The Best Retreats For A City & Spa Break

Sometimes you want nothing more than to get to your Wellness spot, and hunker down and immerse yourself until it’s time to return home. And that’s often the best choice. Other times, you want to tag on a stay at a local city or a cultural hotspot. In this article, we highlight the spas which allow you to do just that.

Palacio Estoril, Portugal

Located just a short hop from elegant Lisbon, Palacio Estoril is a property that has kept its’ great old traditions, glamour and superlative service, but which is now also home to a knock-out modern Spa. The three-storey Spa is a medically-minded, results-driven healthy haven which tackles all sorts of issues head-on – from weight loss & detoxing, to nutrition and fitness. There are 12 treatment rooms, a dynamic pool, hammam, Turkish bath, saunas, jet showers, sensation showers and steam room, plus an assembly of experts; Doctors, Nutritionists, Osteopaths, Fitness Trainers, Physiotherapists and an extremely talented Acupuncturist, who will all assist in devising a programme to nourish you inside and out.

Palasiet Thalasso Clinic & Hotel , Spain

Located just an hour from the museums and top-class art galleries of Valencia, Palasiet Thalasso Clinic & Hotel is a family-owned, four-star hotel and spa that is positioned in a quiet area, surrounded by trees and mountain just 50 metres from the beach. Its beautiful setting aside, the main reason guests come here is to visit the hotel’s Thalassotherapy Centre which has been in operation since the 1970s, so it’s safe to say that you will be in great hands. Facilities include a seawater thermal indoor swimming pool, sauna, hammam, vaporarium, cervical waterfalls, hydro-massage baths, 10 treatment rooms, Vichy showers and seaweed & sea mud body wrap cabins. A team of wellness experts, including doctors, nutritionists and physiotherapists are also on hand throughout your stay to help you achieve your wellness goals.

Ayurveda Resort Mandira, Austria

Nestled in Austria's beautiful Styrian hill country just 90 minutes from Vienna is Ayurveda Resort Mandira, a holistic Ayurveda retreat which offers treatments based on solid traditional Ayurvedic foundations but tailored to Western lifestyles . Under the direction of Christina Mauracher, Ayurvedic specialists and therapists, alternative and complementary physicians, as well as nutrition experts ensure a unique symbiosis of Ayurvedic expertise, alternative therapies and Ayurvedic diagnostics. In terms of activities, you have daily yoga, breathing exercises and meditation – and the daily programme is comprehensive and there is a lot to keep you fully occupied.

Selman Marrakech, Morocco

Situated just outside the city walls of the magical Marrakech, the Selman Marrakech is also one of only 6 hotels in the world that boasts a Chenot Spa where guests can enjoy revitalising treatments based on the world-renowned Chenot Detox Method which blends traditional Chinese medicine with the latest medical science. Set over 1200 sqm, the Spa features seven treatment rooms (including one for couples), four hydrotherapy rooms, a plunge pool, a hammam, a sauna, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, a hairdresser and a barber.

Sante Wellness Retreat & Spa, South Africa

Located in the heart of South Africa's beautiful Western Cape Winelands just 40 minutes from the world-class city of Cape Town, Santé Wellness Retreat & Spa is the ultimate sanctuary for anyone who wants to re-energise, rejuvenate and revitalise their mind, body and soul. At Santé there is an intuitive blend of science and human consciousness, in which high-tech and high-touch approaches define a service formulated around each individual. Retreat packages are customised to suit their guests, each with their own unique requirements and health status. They have a passion for holistic wellness, believing that balancing one’s mind, body and spirit will achieve lifelong wellbeing..

Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy

Nestled within a private 8½ hectare park overlooking the medieval spa town of Fiuggi just an hour south of Rome, Palazzo Fiuggi marries the deepest holistic traditions with the most advanced Western medicine and the very best facilities, allowing you to totally rewind and bliss out. There are programmes for Detox and Weight Loss, with an exquisite menu plan created by the three Michelin-star chef Heinz Beck. The food is sustainable, organic and all locally sourced, with much coming from the vegetable garden inside the Palazzo’s park.

RAKxa Integrative Wellness, Thailand

Just a short hop from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok on the peaceful, jungle-clad island of Bang Krachao, RAKxa Integrative Wellness is a fully integrative luxury wellness and medical retreat, which blends the latest medical science with holistic, traditional therapies such as Ayurveda, Traditional Thai and Chinese Medicine. You can do it all here, from genetic testing or an immune-boosting programme, to weight-loss and detox. There's also a programme to optimise your gut health, lots of treatments to combat stress and an assembly of experts on hand to optimise every aspect of your health and wellbeing.

So there you have it, we hope you've enjoyed reading about our best City & Spa escapes and that it has inspired you to take the next step and book a stay at a City & Spa holiday.