more popular thing. My wife who generally doesn’t love yoga is ready to build a setup in our home.
It provides a unique way of stretching that’s fun, engaging, and relaxing all at the same time.
Sound Bath
I’d never had a sound bathing experience, so I didn’t know what to expect.
But we entered the room and there was a setup with some unique drums and instruments situated behind two mats with eye masks.
We laid down, got comfortable, and placed the masks over our eyes.
For the next hour, we were taken on a sound journey.
There were times it felt like a meditation lulling you to sleep.
There were other times that felt like you were in the middle of an intense storm – and both resulted in emotional responses I wasn’t quite anticipating.
The wildest part is it seems like the sound is moving all around you, and that the facilitator is moving around the room.
He stayed seated directly behind us the whole time.
I couldn’t necessarily tell you what the direct wellness benefit of this session was, but for me personally, it gave me space to think, ponder, and remove myself from the real world. Which I’ve found to be a difficult thing to do these days.
The Spa
As you might imagine for a retreat like this, a big part of it is the spa and treatment options.
There are numerous offerings with all the things you’d expect: unique massages, facials, and other bodywork offerings.
But this is another area where they leverage technology in specific and useful ways.
I received a “thermographic massage.”
This means they took photos of my entire body using an infrared camera to figure out where I had the most inflammation, asymmetries, and muscle tightness – my therapist Ming then tailored my massage to the areas in my body that needed it most.
Sensei Porcupine Creek doesn’t have a “spa” in the traditional sense.
There are numerous treatment rooms surrounding the pool, but there’s no central spa. So you won’t find a sauna, steam room, or cold plunge.
Although I’ve been told there are plans for these amenities in the future.
The Pool
The pool at Sensei is one of the main attractions of the property.
It’s a large lagoon-like pool, with some beautiful water features surrounding the pool deck.
During our first two days there we never saw another person at the pool while we were there. We had the whole place to ourselves and it was a delight.
However, even if there are other guests, you’ll always be able to find both space and privacy.
The way they put little seating areas up and out of the way is a cool touch. It added a sense of elevation, and gave you plenty of spots to find time alone if you weren’t looking to be social.
At any time you can text the concierge and they’ll come right out to take your food or drink order from the exclusive pool menu.
And no matter what, make sure you get the frozen yuzu grapes – they’re wonderful.
Speaking of dining at Sensei, it’s Nobu. Yes, that Nobu.
There’s only one main restaurant at Sensei and it’s Sensei by Nobu.
Yes, that Nobu.
Even though it’s one main kitchen, there are different dining experiences:
- Sensei by Nobu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Sushi Bar
- Pool Menu
- In Room Dining
- Special Golf and Tennis menus
The primary menus are similar to other Nobu locations, but there are a handful of dishes that have been adjusted or added to have a more healthful focus.
And it’s just for you. There are no outside diners allowed, only Sensei guests.
For us, this led to some of the most memorable culinary experiences we’ve ever had.
What do these memorable experiences look like?
For instance, they’ll bring you food out to the golf course anytime you want.
So I had a “Nobu Breakfast Burrito” and fresh fruit delivered to me on the 3rd hole.
I’d say it was made of “puff pastry” but that wouldn’t be doing it justice. In fact it is, Feuille de Brick dough with kurobuta sausage, scrambled eggs, shiitake mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and aji limo hot sauce
Unique, delicious, and reasonably healthy!
The Sensei by Nobu Omakase
Anytime I travel to places like this, I always want to try as many things as possible to get a complete sense of the offerings.
What better way to do that than an omakase where the chef brings you a coursed out meal of their choosing?
One of the coolest things about Sensei is that because of its small size, you see a lot of the same people throughout your stay.
For instance, Bethany was our server on both nights we were there. On top of learning a bit about her, she took the time to get to know us and our preferences. She talked to the chef and they created a plan for our meal.
Knowing we’d be back to try the Sushi Bar the next night, she made sure that the experience was super dialed and if we missed an essential dish the first night – that we’d get it on the second.
As you can probably guess the food was out of this world.
From signature Nobu yellowtail preparations to a sashimi salad with beautiful vegetables we were taken on a culinary journey that was as memorable as everything else at Sensei.
Perfectly cooked scallops and wonderfully seasoned lamb, were completed by the Banana Soy Toban – one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
The meal was as diverse as it was delicious.
Sushi Bar
The next night we sat in the Sushi Bar which is located directly across the living room from the main restaurant and bar.
We had the whole place to ourselves. So to sit and talk to the two sushi chefs about the food, the recipes, and the property was something very special.
I wasn’t sure they’d be able to top the New Style Uni and King Crab dish, until they brought out A5 Wagyu Miyazaki on a hot stone, followed by the Blue Fin Toro.
The entire experience was decadent, memorable, and obviously, expensive.
But if you’re coming to Sensei Porcupine Creek, you’re not overly concerned about the budget.
Breakfast and Lunch
The breakfast and lunch menus are also cultivated for Sensei by Nobu and were full of healthy and delicious offerings.
I wasn’t totally sure how I felt about the recommendation of the Salmon Burger for lunch, but it ended up being not just one of the best things I ate on the trip, but one of the best things I’ve had in the past year.
It’s a must-order while you’re there.
While at the pool you can order off both the pool menu and the lunch menu, so you’re never short of food options while you’re on property.
How to Stay at Sensei Porcupine Creek
Sensei Porcupine Creek is quickly becoming a very popular retreat, especially in the Winter months, but there are still lots of opportunities for visiting.
During the peak season rooms start at $1,650/night and require a 2-night minimum stay and the selection of one of the wellness packages I mentioned above.
During the off-season which is from May 1st to July 15th, rooms come down to a starting price of $1,000 per night.
The property then closes for 2 months during the peak of Summer.
To play the golf course you’ll need to be a hotel guest, and then the rate is $950 during peak season and $650 in the off-season.
For what it’s worth, we visited in early May and everything was perfect.
We had fantastic weather which never got too hot, and because it was a slower time, there were even fewer guests there than usual.
Final Thoughts on Sensei Porcupine Creek
Obviously there’s a lot of hyperbole I can talk about here.
The decadent meals, the beautiful golf course we had all to ourselves, the luxury “6-star” nature of the entire property.
And I think I’ve sufficiently covered how memorable all of that is.
But that’s not the (main) reason to visit.
It might be the selling point that gets you in the door, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much space I’d be given for reflection.
Even visiting for “work” I was able to make the most out of my sessions from a personal standpoint.
At 39 years old, I’m starting to think about my own healthspan and longevity. I’m considering what changes I need to make to my diet, exercise, daily routines, and habits.
Sensei allowed me to do this in a way no other place has.
Maybe it’s the fact that you’re able to be so free of distractions here.
Maybe it’s the way Sensei is designed to facilitate these thoughtful conversations, reflection, and planning.
Or perhaps it was just because I was in a relaxing place away from my toddler for 3 days.
But whatever the reason, it triggered something in me that has stuck with me ever since I left a few weeks ago.
That’s the magic of Sensei Porcupine Creek.
But all of those world-class experiences that are unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else?
Well, they certainly don’t hurt either.
