The resort and spa were originally developed by San Francisco advertising executive Len D. Owens who began development of the resort in 1891 after he purchased the property for $35,000 in the 1870s and quickly became a popular summertime destination for vacationers from San Francisco and Hollywood.

In 1966 Ronald Reagan announced his intention to run for the office of Governor of California in the dining hall at the resort.

The resort again sold in 1976 to New Educational Development Systems, a nonprofit corporation associated with the Unification Church.

[11] In 2023, it was announced that the resort will be restored as Six Senses Napa Valley, with a reopening set for 2026.

[12] Aetna Springs is the locale of Frances Marion's Valley People, a book of short stories published in 1935.