Summer means high season in Europe and along the Mediterranean. So where can you go to escape the crowds for some much-needed pampering? Whether you’re looking for post-treatment ocean views, an awesome pool or a spa fronting the beach, here are the region’s top hotel spas.
Best Splurge: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum – Turkey
Spread out over three levels, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum offers eight treatment rooms and two spa suites, (one for VIPs, one for couples), plus outdoor spa cabanas with views of the Aegean Sea. You can even book The Orchid Spa Suite, a spa-designed hotel suite on the top floor, for en-suite massages and your own private sauna, hammam and a panoramic balcony.
Best Pool: GOCO Spa Venice at JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa – Italy
Set on JW Marriott Venice‘s 40-acre private island of Isola delle Rose, GOCO Spa Venice spans 18,837 square feet and is located just a short speedboat ride from the tourist-flocked Piazza San Marco. You’ll want to take a plunge into the hotel spa’s expansive heated indoor vitality pool that extends outdoors through a movable glass wall.
Best Beachfront Spa: Six Senses Spa Marbella at Puente Romano Beach Resort & Spa – Spain
Situated in the Costa del Sol region of Spain, Six Senses Spa Marbella at Puente Romano Beach Resort & Spa provides a charming Andalusian beachfront setting. Reconnect with nature in the spa’s treatment room set under a canopied roof where you can choose from locally inspired options combined with herbs, sea salt and olive oil for a truly Mediterranean experience.
Best Natural Spa: Anazoe Spa at The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino – Greece
Replenish your mind, body and spirit at Anazoe Spa at The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino. The hotel spa‘s name derives from the Greek word for rejuvenation, and it’s best known for its Oleotherapy rituals. These therapeutic olive-oil treatments are based on ancient local practices inscribed on clay tablets that were discovered at the nearby Palace of Nestor. Give your skin a healthy glow with the Traditional Olive Nourishing Facial made with lime blossom, sage and olive leaf.
Best Thermal Area: Revival Spa by Clarins at Hotel Aguas De Ibiza – Spain
The minimalist all-white space of Revival Spa by Clarins at Hotel Aguas De Ibiza creates a tranquil vibe in the party-centric city of Ibiza. Get lost in relaxation amongst the spa’s expansive thermal area complete with three indoor pools, a Finnish sauna, a hammam, an ice fountain and a stimulating walk-through shower circuit.
Best View: Espace Vitalite Chenot at D Maris Bay – Turkey
Located at D Maris Bay, there’s no shortage of beauty at Espace Vitalite Chenot, which is set atop a cliff on the isolated Datça Peninsula in Turkey where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. You’ll want to take a break between treatments and head to the part Vitality/part indoor heated pool to soak up spectacular aerial views of the crystal-clear bay below.
Best Thalassotherapy: The Elounda Spa & Thalassotherapy at Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, Crete – Greece
Blue Palace‘s Elounda Spa specializes in thalassotherapy, a treatment that enhances your health and well-being by infusing the healing properties of the sea. Choose to unwind with the Cyclical Jets Session in the spa’s three thalassotherapy pools, or enjoy a hydro massage with 25 jets of sea water with the Thalasso Revitalizing Bath.
Best Health and Wellness Program: La Reserve Spa Ramatuelle at La Reserve Ramatuelle – France
Preserve your youth and enhance your figure at La Reserve Spa Ramatuelle where you can choose from two better-aging programs based on the anti-aging practices at Nescens Clinique de Genolier in Switzerland. Whether you want to slim down, tone up or simply elevate your overall well-being, these two three- to six-day programs fuse together exercise, spa treatments and balanced meals to provide speedy results.
Best Aromatherapy: Cinq Mondes Spa at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort – Monaco
Enter through a patio set under a sunlit dome where a light mist of refined aromas greets you at Cinq Mondes Spa at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. De-stress with your significant other in the Flower Rain Suite, where you both can soak in a relaxing Japanese flower bath.
Best Ambience: Vair Spa at Borgo Egnazia – Italy
Ambient vibes cater to the contemporary escape of Vair Spa at Borgo Egnazia, featuring creamy limestone walls and serene lighting filled with an array of candles. Reduce all your muscle tensions and increase your blood circulation with the Ancient Roman bath technique of hot and cold rooms in the spa’s Caldarium (hot room), Tepidarium (warm room) and Frigidarium (cold room).
