The Best Spa and Wellness Experiences

If Christmas is all about indulgence, the New Year is all about fresh beginnings. Start the year with an R&R programme to feel truly rejuvenated and reinvigorated.

SHIBUI SPA, THE GREENWICH HOTEL, NEW YORK

From the roof of the 250-year-old Japanese farmhouse that adorns the spa’s pool and lounge area to the holistic, nature-driven treatments, everything about this spa is impressive.

Customised facials and a seasonally driven menu of body treatments such as stimulating pomegranate and papaya extracts or coddling mango butter and Australian clay, ensure a bespoke spa experience.

THE SPA AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL, NEW YORK

Guilty of spending too much time hunched over a laptop or cradling a smartphone? The Spa at Mandarin Oriental specialises in a neck, shoulder, and hand-focused Digital Wellness Escape. 

There’s more to this luxe spa than treating those with a screen addition though. If you’re looking for a particularly lavish experience, try one of their holistic wellness rituals like the three-hour Thai Yoga Journey that helps you find balance inside and out.

ESPA LIFE AT CORINTHIA, LONDON

The ‘Next Generation’ of Spa, ESPA Life at Corinthia is four floors of unadulterated bliss, one of the largest in London. 

Offering a holistic approach to wellbeing with an unrivalled choice of spa, alternative therapies, fitness, beauty treatments and a Daniel Galvin Hair Salon, an expert team of leading naturopaths, traditional Chinese medicine acupuncturists, and herbalists, osteopaths, personal trainers and spa professionals, promote optimal health and wellbeing through personal lifestyle programmes.

COMO SHAMBHALA, METROPOLITAN HOTEL, LONDON

The second floor of Park Lane’s Metropolitan Hotel, owned by luxury hotel group COMO, is where you’ll find the small but delightful Shambala spa. Calm, warm and with wonderfully welcoming staff, COMO Shambhala offers a huge range of beautifying treatments and specialist therapies. 

For the body, the Detoxifying Skin Treatment, which can be booked with a luxurious bath and massage to follow, is a heavenly indulgence; while the reflexology and acupuncture appointments are just the remedy for aching souls. 

ESPA AT THE RITZ-CARLTON MOSCOW

The award-winning ESPA spa service at the Ritz-Carlton Moscow offers a comprehensive range of treatments, blending European, Eastern and Ayurvedic styles to create a haven of relaxation. 

It also offers a selection of 30-minute express treatments designed specifically to target stress and tension and leave guests revived and recharged. These express treatments are the perfect tonic following an indulgent festive season of eating, shopping and partying. 

THE SPA AT THE BARVIKHA HOTEL, MOSCOW

The Spa at the Barvikha Hotel is one of the most renowned in Russia. Dominique and Henri Chenot have become cult icons thanks in part to their book entitled ‘La Diet Energetica’.

Using Henri and Dominque Chenot’s famous blending of western scientific wisdom and ancient Chinese medicine, the Spa’s healthcare programme focuses on the prevention of ageing through the use of tailor-made skincare treatments and dietary changes. 

AWARENESS AT AMANPURI, PHUKET, THAILAND

For a truly magical festive experience, look no further than this life-changing mediation and mindfulness retreat on Phuket’s secluded west coast. As your mind, body and soul connects in perfect harmony under the practised guidance of a Buddhist monk, notice how stresses dissipate, leaving you with clarity, direction and inner peace. 

With enchanting views of the Andaman Sea and breath-taking pink sunsets, have yourself a merry little Christmas and swap white snow for white sand this winter.

BODYHOLIDAY, SAINT LUCIA

If you’re on the lookout for a solo adventure this Christmas, then BodyHoliday is the perfect winter escape. A range of action-packed activities includes scuba-diving, extreme mountain biking, tennis and windsurfing. 

This exquisite Caribbean wellness destination, surrounded by jungle-covered piques and crystal-clear waters, is an entirely different type of Christmas experience. 

REVIVE AND RENEW, THE RETREAT, COSTA RICA

This beautiful retreat offers plenty of opportunity to bask in the Costa Rican sunshine this winter. In this lush, idyllic setting you can detox with organic ‘Tico Fresh’ cuisine and transform your well-being by embracing total-body renewal at The Cristal Lotus spa.

With restorative treatments and a plethora of cultural learning and excursion opportunities, revive both the body and the mind for the New Year ahead.

DETOX AND WEIGHT LOSS, REVIVO WELLNESS RESORT, BALI

If building a snowman isn’t your idea of fun, then ditch the Christmas jumper and head East for a winter escape to the stunning Indonesian island of Bali. Combining the latest in medical science and ancient holistic healing practices, Revīvō brings you a detox and weight loss programme guaranteed to put you in tip-top shape.

Discover the mental and physical benefits of Qigong, Tai Chi, Muay Thai and Tibetan meditation or try yoga, Pilates, TRX training and boxing with a winter getaway flush with cultural experiences.