1) Quinta Splendida Wellness, Madeira

Madeira, a favourite with nature lovers, is also blooming as a spa destination.  The largest retreat on the island is at this restored quinta (vineyard), a family-run hotel with a botanical garden that's home to more than 1,000 species of plant.  This comprehensive spa offers something for everyone with its greatest hits list of global treatments.  The conventional Swedish massage and cellulite wraps sit alongside the more unusual Pantai Luar massages delivered in an Eastern-inspired glass, wood and stone spa.  There are ten treatment rooms (including one for couples), a sauna, steam room and mud baths, a flotation table and an igloo room with an ice fountain (the brave rub ice crystals on themselves following a session in the heat rooms).  The spa also offers non-invasive treatments including microdermabrasion.  And there are plenty of relaxation areas, including a candlelit den featuring contoured mosaic-tiled loungers.

2) The Dorchester Spa, London

Londoners in the know flock to the beautiful Art Deco spa at The Dorchester for youth-renewing facials and body treatments.  A glamorous boutique spa with nine treatment rooms (two of which are for couples), this is the place to go for a sure-fire beauty boost rather than a full day of spa lounging as there are no thermal facilities.  The bijou Spatisserie is an adorable place to meet a girlfriend for lunch or an afternoon cake, while the men can get a shave and a haircut at the barber shop after their treatment.  The feel is very Golden Age movie star glam – and you’ll come out of your treatment looking every inch the A-lister.

3) Mandarin Oriental Tokyo

With its centuries-long spa history and passion for cutting-edge technology, it’s no surprise Japan is a spa trendsetter.  And Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is the place to discover the future, with its oxygenating therapies and innovative massage techniques.  Thanks to the spa’s position on the hotel’s 36th floor, guests get unbeatable views of the city’s high-rise skyline in the sauna and by the vitality pool. 

4) Ananda in the Himalayas, India

Heal mind and body at one of the world’s best modern Ayurvedic spas, Ananda in the Himalayas. With 2,400 square metres of spa facilities and 80 treatments blending Ayurveda with Western therapies, this destination spa is the place to spend days enjoying  treatments, yoga, meditation, the steam room and lounging by the pool – all surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery.  Time your visit with a Visiting Master for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Don’t miss the Himalayan Experience, using indigenous ingredients such as ginger and rose for a massage, facial, body scrub and body mask. 

5) Como Shambhala at Parrot Cay, Turks And Caicos

Shambhala means 'peace and harmony' in Sanskrit and there aren't many more peaceful places in the Caribbean than Parrot Cay.  The spa has an extensive list of therapies including massage, baths and marine treatments while also offering more active pastimes such as kayaking, nature walks and dolphin watching.

 

Share this article: