February is the month of love, and love is what originally brought Kathy Quast, co-owner of Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort and Baths at Roman Spa, to Calistoga. After meeting her husband Michael at graduate school in St. Louis and spending two cold, windy years in Chicago, Kathy and Michael (whose parents founded the resort in 1975) came to Calistoga in 1990 to help with the family business. Taking over the operations completely in 2008, the Quast’s currently employ 19 people at the hotel and 15 at the Baths.
Kathy, the CFO, COO and GM (!), loves Calistoga for its small town feel and vibe. “We are unpretentious, friendly, and of course have something none of the other towns can claim- healing, soothing, relaxing, geothermal water,” she told Visit Calistoga. We asked Kathy about her personal approach to wellness and learned she starts her days with core strengthening exercises and light weights, along with stretching. She and Michael also love to golf, choosing to walk the course instead of drive.
Sustainability is top of mind in Calistoga and Roman Spa is a leader in the category with the use and reuse of water, which includes reducing water consumption at the property and in the laundry. Guest rooms have low-flow toilets and showers and the resort encourages reuse of towels. Roman Spa eliminated daily sheet changing long before COVID. They sort and recycle bottles and cans for the entire hotel and are working toward less single-use products for guest amenities. All initiatives that please Mother Earth!
While Kathy’s toes have been in the hot springs waters for some time now, she did share that prior to arriving in Calistoga, she worked as an oncology clinical research nurse for close to 20 years, and was involved in cutting- edge research for a variety of cancers at major research institutions. On top of that, Kathy has several publications in scientific and academic journals. “I was always strong willed, never gave up, rose to every occasion, wouldn’t let people pigeonhole me into a role or job which made me look at all angles”, Kathy told us about her younger self. Some 40 years later, she lives by the same principles; “Remain flexible, change your middle name to tenacity, keep smiling, laugh often, continue being fearless, always stay humble, and treat others with the respect they deserve.”
Kathy is a wonderful ambassador for Calistoga, sharing “We are a truly unique town in this Valley. We are the guardians of the precious, healing, revitalizing geothermal waters, known the world over and must be preserved for now and future generations to enjoy and reap the benefits.” She continued, “First time visitors tell me that Calistoga is the Napa Valley they were searching for. Loyal, long-time guests tell me that Calistoga is the only place they would consider in the Valley to soak, heal, relax, and take spa treatments. I can’t think of a better compliment for this town, and I am so grateful to be a part of not only its history, but for its future.” This is Kathy Quast and This is Calistoga.
This is Calistoga is our blog series profiling our members, their stories and life in Calistoga. Check in regularly and follow along.