Discover the very best spas in the world, according to Citizen Femme’s ultimate round-up.
Whether you’re planning a restorative wellness retreat, a luxury spa break or simply curious about the world’s best spas to add to your travel bucket list, these extraordinary destinations go far beyond traditional treatments.
From Europe and Asia to the Middle East and beyond, discover our edit of the best spas in the world. You can expect beautiful locations, innovative therapies, ancient healing rituals, exceptional facilities, and immersive wellness programmes designed to leave you feeling truly restored…
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NORTH AMERICA
QC Spa, New York
Where: New York
Best for: A breathtaking backdrop
Why: Recommended by Courtney Griffiths, our head of community & experiences, after she visited for her birthday, QC Spa allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps with ease. In fact, you are physically cocooned away from New York, taking a short ferry ride over to Governors Island, which already makes the experience feel special. Once you arrive, it’s easy to forget you’re just minutes from Manhattan, too. Known for its thermal experiences, including saunas, steam rooms and scent rooms, there are also more unusual offerings, such as the music room, and dreamy water bed room, highlighting the deeper understanding that different people need different environments to unfurl tension from their bodies. What we love most is that the whole concept is about encouraging you to linger in relaxation for just a bit longer (rather than simply dropping in for a quick massage), helping your body slowly and more effectively unwind. A standout feature, though, is the pools, which make taking a tourist snap with the iconic city skyline behind you almost irresistible.
Top Tip: Go during the week if you can to skip the tourist crowds. It’s also a wonderful place during fashion week to rest and unwind.
Appellation Healdsburg’s Terroir Spa
Where: California
Best for: Vinotherapy on tap
Why: The best thing about Appellation Healdsburg’s Terroir Spa is how highly personalised all the treatments are, while also utilising the very best that the local environment has to offer — this is wine country after all! Drawing on locally sourced botanicals, seasonal ingredients, and holistic rituals that reflect the region’s vineyards and orchards, every experience is designed as a sensory journey of restoration, incorporating grounding elements such as aromatherapy inhalation, sound bowl resonance, heated weighted packs, and a complimentary foot bath ritual with magnesium salts and herbs. That means even the busiest minds will find it easy to unwind here, especially if you choose to linger in the spa’s Serenity Pool and jacuzzi, which allow for quiet relaxation in the beautiful surroundings. Then, to ensure you truly manage to drink it all in, beyond the spa, guests can further embrace wine country wellness with weekly Yoga Flow classes, guided meditation and sound bath sessions, plus some peaceful afternoons spent beside the resort’s other two pools.
Top Tip: Don’t miss the spa’s unique alternative to a nightcap. The ‘Wine Down’ is an after-hours ritual that invites guests to soak their feet, enjoy a light massage and unwind under cosy blankets with a glass of wine as the perfect ending to a relaxing day!
Aman New York
Where: New York
Best for: Members’ club luxury
Why: Aman New York has created something of a contradiction: a vast wellness sanctuary that feels completely removed from the hectic Big Apple outside. In fact, the buzz of the city disappears instantly when you walk through the doors, so much so that you’ll find yourself deeply exhaling as soon as you step inside. Occupying three floors of the Crown Building, this is a spa on a grand scale, with thermal facilities, treatment rooms and a statement lounger-decked 20-metre indoor pool that you won’t want to get out of. The whole experience is unmistakably Aman – serene, discreet and considered down to the very last detail – but what makes the spa particularly memorable is the degree of privacy you can achieve while relaxing here. Instead of sharing facilities with other guests (which can leave some spas feeling rather crowded), Aman also has two Spa Houses, which offer a choice between a Russian-inspired traditional wood-clad Banya and a marble hammam, each with a double treatment room, a living area with a fireplace and a private terrace with a hot bath and cold plunge. That quality of finish extends to the gym too, which has all the latest equipment to entice even reluctant fitness-phobes to lace up their trainers.
Top Tip: Take the time to explore the whole treatment menu, which is impressively varied, offering everything from Aman’s signature massage and facial therapies to cryotherapy, infrared treatments and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Bardessono Hotel & Spa, Napa, California
Where: California
Best for: Spa pampering with sustainability in mind
Why: Sustainability isn’t always the first thing we consider when we go to book a spa day, but Bardessono is a testament to the fact that an environmental focus can supercharge innovation. Recognised for excellence in both sustainability and hospitality, Bardessono was the first California hotel to be presented with a LEED Platinum certification for environmental stewardship, and this award is joined in the trophy cabinet by those celebrating its status as one of the top spas in the world. What particularly makes it stand out is that each treatment room is really more like a mini spa, providing guests with a private space, complete with their own spa butler, where they can relax, bathe, and enjoy customisable treatments in complete privacy, with rituals celebrated for using gentle, natural products, including some ingredients hand-picked from the Bardessono certified-organic garden. Despite being incredibly nurturing, these treatments can also get you some instant results (perfect if your spa day falls before a big event like a wedding), especially if you book a body firming lymphatic drainage massage or signature ‘liquid lift’ facial. Plus, if you are looking for a spa day with your girlfriends, you won’t be disappointed. The rooftop heated swimming pool acts like a social hub, so you can relax together before and after your treatments.
Top Tip: Your four-legged friend can even join in with the pampering! The spa has its own ‘Paws & Reflect’ treatment designed with pup relaxation in mind, courtesy of a new partnership with PEMF mat specialist HigherDose.
EUROPE
Aki Plose, Italy
Where: Northern Italy
Best for: Spa days with kids
Why: For proof that spas can be pampering places even with your kids in tow, our fashion features director Ella Alexander recommends Aki Plose, a luxury family resort in the Italian Dolomites. “Aki’s USP is that it caters to parents as much as it does children, and its wellness offering was a very clear example. Behind the modernist property itself, the spa stands as a series of wooden chalets in the middle of the woods. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out over towering trees and the mountain range beyond, and the wait area alone is enough to make your shoulders drop. I had a deep-tissue massage, and it nearly soothed me to sleep. Afterwards, guests are invited to sit on the deck where they can have a hot drink while taking in the bucolic views. A sauna and an outdoor lounge pool offer the same skyline. I also really enjoyed the yoga class, in which the bi-fold doors opened up so it truly felt as if I was doing my downward dog in the middle of an ancient woodland. There was no need for music; the sound of the birds singing out into the morning stole the show. True bliss.”
Top Tip: Give yourself enough time during your stay to enjoy both the water slides and pools with your little ones, and the luxurious adult-only spa hidden away in the treetops.
AIRE Spa, London
Where: London
Best for: Romantic relaxation
Why: One of our wellness director Becki Murray’s favourite London spas, this is also one of the capital’s most romantic spa settings, due to the low lighting, champagne as you bathe and gentle soothing music that cocoons you away from the pace of Covent Garden just outside its doors. (In fact, it’s so great for couples that Becki actually took her boyfriend here on an early date). At the centre of the experience is Aire’s signature hydrothermal circuit, which features seven thermal baths including the Flotarium salt bath, eucalyptus steam room and Frigidarium. It’s amazing just how quickly time passes as you dip in and out of all the waters, although you should definitely make sure to squeeze in a massage too. The therapists are particular experts in easing away tension gently; so much so that many guests tend to admit to falling asleep almost as soon as the warm oil is poured across their tight muscles. Best of all, the Aire experience isn’t just in London. The thermal bathing experience is also available in historic buildings across Europe and North America, including Barcelona, New York and soon-to-be Los Angeles.
Top Tip: If you are looking for a truly unique treatment, book the Signature Wine Experience, which involves 45 minutes spent soaking in a private wine bath with a glass of wine and a selection of cheeses, followed by a full face and body massage.
Clinique la Prairie, Switzerland
Where: Switzerland
Best for: Trying a detox retreat for the first time
Why: There is a reason that guests return to Clinique La Prairie again and again. In fact, when our beauty director last went, one visitor was already on her 17th visit! But that’s not to say it isn’t incredible for first-timers too. Despite being a rather futuristic longevity clinic (with all the cutting-edge technologies to prove it), you never feel like you have checked into a hospital or signed up for a week of deprivation. Instead, the experience is closer to having your entire life gently reset, with excellent food, pampering treatments and a beautiful room thrown in too, so that you emerge feeling a little bit lighter, not just on the scale but in terms of stress and tension. Your stay begins with thorough medical testing (which is less daunting than it sounds), followed by a bespoke five-night programme tailored around four pillars: Medical Insight, Nutrition, Movement and Wellbeing. You can still enjoy three meals a day, despite the detox focus, with tasty gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free dishes that feel far removed from typical health retreat fare. Plus, when you aren’t in the dining room, you’ll find yourself kept very busy with personal training, yoga and breathwork experiences, plus spa treatments, including a detox facial, body scrub and wrap, signature massages, cryotherapy and infrared therapy. It’s detoxing made enjoyable.
Top Tip: To avoid going ‘cold turkey’, it is wise to cut down a little on your caffeine and sugar consumption pre-stay to avoid headaches and severe cravings.
Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda
Where: Lake Garda, Italy
Best for: Breadth of facilities
Why: If you aren’t quite sure what you want to experience at your next spa visit, book a trip to Lefay Resort & Spa – it probably has everything you could think of, and more. You can spend your whole day here and never get bored, not least because the huge 4,300-square-metre wellness complex includes both indoor and outdoor heated pools, a thalassotherapy (seawater) pool, whirlpools and seven different types of sauna, alongside relaxation areas designed for lingering between treatments. There’s an adults-only area if you want to ensure guaranteed peace, with a beautiful panoramic Finnish sauna and whirlpool. Inside the treatment rooms, Lefay is just as impressive. The spa has become particularly well-known for offering therapies that combine Western techniques with Traditional Chinese Medicine, working with meridians and energy points alongside massage and bodywork. There are also programmes specifically dedicated to sleep, stress, detox, fitness and longevity, as well as acupuncture, physiotherapy, osteopathy and cryotherapy, meaning you won’t just be relaxed after your treatment, you’ll feel reset to better deal with stress. The only real worry is what on this packed treatment menu to choose.
Top Tip: Lefay doesn’t just provide great massages – at the Lefay Spa Academy, you can learn how to give them too. The unique training course is great for anyone wanting to start their journey in spa therapy.
ASIA
Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
Where: Maldives
Best for: A one-of-a-kind location
Why: There are so many exceptional spas in the Maldives, but if you are looking for a particularly once-in-a-lifetime experience, Huvafen Fushi is home to the world’s only true underwater spa, which means it firmly earns its place on this best of the best spas list. What that means is that the treatment rooms are cocooned beneath the lagoon, where walls of glass reveal a kaleidoscope of reef life drifting past as you lie back on the massage table. You’ll want to keep your eyes open at first to drink it all in, but soon your surreal yet soothing surroundings will have you surrender, deepening the relaxation of the already brilliant facials and massages on offer. In fact, every spa therapist at Huvafen has undergone intensive training with acclaimed massage expert Beata Aleksandrowicz, so the treatments alone could make this spa top of the class. The location just makes it even more exceptional – and that includes above the water too. In particular, there is an overwater relaxation area where you can continue to take in the surrounding ocean, and even a saltwater flotation pool so you can experience almost true weightlessness, plus a steam room, sauna and meditation pavilion, which all mean you’ll never want to leave.
Top Tip: Not sure which treatment to try? The Synchronised Four Hands Massage Underwater is a speciality for a reason. Two spa therapists move in complete synchronicity, with long, fluid massage movements that dissolve tension almost instantly.
Ananda in the Himalayas
Where: India
Best for: Bespoke Ayurvedic programmes
Why: You will never have the same stay twice at Ananda in the Himalayas, and that is exactly the magic of the place. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, this retreat is a complete wellness reset, bringing together Ayurveda, yoga, Vedanta and Traditional Chinese Medicine in an exceptionally serene setting. Its greatest strength is its highly personalised approach, which is designed to help guests not only unwind, but also address more complex concerns, from the effects of grief to longer-term health issues. Instead of choosing treatments from a rigid menu, guests benefit from a bespoke programme shaped around their individual needs and wellbeing goals, informed by an in-depth consultation. Highlights include traditional Ayurvedic therapies such as Abhyanga, a full-body oil massage, and shirodhara, in which warm oil is gently poured over the forehead, alongside herbal treatments designed to detoxify and restore balance. Leading TCM practitioners are also available for targeted acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion, with reflexology, facials, body scrubs and massages, ensuring there’s plenty of opportunities to feel pampered from head-to-toe. The holistic approach even continues beyond the treatment rooms, with daily yoga and meditation, guided breathing practices and carefully structured routines all encouraging guests to slow down and reconnect with both their bodies and minds.
Top Tip: Go hungry! The cuisine is thoughtfully considered at Ananda too, with Ayurvedic principles informing beautifully prepared meals designed to support balance and digestion.
Bawah Reserve, Indonesia
Where: Riau Archipelago
Best for: Honeymoon exclusivity
Why: It’s very rare indeed that spa treatments are included in your hotel’s all-inclusive package, but at Bawah Reserve, they are. In fact, most excitingly, you get to enjoy a treatment every day of your stay! That alone should have you floating out of the resort in a cloud of relaxation, but you’ll actually start to feel your shoulders unfurl even before you set foot in one of the breathtaking spas – yes, there are two of them. That’s because Bawah feels so wonderfully removed from the real world. Accessible only by private seaplane and scattered across six tropical islands between Malaysia and Borneo, there’s a real sense of being surrounded by nature, plus there are only 36 suites and bungalows in total. That makes it such a unique and private place to switch off; honeymooners take note. Both spas embrace that rooted-in-nature approach too, with the main Aura Spa surrounded by jungle, and the Hill Spa offering incredible views in a more secluded setting. Wherever you choose, expect traditional massages and body-perfecting sea salt scrubs as specialities, alongside a full roster of daily yoga, meditation and movement classes either in the air-conditioned gym or the open-air studio overlooking the crystal-clear lagoon. Don’t go home without trying the newest bookable highlight of the resort, either. Aura Sanctuary now brings the contrast therapy trend to Indonesia, with a hot-and-cold circuit, involving trips to the sauna, steam room and an icy plunge, completing a very memorable overall spa experience.
Top Tip: For something truly memorable, try the Spa Explorer package, which sees you hop aboard a private boat to a hidden beach, so your treatment can take place in an open-air Indonesian bale, accompanied by nothing but the sound of the waves.
Rakxa Wellness
Where: Thailand
Best for: Targeted longevity
Why: Set on Bangkok’s Bang Krachao, known as the city’s ‘Green Lung’, this sprawling wellness sanctuary was recently voted Thailand’s Best Wellness Retreat at the World Spa Awards, and what makes RAKxa truly special is its 360-degree philosophy. Rather than plastering over symptoms with short-term R&R, the resort blends scientific rigour with traditional Thai and Eastern healing rituals, building you a bespoke experience, powered by the team’s understanding that how we feel is rarely caused by one thing alone. Guests begin their stay with detailed health assessments (with the resort working in partnership with Bumrungrad International Hospital where required) before embarking on a full programme of treatments, which could focus on anything from stress and weight management to gut health, hormonal balance and longevity. The experiences on offer are a real pick-and-mix of the best that ancient and cutting-edge science have to offer. That means one day you might enjoy a traditional Thai massage and reflexology, followed by acupuncture, cupping, or Reiki, and then the next you may be placed in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, cryotherapy sauna or find yourself working out with Vo2 max testing. Similarly, you can spend your time keeping your body moving with daily yoga, Tai Chi, and HIIT, or discover a slower way of life in the hydrotherapy area, complete with a vitality pool, cold plunge and sauna. It’s all designed to suit exactly what your body and mind need.
Top Tip: Rakxa’s Sleep Enhancement programme is the gift of truly better beauty sleep, delivered through targeted bodywork, vibrational therapy, herbal compresses and grounding treatments like shirodhara and Singing Bowl Healing.
MIDDLE EAST
Zulal Wellness Resort
Where: Qatar
Best for: Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM)
Why: Dubbed the Middle East’s first immersive wellness destination, Zulal Wellness Resort is putting Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM) firmly on the global wellness map – and it’s a philosophy we predict we’ll be hearing much more about in 2027 and beyond. The centre, which is breathtakingly perched between the desert and the Arabian Gulf, draws on centuries of Arabic and Islamic healing traditions, creating programmes that take a holistic view of the relationship between body, mind and spirit. As with TCM-based retreats, your stay begins with a detailed consultation, which aims to address you as a whole person, and that philosophy then extends into the vast offering of luxury treatments, with familiar favourites, such as massages and facials, sitting alongside traditional TAIM rituals that really set Zulal’s offering apart. Highlights include Tadleek massage using Arabic herbal oils, traditional Qatari Hamiz with heated stones, Hijama cupping and camel milk body masks infused with neem and Sidr leaf. There’s also an impressive roster of broader facilities, including hydrotherapy pools, saunas, steam rooms, a Himalayan salt room and an Arctic-inspired ice cave, alongside dedicated spaces for fitness and stunning hotel rooms to head back to at the end of the day. Best of all, with Zulal Serenity reserved for adults and Zulal Discovery designed around family wellness, there’s an option for almost every type of traveller.
Top Tip: Not sure where to start? Opt for the beginner-friendly Explore Retreat, and view your stay as a bit of a lifestyle detox. The property is alcohol-free and encourages a minimalist approach to technology.
Six Senses Zighy Bay
Where: Oman
Best for: Guaranteed luxury
Why: Six Senses Zighy Bay is one of our managing editor Katie Silcox’s favourite ever hotels, which is quite the endorsement considering how well-travelled she is! However, a quick look at the pictures – teamed with the discovery that you can actually paraglide over the hotel for a really memorable moment – and you’ll quickly figure out why. Set between the dramatic Hajar Mountains and the Arabian Sea, this is a resort where the facilities are as impressive as the setting, and the spa certainly won’t let you down with not one but two Arabic-style hammams and a whole array of purifying treatments to perfectly buff and polish work-worn bodies from head-to-toe. As you can expect from a brilliant Six Senses spa wherever you are in the world, the spa team can also work with you to create a bespoke wellness programme – be that focused on sleep, nutrition, fitness or yoga – using the latest smart technology to measure your health patterns, before tailoring treatments specifically to your own needs. Active wellness shines at Zighy Bay, too, with plenty to keep fitness-focused guests occupied, from aerial yoga and volleyball to watersports, kayaking and snorkelling. Plus, if you’ve always found your mind struggles to unwind by simply lying down on a treatment bed, the spa menu extends far beyond traditional treatments. For example, you can try other wellness-boosting activities instead, including making your own skincare products in the Alchemy Bar, so there’s really something for everyone’s idea of R&R.
Top Tip: Make full use of the visiting practitioners that Six Senses frequently invites to its spas. These often include world-leading experts in Ayurveda and integrated wellness, meaning you can gain access to personalised expertise you won’t find anywhere else.
One Za’abeel
Where: Dubai
Best for: Three-in-one variety
Why: If Dubai’s wellness scene had to have just one physical address, it would probably be One Za’abeel. The luxurious vertical resort brings together three very different approaches to feeling your best: SIRO for recovery, One&Only One Za’abeel for five-star hospitality, and the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie for serious, science-led health optimisation. The result is less a collection of hotels with wellness facilities attached and more a mini longevity ecosystem. The appeal here, ultimately, is choice – all delivered without leaving the building. It means you can spend the morning doing a serious training session at SIRO, Dubai’s first fully integrated fitness and recovery hotel, home to one of the most impressive hotel gyms in the world (if you can even reduce it to that), plus a Recovery Lab with a full menu of personalised therapies designed to help your body perform better. Then, head upstairs to the three-storey, 3,800-square-metre Longevity Hub, for even more hyper-personalised treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen, cryotherapy and advanced aesthetics, based on your own Longevity Index Assessment. Finally, end your day at One&Only One Za’abeel, which brings the softer side of wellness into the equation, complete with two pools, including the spectacular suspended infinity pool, plus a traditional One&Only spa, restaurants and beautifully designed rooms and suites.
Top Tip: Both SIRO and One&Only have luxurious hotel rooms designed to help you get some beauty sleep. It’s worth splitting your stay so you can experience the two.
AFRICA
Medi-Spa Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay
Where: Morocco
Best for: Medi-spa in Africa
Why: Morocco has had wellness seekers flocking to its hammams for generations (and for good reason), but the country’s first-ever medi-spa is really something special. The philosophy at Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay is that true balance of body and mind can’t be achieved through relaxation alone – or even through diligent health and fitness routines. Pleasure matters too. And so, while the 4,300-square-metre spa takes a decidedly results-driven approach to wellbeing, it never feels clinical; instead, every detail is designed to make feeling good feel, well, really good. Personalised consultations start your experience, which allows the creation of highly bespoke programmes spanning nutrition, fitness, sleep, stress and longevity, with doctors and wellness experts working alongside your spa therapists. However, there is plenty to simply indulge in, too. Alongside advanced technology-based treatments, you’ll find acupuncture, Ayurveda and thalassotherapy and, of course, a traditional hammam, which is just as excellent as you would expect. Plus, indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and beautifully considered spaces for yoga, Pilates and meditation. Even dining becomes part of the experience, with menus tailored around individual wellness goals. The result is a rather clever combination of medical expertise and unabashed pampering: a place where you might come for a health reset, but leave feeling thoroughly spoilt.
Top Tip: Watsu is an aquatic bodywork treatment that you really should try. Embedded into the bathing rituals of Japan, it offers the ultimate opportunity to feel weightless.
Londolozi Healing House
Where: South Africa
Best for: A wellness safari
Why: Thought safari was all work and no play? Londolozi makes a very good case for changing the itinerary. Set in South Africa’s Sabi Sand, this legendary safari lodge has long been synonymous with exceptional wildlife (you can see the Big Five, after all), but its wellness offering deserves just as much attention. At its heart is the award-winning Londolozi Healing House, which was named South Africa’s Best Safari Spa in 2025. Here, your time animal spotting is paired with a seriously considered programme of treatments, movement and mindful experiences, meaning this certainly isn’t the sort of safari spa where you have to try to squeeze in a quick massage before dinner. Instead, the signature experiences combine indulgent full-body massages with heated Himalayan salt crystals and personalised aromatherapy, while facial rituals incorporate acupressure, facial mapping and Gua Sha. There are some all-important foot rituals and restorative treatments designed to soothe tired muscles after a day spent out on safari, but alongside these more standard treatments are holistic therapies such as Reiki, sound healing, meditation and breathwork, to treat your mind as well as your body. You can even build a wellness retreat into your safari experience, with silent game drives and sunrise meditation built into your timetable. The setting certainly helps, too: the spa’s open-air spaces all look out onto the surrounding wilderness, making it remarkably easy to swap the usual treatment-room soundtrack for birdsong and the sounds of the bush.
Top Tip: Even if you don’t regularly practice, make time to attend at least one yoga class. It’s a daily ritual here, with complimentary classes held on a deck among the trees.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Where: Tanzania
Best for: Treatments passed down through the generations
Why: Imagine stepping into a spa where the walls seem to disappear into the Serengeti and the sounds of the African bush become part of the experience. This is the magic of the Spa at Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti. Set in one of the world’s most remarkable landscapes, the spa was recently voted Best Spa Resort in Africa at the 2026 Global Spa Awards and it brings together exceptional treatments, African-inspired rituals and plenty of ‘find your camera’ views. Treatments draw inspiration from the land and its traditions, using natural ingredients sourced from Tanzania. For those unsure what to book, signature experiences include the Tree of Life Journey, inspired by the baobab or ‘tree of life’, and the Kifaa Massage, which uniquely uses a heated Maasai rungu (baton) and nourishing Tanzanian baobab oil to tease out tension from your body. Couples can enjoy treatments in dedicated rooms overlooking the bush, making it a great location for honeymooners, while personalised therapies and internationally certified therapists ensure that every visit feels considered rather than routine.
Top Tip: Book a treatment around sunset and allow time afterwards to simply sit and take in the view.
REST OF THE WORLD
Hotel das Cataratas, Iguassa Falls
Where: Brazil
Best for: Wellness that celebrates local culture
Why: Cataratas Spa at Belmond Hotel das Cataratas offers something that few luxury spas can genuinely replicate: wellness immersed in one of the world’s most extraordinary natural environments. In fact, it’s what you would call a true ‘rainforest spa’. Set within Iguassu National Park, the spa draws directly on the rainforest and the immense energy of Iguassu Falls, making the destination itself an integral part of the experience. Its philosophy goes beyond conventional pampering too. The most popular treatments incorporate Guaraní traditions and Brazilian botanical influences, including indulgently long therapies such as the Iguassu Stones massage and an almost two-hour-long Cataratas Signature treatment that turns local culture and nature into rituals of restoration. This also introduces a welcome sense of individuality. Rather than feeling like a polished international spa transplanted into Brazil, Cataratas feels distinctly Brazilian and what happens beyond the treatment room makes the spa particularly memorable, as well. Guests can experience forest bathing, guided hiking, moonlight walks and local artisan ceramic making, meaning there’s a strong sense of place throughout your whole experience.
Top Tip: The spa’s signature ‘Jasy’ treatments are designed to complement the cycles of the moon, so check solar activity for the time you are staying, and adapt your treatment choice accordingly.
Peninsula Hot Springs
Where: Victoria, Australia
Best for: Thermal bathing
Why: Less than 90 minutes from the buzz of Melbourne, Peninsula Hot Springs is an award-winning geothermal retreat, which feels like a love letter to the natural wellness-boosting landscape of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. With more than 70 bathing and wellness rituals to explore, at the heart of the experience are the area’s naturally heated mineral waters, drawn from deep underground aquifers and channelled into a remarkable collection of indoor and outdoor pools. The Hilltop Pool is a particular highlight, with sweeping views, while hot and cold bathing experiences, plus multiple saunas and steam rooms dotted around the property, encourage guests to indulge in a day of contrast therapy. There’s a playful mix of international bathing traditions to try as well. A Moroccan hammam sits alongside Nepalese-inspired mineral showers, a Scandinavian-style sheoak barrel bath and an Ayurvedic shirodhara water meditation experience, creating an extensive circuit that rewards curiosity. After all, there always seems to be another pool or ritual to try around the corner! Beyond bathing, guests can book yoga and meditation classes, and indulge in dedicated treatment experiences, including the 165-minute Botanical Journey, which combines an organic mineral mud wrap, hair and scalp treatment, relaxation massage and facial. There’s also the Spa Dreaming Centre, where guests 16 and over can retreat to an even quieter space to relax and unwind.
Top Tip: Why rush home? Eco Lodges and Glamping accommodation make it possible to turn a day of soaking into an overnight wellness escape, with private decks, ensuite bathrooms and king-size beds nestled among the natural surroundings.
Lancôme Absolue Spa Palácio Tangará
Where: Brazil
Best for: Pampering treatments
Why: Designed by Brazilian architect Patrícia Anastassiadis, this stunning spa marks Lancôme‘s spa debut in Latin America and the architecture alone makes the Absolue Spa a standout space. A true retreat from the buzz of São Paulo – tucked into the lush greenery of Burle Marx Park – the hotel itself feels like a glamorous escape from the city outside, and the Lancôme spa is the perfect place to lean into the fantasy. This is wellness with a decidedly French beauty edge, with five serene treatment rooms offering Lancôme facials and body treatments alongside massages designed to leave you looking – and feeling – considerably more refreshed. The Absolue treatments are the ones to make time for if you’re in the mood for a proper beauty overhaul, while the relaxation areas, sauna and steam room make it tempting to arrive early and stay long after your treatment has finished. The pool is another central feature of the hotel. Heated and surrounded by tropical greenery, the outdoor butterfly-shaped pool is the sort of place where a ‘quick swim’ can very easily turn into several hours spent doing absolutely nothing, preferably with something cold from the pool bar in hand. There’s also a heated indoor pool and jacuzzi, plus a 24-hour Technogym for those who like their wellness to involve a little more exertion.
Top Tip: There are four Day Spa experiences to choose from, available Tuesday to Friday, which are great value for money. These offer exclusive access to all the facilities for three hours, alongside a selected treatment.
FAQs for finding the best spas
What makes a spa one of the best in the world?
The best spas typically combine high-quality treatments with expert therapists, exceptional facilities and a distinctive approach to wellbeing. Many also offer personalised programmes covering areas such as fitness, nutrition, sleep, stress management, longevity and holistic health.
Which country has the best spas?
There is no single country known for having the best spas, as exceptional wellness destinations can be found around the world.
What is the difference between a spa and a wellness retreat?
A spa generally focuses on offering brilliant treatments and facilities, with guests spending a day or two enjoying everything on offer. A wellness retreat tends to cater for longer stays, diving into the issues behind a guest’s concerns, with more detailed consultations and other activities designed to support longer-term wellbeing.
What should you look for when choosing a luxury spa?
Consider the type of experience you want, from relaxation and beauty treatments to fitness, holistic wellbeing or a more intensive wellness programme. It is also worth considering the location, accommodation, facilities, treatment offering, length of stay and whether the spa specialises in a particular area of wellbeing.
How far in advance should you book a luxury spa?
For the best availability, it’s worth booking a luxury spa or wellness retreat several weeks or even months in advance, particularly for popular destinations, peak travel periods and bespoke wellness programmes. If you have specific treatments, therapists, accommodation or dates in mind, booking early gives you the greatest choice. Always check the spa’s individual booking and cancellation policies before confirming your stay too.
Becki Murray is Citizen Femme’s Beauty and Wellness Director and one of the only UK journalists to hold a Distinction-grade diploma in cosmetic science. Becki also heads up CF’s spa guide, so you could say she’s an expert in the science of relaxation too…
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Lead image: Aman New York
Any Questions or Tips to add?