Travelers are rediscovering one of Southern California's oldest and most prized destinations, the Jacumba Hot Springs.

Jacumba Hot Springs

Jacumba Hot Springs, a small town located east of San Diego near the southern border, has undergone significant revitalization after decades of decline. Originally a retreat for Hollywood stars in the 1920s, the town saw its fortunes wane following the closure of the railroad and the construction of a bypassing interstate. 

Recent investment led by Jeff Osborne and Melissa Strukel has transformed the town's historic hotel and restored a neglected lake, bringing both economic and ecological renewal. The hotel now caters to wellness seekers and has earned recognition from Travel and Leisure magazine. Community events, new job opportunities, and a focus on preserving local history have contributed to a renewed sense of optimism among residents and visitors alike.

Discover California's Jacumba Hot Springs

In a little-known corner of California, travelers seeking escape are rediscovering an old hideaway. About 75 miles east of San Diego, on historic Route 80, just feet from the southern border, is the tiny town of Hakuba Hot Springs. This town was built in the 20s during kind of the heyday of film in Hollywood. It was a getaway for the movie stars that were in Los Angeles. By the middle of the last century, the railroad had closed and the new interstate bypassed the town. Hakuba Hot Springs' purpose had all but vanished. We really focus on handcrafted materials. But in 2020, investor Jeff Osborne was looking for a real estate adventure when he got the call from his friend Melissa Strukel. My business partner, Melissa, called me and said, you know, I think I found something. And she had actually crawled over the walls here when it was closed during COVID and discovered this entire town. So what was here? What was here was a motel. It was kind of like it is now. It did not look like it does look now, but it was open. Today they've completely overhauled the 20-room hotel for a new generation of wellness seekers looking to unplug and soak. The water here is very special. People have been coming here just for the water at least 100 years. What makes the waters here so special? Our water's uniquely alkaline. It also has sulfur. And that's actually one of the most proven beneficial minerals to soak in for pain and inflammation. The feel of the water is one of our most unique qualities. And I think if you get to soak in the water, you'll notice it. The renovation even earned it a coveted spot on Travel and Leisure magazine's 100 Best New Hotels of 2025 list. With their design and investment backgrounds, they had the tools to remake the hotel into something magical. Osborne and his partners didn't stop here. Outside the walls of the hotel, they'd realized they'd bought what felt like half the town. Well, we weren't actually sure when we made the offer, but we knew it was most of the commercial buildings and then there's a lake that at the time had kind of been left for almost a dump. It was just kind of mud with mattresses and tires and things like that. We brought in some experts. We even brought in Native American elders. And we got guidance on how to restore this lake the right way. Redeveloping a lake. That's a new one. Yeah. So not only have you brought economic revitalization, you're also restoring the environment, the ecology here. Yeah. This project has been probably one of the most rewarding in that way. It's brought back incredible amounts of wildlife. This has actually become an oasis in the desert. This is awesome. Yeah. So it's been a huge addition to the town and not just for the plants, even the kids. Nothing is far in Hakuba. A few minutes away from the thriving lake, the next project awaits. All of these buildings here came with the original ownership of the town. We're looking for artisans and people to come move to Hakuba and we're looking for people that make what they sell and they want to be a part of the community. The hotel and the hot springs themselves are the heartbeat. Now that we're rolling, we will move into this project, which is kind of what we call downtown. I spotted a lot of characters in town. Yeah, that's Coyote. He's our local UFO repairman. Yeah, literally. Yeah, I would imagine a place like this, you know, historically it's been a place for people to kind of get away from civilization. You probably have a lot of those interesting people here. I think the people here are just as interesting as the town. And so what's this here? This is the old bathhouse. So this is a ruin. This was burned down in the late seventies. And originally this was a kind of a, you know, a building of healing. Raised by Osborne and his partners, community events bring new life and connections like weekly art shows, concerts and markets next to the old bathhouse. Longtime residents welcome the revitalization that the project has helped spark, including an increase from 15 employees to 65. It's an awesome time for the community. There hasn't been a lot of jobs in the past up here. And with the revamp and the renovations that they've done at the hotel, there's been a lot of jobs created. I'm very pleased to see that there's more opportunity for our youth. Hacomba is such a, it's such a unique place. Paula Wizenet, the town's last postmaster, has lived here since 1975. She's seen attempts at revival before. The hotel has gone through probably the best significant transformation. They've been very respectful and kind to preserving history and anything of the town. I was about to leave and go leave, sell everything, leave from Poland, but now I'm a permanent resident. We're building a home now. Longtime resident Roman Raj runs a glider club in Hacomba and offers the growing number of visitors to the town a different kind of escape. Go, go, go, go. Oh! Oh, no! No engines. Just the wind. Oh, my God. But back on the ground, it was time to unwind and unplug. When you sit in a mineral spring and soak, there's no cell phones. So, this is people connecting and looking at each other in the eyes and being humans. For most guests, the draw remains the same as it was nearly a century ago. These healing waters and a chance to slow down. Most of the people that come to the Hacomba, they don't know what's going on. Most of the people that have been here a very long time tell us about the old days. These fond memories that they didn't get anymore because the town had kind of lost its way. And so, most of the people now are just like, finally, we think it could come back. We think there's a chance now.

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