The formula for a first-class spa hotel is simple enough: bespoke treatments plus boutique brands and somewhere warm and bubbly to soak in. Add a stellar setting – say, a rural retreat or buzzy urban centre – and you’ve got the equation for total relaxation.
The best luxury spa breaks in the UK have taken this blueprint and run with it, masterminding signature wellness bells and whistles. It might be botanicals hand-picked in historic gardens, or salads and smoothies zhuzhed up by a superstar chef. From holistic healing in the home counties to subterranean sanctuaries in the heart of London, here’s our pick of the best luxury spa hotels in the UK.
CLIVEDEN
Berkshire
Perhaps if Sixties war minister John Profumo and model Christine Keeler had stuck to self care at luxury UK hotel Cliveden, rather than flirting by the pool, one of Britain’s stickier political patches could have been avoided. But, while this neoclassical country pile is as seductive as ever, these days temptation comes in the form of grand Italianate architecture, decadent seasonal fine-dining, champagne cocktails in the firelight of the grand hall, and a bubble bath à deux in your antique-strewn suite. And things take a Wind in the Willows-worthy turn out on the estate, where you’ll find walled gardens, rambling trails, tennis and squash courts, and rowing boats to take out on the river.
And just try emerging anything less than squeaky clean and chamomile-scented from the super-size spa, where there are hot tubs, a Jacuzzi, sauna, aromatherapy steam room, and indoor and outdoor pools. Treatments all kick off with a foot-bathing ritual while your therapist susses out a bespoke plan; options include nutrient-packed facials and full-body scrubs with the hotel’s own botanical products. Plus, there’s a beauty salon for manis, pedis and hair-styling, just in case you’re planning any pap-worthy antics…
COWORTH PARK
Berkshire
Set on hundreds of acres of Berkshire countryside and home to a high-achieving polo club, healthful country pursuits are a big deal at Dorchester stablemate Coworth Park. But if you bridle at the idea of breaking a sweat on your country break, trot straight down to the hotel’s eco-conscious spa. Skincare superstar brands including Valmont, Ishga and Germaine de Capuccini take the reins for a range of signature facials; and soothing massages make use of techniques from Thailand, Bali and Sweden – and Scotland, with one immersive treatment soundtracked by the susurrus of the sea and traditional Hebridean music (more harp-based than bagpipes). Chilled-out underwater tunes in the pool and a flower-filled sun terrace up the feel-good factor further. Wrap things up with afternoon tea at the on-site pâtisserie, and you’ll be firmly back in the self-care saddle.
HECKFIELD PLACE
Hampshire
If that weekly screen-time report is getting longer than you’d like, whisk yourself off to Heckfield Place in Hampshire. Tucked away in the estate’s wildflower-scented walled garden, the Bothy Spa is strictly phone-free, with guests instead invited to dial into a more mindful pace of life. Time-tested botanicals form the basis of the spa’s own Wildsmith skincare range – named after the 19th-century horticulturist who planted Heckfield’s historic arboretum. Place yourself in the expert practitioners’ hands for bespoke massages and botanical facials, or book in for the alternative R ’n’ R: reiki and reflexology. Alfresco forays include lake bathing and walks in the forest with stops for guided meditation.
Keeping the soothing sylvan feel indoors, the sauna and lap pool both have estate-spying views. And the spa restaurant’s menu, packed with goodies fresh from the market garden, has been masterminded by chef Skye Gyngell of Petersham Nurseries fame.
LIME WOOD
Hampshire
With ancient oaks, foraging pigs and free-roaming ponies, the New Forest is the place to be for a pastoral pick-me-up. Luxury country-house hotel Lime Wood might keep its extensive lawns immaculate, but at the Herb House spa, Mother Nature runs riot. Treatments spotlight boutique British makers (mainly Bamford, Voya and Ground Wellbeing), which all share an emphasis on Earth-powered products. Choose from ancient peat rituals, geranium-scented massages and organic seaweed wraps to get you glowing all over, plus LED-enhanced facials from skin-whisperer Sarah Chapman.
There’s also a sauna, hydropool, alfresco hot tub, and indoor ozone-treated lap pool. Throw in hotel rooms dressed in elegant style by design ace Susie Atkinson, landscaped acres and a restaurant helmed by star chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder, and wild horses – or even a few tenacious ponies – couldn’t drag us away.
CHEWTON GLEN
Hampshire
Chances are, if you’re a luxury-hotel head, you’ll already know the name Chewton Glen. The five-star New Forest stay is no stranger to lists of best spa hotels in the UK. Superb service, celebrated dining and a stroll-from-the-sea setting have made the hotel a perennial hit. At the spa, the secret to success lies in pairing cutting-edge tech with nutrient-packed products. After one of Oskia’s futuristic facials, fine lines won’t know what’s hit them; tailored aromatherapy massages see off any lingering tension; and CBD rituals from OTO’s ethically sourced range successfully hit snooze. Oh, and juniors can join in with a menu of kid-friendly treatments.
Further stress-busting comes by way of saunas, steam rooms and a super-size hydrotherapy pool. And there are heated indoor and outdoor swimming spots, too (plus bars beside them to supply smoothies mid-soak).
THE LONDONER
London
Bright lights, mic’d up buskers and the enigma of the M&M store’s ongoing popularity: on the surface, Leicester Square isn’t all that serene. But underground at luxury city-centre stay the Londoner, the tube’s rumble and screech is swapped for the gentle hum of a hot tub. The hotel’s subterranean spa has a pool lined with cocoon-like cabanas – yours to book for hours at a time – plus a hydropool, steam room and sauna.
A salon and barber (the latter with science-backed Gentlemen’s Tonic treatments) preps everyone for big nights out. But, if you succumb to CBD scrub-downs and Ayurvedic hibernation rituals, a quieter evening might be on the cards. Ache-banishing massages use handmade oils and balms, courtesy of organic Cotswolds-based brand Ila; facials are formulated by Omorovicza; and Ishga’s organic body treatments harness the healing properties of hand-harvested Hebridean seaweed (if you can say that three times fast, you’ve earned a flute of post-pampering fizz in the hotel’s champagne lounge).
KING STREET TOWNHOUSE
Manchester
When it comes to all-stops-pulled pampering, King Street Townhouse is the toast of Manchester. A spa with a champagne lounge and dedicated sweet-treat menu is the icing on top of this city-centre layer-cake. But it’s not all sweetness and light – there’s substance too. Holistic heroes Espa provide most of the treatments, and the massages making use of rose quartz, salt stones and heady essential oils are especially soothing. The spa’s very serious about skincare, too, with exclusive Perricone MD treatments and Hydrafacial working medical-grade dermatological magic.
There’s also a sauna, steam room and healing salt cave, and landmark-studded views beckon from the rooftop pool (the Victorian town hall is just opposite). Press the button for bubbles and settle in for a spot of sightseeing (and maybe make use of the savvily placed phone to summon up some bubbles of a different kind…).
ESTELLE MANOR
Oxfordshire
There aren’t many real-world stresses that the chocolate-box charms of the Cotswolds can’t fix. But if rolling hills and honey-hued villages alone won’t cut it, check in to Estelle Manor for a full-blown Oxfordshire detox. The hotel’s (very soon to open) 3,000-square-metre Roman-inspired spa has all the classics: saunas, couples’ suites and five (count ’em) swimming pools. The centrepiece is the tepidarium bathing hall, a triumph of classical good looks – we’re talking colonnades, carved marble and a high skylight ceiling. All you need do is sit back and soak in time-tested style.
There’s also a gym with the latest tech, a yoga studio and full roster of classes, should you feel like stirring, plus bespoke treatments to further take the edge off after guided biking or hiking through the local countryside. And on the less healthful side of things, the panelled, chandelier-strung bar is all set for an amphora’s worth of wine (or, you know, a bottle). If you weren’t preoccupied with the Roman Empire before your stay, you’ll certainly have an obsession by check-out.
BEAVERBROOK
Surrey
When big-city burn-out looms on the horizon, there’s only one thing for it – run for the hills. The Surrey ones, that is, where a holistic, head-to-toe reboot awaits, just a hop from the capital, at Beaverbrook’s Coach House Spa. There’s an all-star team of naturopaths, osteopaths, reflexologists, and massage therapists to tackle all manner of wellness woes with tailored treatments. High-tech offerings include an oxygen-boosting chamber and Nadclinic IV vitamin infusions. And, if that all sounds a bit space-age, opt for an AS Apothecary facial infused with hand-picked Sussex roses.
The spa has its dreamy design down to a science, too. A hammam-style thermal zone – with a spacious steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi, and ice fountain – harnesses sunlight to keep things steamy. In the half-Olympic-size pool, clever insets create the look of cornflowers scattered on the surface; and contemporary artist Brian Clarke was enlisted to craft the spa’s technicolour stained-glass ceilings, so when the sun streams in you’ll be soaking and swimming in cathedral-like light – amen to that.
COWLEY MANOR EXPERIMENTAL
The Cotswolds
Cowley Manor Experimental – a venerable country pad given a po-mo makeover by the Experimental Group and designer Dorothée Meilichzon – is folded in the leafy glades of the Cotswolds. But in its C-Side Spa (no, the sea actually starts just beyond Gloucester), you’ll feel as though you’ve been whisked off to the Caribbean, or at the least been given a Bounty bar, with treatments such as lime and shea-butter body wraps, and coconut-infused rituals.
With indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, steam room and relaxation space – plus soothing woodland views – it automatically switches your holiday mode on. Soft hands and hot stones work out your knots, collagen plumps, peels smooth and facials leave you radiant. And, the gardens are replete with trickling fountains, creature-featuring stonework and manicured greenery that rolls on and on, allowing for forest-bathing and alfresco bootcamps, and providing a serene backdrop to Pilates workouts in the garden room.
And, for more R ‘n’ aaaah, both in the UK and further afield, check out our pick of the best spa hotels in Europe or see our full collection.