A facial is nice – but a summer spa break is better. Here are 10 high-end UK destinations to consider next time you want to be pampered.
For Gastronomy: Lime Wood Hotel, New Forest
This five-star New Forest getaway houses the exclusive Italian-influenced restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co, led by Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder, along with an exquisite destination spa, Herb House. Expect an impressive array of bespoke treatments, a blissful herb-filled roof garden, plus a tempting outside hot pool, lined with loungers and olive trees. If you can’t get to Italy, let Italy come to you. From £495 per night. www.limewoodhotel.co.uk
For History: The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath
If you prefer to do as the Romans did (in a more luxurious way), The Gainsborough Bath Spa offers guests exclusive access to the mineral-rich thermal waters of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tempting new spa treatment menu is being introduced for summer, but for the ultimate Roman-style ritual, enjoy blending your own oils in The Aroma Bar, before embarking on a rejuvenating bathing ritual of thermal pools, saunas, ice alcoves and steam. From £233 per night. www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk
For Families: Calcot & Spa, Cotswolds
An award-winning retreat offering a delicious solution to parents’ spa-or-not-to-spa dilemmas, here children can spend mornings enjoying sheep-walking and cookery classes, while tired parents recuperate with a spa treatment or two. The hotel’s outdoor sanctuary, the Recovery Garden, has also just opened, with world-class contrast therapy. Everyone’s boxes will be suitably ticked. From £442 per night. www.calcot.co
For Seclusion: The Reeds at South Lodge Hotel, Sussex
For pamper-seekers looking for total peace and privacy, The Reeds – a collection of luxury lakeside lodges nestled within the stunning grounds of this five-star hotel – make the ultimate destination. Where nature meets luxury, expect floor-to-ceiling windows, alfresco bathtubs, lakeside views and revitalising wild swimming. Selected lodges also feature their own private infrared halotherapy saunas (should you need to relax after all that relaxing). From £1,000 per night. www.exclusive.co.uk/south-lodge
For Spa Days: The Coach House Spa at Beaverbrook, Surrey
No time for an overnight break? This decadent spa offers excellent packages to fast-track your way back to serene. The Spa Day for Two: Time Together package is particularly good, as it includes a knot-busting synchronised 90-minute treatment in a double room, lunch, plus access to the spa’s stunning outdoor and indoor pools and thermal spa. You will feel like you have had a week away. Prices start from £640. www.beaverbrook.co.uk
For Country Chic: The Newt, Somerset
Combining luxury with rural charm, every aspect of this farm and estate is designed to feel connected with the surrounding Somerset countryside. Recently partnering with Claridge’s during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, here you can savour the finest produce the region has to offer, as well as elevated spa treatments and refreshing dips in the lake. For the most indulgent experience, book a barn room at The Farmhouse, which boasts their own private steam pods. Prices start from £1,100 per night. www.thenewtinsomerset.com
For Festival Goers: Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch, London
This hip five-star hotel is offering the perfect package to help you get ready for – or recover from – your rock and roll day to remember. Think a luxurious one-night stay complete with a rooftop breakfast, an in-room revival kit, late check out, plus £55 for each guest to spend in the hotel’s listening space, Hidden Grooves. Book a couple of treatments in the hotel’s exclusive spa and you will feel every inch the rock star. From £339 per night. www.virginhotels.com
For Explorers: The Club Hotel & Spa, Jersey
If you are looking for something more adventurous than a stone massage, this stunning Jersey estate will not disappoint. Plump for the new Blue Mind Reset Package, which offers a brilliantly curated two-night wellness escape with dinner, spa access, hydrating Decléor facial and walking tour of the area’s breathtaking landscapes. You will work up an appetite – which is handy as the hotel is home to Bohemia, Jersey’s only Michelin-starred restaurant. Prices from £336 per person. www.theclubjersey.com
For Hot Tub Suites: Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, New Forest
Want a luxury tree house with its own hot tub? The impossible is possible at this award-winning five-star hotel and spa. Just 10 minutes from the glorious beaches of the South coast, book The Wellness Reset package, which includes an extravagant two-night stay with breakfast, lunch, access to the spa and a 60-minute treatment. You will return to your tree singing like a bird. Prices from £502.50 per night. www.chewtonglen.com
For Cabana Cool: Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa, Surrey
Finally, this season will also see the return of the IIISKIN Cabana Escape at Pennyhill. Including a one-night stay with breakfast and spa access, your experience is elevated with your own private cabana for you to rest in throughout the day – all while sampling a curated selection of IIISKIN’s premium products. It would be rude not to add a Mojito or two. Prices from £685 for two. www.exclusive.co.uk/pennyhill-park
