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Spa Guide

Spa of the Month: Spa by Bakel, Portopiccolo

Have you ever checked in to a super-spa before? I’m a beauty editor and I’m not sure even I have… until I stepped inside the doors of Spa by Bakel in the Italian resort of Portopiccolo.

Factor in a lobster spaghetti lunch in the sun beforehand at the neighbouring Maxi’s Restaurant and it’s exactly as dreamy as it sounds. With 360 panoramic views over the Gulf of Trieste, it’s a destination spa that ticks off every single thing you could ever want on a spa checklist, as well as sensory experiences you didn’t know you wanted – think calidarium, tepidarium, and frigidarium (more on those later).

It’s worth noting Spa by Bakel comes with an entry fee (from €24), but you soon realise why when you step into this spa wonderland. Here’s the lowdown on October’s Spa of the Month, Spa by Bakel at Portopiccolo.

SHOP THE ESSENTIALS

This outdoor-meets-indoor spa requires some Italian chic (and SPF). Here’s our edit for maximum lounging in this Portopiccolo mega-spa.

The Lowdown

Say hello to a spectacular 3,600 square metres of spa bliss. With a postcard view of the Adriatic outside, the lush relaxation gardens and outdoor heated pool mean there’s something for al fresco lovers as well as the usual indoor spa offerings. Allow enough time for an in-depth spa circuit to try everything out or risk getting severe spa FOMO. You can pad around in your fluffy spa robe between salt cave, Kneipp path, bio sauna, Finnish sauna and emotional showers. The hot and cold zone features a Goldilocks-style hammam that has it all – calidarium (as hot as you can handle), frigidarium (cold plunge, if you dare) and tepidarium (somewhere in-between).

THE VIBE

As well as being vast (did we mention that already?), Spa by Bakel is every modern minimalist’s spa of dreams. The combination of floor to ceiling windows and white Karst stone that’s the foundation for every space means that the spa is flooded with natural daylight that leaves you feeling rejuvenated before you’ve even stepped into a treatment room. If you are having a treatment, the VIP-esque waiting lounge is more like a luxury James Bond apartment. Think super-low couches floating on (more) white stone, elevated sea views, and the best selection of coffee table books I think I’ve ever seen in one place.

THE SIGNATURE

Every treatment has been devised by Bakel – no standard spa menu here; many of the unique, signature treatments are inspired by the surrounding Fruili region. There’s the more invigorating Bora wind-inspired treatments, the relaxing Miramare list, and the detoxifying Falesia cliff line-up. The extensive signature treatment menu is worth swotting up on ahead of your spa visit. I tried the Bora Detox Body Massage (available in 50 or 80 minutes) with specific movements to help stimulate sluggish microcirculation and oxygenate skin. After a delayed flight, I walked out of the treatment room feeling de-puffed and revitalised. If you’re a serious facial junkie, Bakel founder Dr. Rafaella Gregoris has created a curated skin scanning programme to test the level of elasticity, sebum and skin damage on your face so you get a more bespoke, tailored experience.

THE BEAUTY KIT

Unsurprisingly, the spa is exclusively packed with Italian brand Bakel – for face, for body, for SPF, for everything. The so-cool-we-want-to-live-in-it waiting lounge also has a Calé Fragranze d’Autore set-up where you can spritz luxury fragrances as you listen to corresponding music on headphones – an inventive way to zone out before a treatment.

THE EXTRAS

Why have one spa when you can have two? It’s our new philosophy in life. Spa by Bakel is slick and gargantuan with every spa experience you could ever want, but what about if you’re craving something more intimate? Guests of Falisia, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa – the sole hotel on Portopiccolo – have access to their own secret(ish) spa, Barro. Dark, moody and tranquil with a relaxation zone that has a hypnotising glass fire centrepiece, it’s the antithesis of Spa by Bakel and well worth setting time aside during your stay to chill out. Another major plus: the chic changing rooms are packed with Acqua di Parma products.

CF SPA TIP

Want your spa-ing to come with complete and utter privacy? Ask about the Spa by Bakel’s Panoramic Private Spa – so secret we didn’t even get a peek because it was occupied. Inside, exclusive experiences include a sensory attenuation tank, chic sauna with glass walls and outside solarium where you an watch the sunset if you time it right. It’s the spa equivalent of having your own ‘do not disturb’ sign hanging on the door.

THE BEAUTY KIT

Unsurprisingly, the spa is exclusively packed with Italian brand Bakel – for face, for body, for SPF, for everything. The so-cool-we-want-to-live-in-it waiting lounge also has a Calé Fragranze d’Autore set-up where you can spritz luxury fragrances as you listen to corresponding music on headphones – an inventive way to zone out before a treatment.

NEED TO KNOW

Entrance to Spa by Bakel is from €24. Spa treatments start from €60 for 25 minutes.

Classic rooms at Falisia, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa start from €250
Website: www.portopiccolosistiana.it/en

Tel: +39 040 997 4444
To book Spa by Bakel visit https://www.portopiccolosistiana.it/en/spa-by-bakel/

See more of our CF spa favourites here

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