Bank holiday bliss: Where to spa this August bank holiday

Whether the kids are going back to school soon or the office is back in full force, we're all enjoying the final weeks of sunshiney staycations, including the last long weekend of summer.

With the bank holiday firmly in sight we're making the most of every moment, spending time in zen gardens, at seaside spa retreats, enjoying spectacular city spa special offers and more.

From maximising mid-week getaways to beat the bank holiday traffic, to last minute deals to give us the wellbeing boost we need to take the world by storm, don't miss the final few weeks of our Summer Edit for a spa experience to guarantee the most blissful bank holiday yet.

Bank holiday spa inspiration

From coast to country, adult-only spas to budget-friendly retreats, make this bank holiday extra special.

A countryside retreat: Horwood House, Buckinghamshire

A countryside retreat could be just what you're looking for to rest and recover over the bank holiday weekend, and Horwood House is the perfect place. Located in Buckinghamshire, which makes it easily accessible from London, the four-star country house hotel is surrounded by 38 acres of gardens, and offers charm and style at every turn. The H Spa at Horwood House is the pièce de résistance, drawing inspiration from the great outdoors and offering the best of modern wellness. Enjoy the heated pool, sauna, steam room and heated loungers, as well as treatments from Caudalie - known as the pioneers of 'vinotherapy'.

A bank holiday by the coast: Fistral Beach Hotel & Spa, Cornwall

For a seaside spa break, Cornwall is hard to beat, and Fistral Beach Hotel & Spa is as close to the beach as you could ask for. An adult only contemporary seaside hotel, Fistral Beach, it's perched on a cliff top overlooking the ocean. Letting in lots of natural light, its restaurant is perfect for seafood fans, you're in the ideal location for cliff walks, beach days and surfing, and then there's the spa. A tranquil space where the swimming pool sits under a domed, starlit ceiling, they offer treatments from GAIA Skincare and plenty of space to unwind.

Outdoor spa experiences: Manor House Hotel - Alsager, Cheshire

A dreamy destination designed to make the most of the summer, even if the weather doesn't play ball, Manor House Hotel - Alsager is a beautiful spa destination with exceptional outdoor facilities (as well as indoor ones). A four-star retreat in former farm buildings, complete with a contemporary spa, it includes a unique English Country Spa Garden with an all-season outdoor spa. It includes two swim-up bars, a hydrotherapy pool, a cold water plunge pool, Finnish sauna, and a Herb Garden where you relax surrounded by raised herb beds.

An adult-only long weekend: The Spa at Carden, Cheshire

For those looking to escape the final flurry of school holiday antics, an adult-only spa break could be just the ticket. Relax in style at The Spa at Carden, set within a 1000 acre estate. The hotel itself is a treat, complete with its own vineyard, two on-site 18 hole golf courses, an award-winning restaurant, and its own sparkling wine. However, the spa is also a destination in its own right offering indoor and outdoor experiences in a two-storey building with a wide range of pools and thermal facilities, it is accompanied by a 2,500 square metre spa garden.

Budget-friendly bank holidays: Mercure Norton Grange Hotel and Spa, Rochdale

Only eight miles from Manchester and yet surrounded by landscaped gardens and with views of the Pennine Hills, a getaway at this hotel can be whatever you want it to be. Shopping, nightlife and sightseeing is all at your fingertips, but for some real relaxation, head to the hotel spa and enjoy some down time. As well as a gym, swimming pool and thermal suite, the spa has six treatment rooms where you can ease tension with a gorgeous Decleor body or facial treatment.

A stylish seaside bank holiday at The Nici, Bournemouth

The Nici is a real treat of a destination, offering the best of seaside bliss and plenty to do in town. It's well known for its Miami vibes, and caters beautifully to couples, small groups of friends, but also ideal for families. Perched on Bournemouth’s West Cliff, enjoy a luxurious hotel complete with a superb South Beach Restaurant & Bar, as well as state-of-the-art wellness experiences, from the 30-metre outdoor pool to the expansive spa and OTO CBD spa treatments.

A luxurious bank holiday at Hoar Cross Hall, Staffordshire

Hoar Cross Hall is an exceptional destination. Well known as an amazing place for a romantic getaway, it combines a spectacular Jacobean manor house hotel with 50 acres of immaculate grounds and gardens, and a state-of-the-art spa. Five-star all the way, the hotel is all turreted water towers, lofty gables, mullioned windows and dining in a former ballroom. The grounds provide plenty of space for activities including jogging, cycling, croquet, boules, archery, golf and tennis. Then there's the spa, which includes indoor and outdoor experiences, ranging from a 26-metre saltwater vitality pool to a superb 'Spa Terrace' with three 15-metre pools wrapped in lavender planters, refreshments around fire pits, a glass-fronted juniper log sauna, and more.

A bank holiday base for relaxation and exploration at Guildford Manor Hotel and Spa, Surrey

Surrounded by 10 acres of gardens, but just a short distance from Guildford, Guildford Manor Hotel and Spa fuses old and new in perfect style. The hotel looks out across the Surrey hills, creating a sense of rest and relaxation, but you're at once within easy reach of attractions including Legoland, Chessington World Of Adventures, Thorpe Park, Mercedes Benz World and the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Meanwhile, it's also home to a carefully considered health club, where you can unwind in a contemporary gym, 15 metre pool, sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool, before Ayurvedic healing and luxury therapies.

Something for everyone at Fairmont Windsor Park, Windsor

Situated on the edge of Windsor Great Park, just an hour outside London, Fairmont Windsor Park is a five-star hotel that offers just about everything you could possibly ask for. Surrounded by 40 acres of grounds and gardens, the five-star hotel spans 200 decadent rooms and no less than six restaurants and bars to choose from as well as private dining and room service. The spa is a real playground of wellbeing, standing at 2,500m2 and featuring the most contemporary facilities - not least, a traditional Hammam, a courtyard hydrotherapy vitality pool, a thermal suite encompassing a sauna, steam room, a cryotherapy chamber, experience shower, heated tepidarium bench and Japanese foot bath... and that's just the beginning.

Romantic wellbeing retreats at The Buxton Crescent Hotel, Derbyshire

On an elegant Georgian crescent in a town famous for its healing thermal waters, The Buxton Crescent Hotel is a really special experience that harps back to the UK's original spa experiences. The luxury hotel is perfect for romantic retreats, it blends heritage, style, and wellbeing. The hotel is imbued with heritage features, from original fireplaces to Art Deco style. The spa is a world of its own, set under an exquisite stained glass canopy and surrounded by original wall tiles dating to 1924. There's a chemical-free pool filled with mineral rich waters, a bio-thermal sauna, CO2 mineral bath, infra-red sauna, Finnish sauna, multiple steam rooms, a salt cave, a relaxation pool that sits under a ceiling of stars, and a beautiful rooftop pool.

Countryside calm at Ockenden Manor, West Sussex

A firm favourite amongst spa goers, Ockenden Manor is surrounded by rolling green vistas and the Tudor Village of Cuckfield. The heritage style manor house is elegant and understated, with an award-winning restaurant, offering countryside calm but conveniently just an hour from London and 20 minutes from Gatwick. Alongside it in a purpose-built property within the 19th century walled garden, the spa is an eco-friendly experience using spring water from its own source, and natural light wherever possible. Wander into the walk-through rain shower using natural warm spring-water before swimming between indoor and outdoor heated pools; spend some time in the hot tub, sauna, and steam room before therapies using the beautiful Elemental Herbology products.