Friendsmas spa breaks: Winter wellbeing for festive feel-good-factor

This year, however, why not swap out a few pub gatherings and movie nights for a day, afternoon, evening, or weekend, of feel-good-factor, winter wellbeing, and spa magic. Make it a trip for two, a group gathering, or a gorgeous gift experience with a Spabreaks.com voucher, to enjoy outdoor fire pits, thermal waters, heated treatment beds, energising massages, afternoon teas by roaring log fires and more.

Classy and cosy spa experiences are giving us a seasonal glow this winter, from wellness weekends to pre-party pampering with our nearest and dearest. Are you with us? Here are a few favourites for group spa breaks:

Group getaways at Whittlebury Park, Northamptonshire

Arguably the ultimate in group spa destinations, Whittlebury Park has something for everyone - a warm welcome, plenty of space, and entertainment as well. Tribute nights are a regular event at this hotel, so you can combine a night of dinner and dancing with a day or more of pampering in the enormous spa. It's also surrounded by its own golf course, and is next to Silverstone Racecourse.

The spa itself sits separately from leisure facilities - so there's a gym and swimming pool which has its own sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, and then there's the Heat and Ice Experiences complete with an aromatherapy crystal steam, caldarium, experience showers, foot spas, a hydrotherapy pool, ice cave, roman salt steam, sanarium and tepidarium. To top it off, there are 23 treatment rooms for top-to-toe pampering.

Holiday vibes at Old Thorns Hotel & Resort, Hampshire

A resort destination, Old Thorns Hotel & Resort is somewhere that makes it feel as though you've had a nice long holiday away, even if you're only here for the day. The luxury Hampshire escape is a four-star retreat in the South Downs National Park, where you can stay in the hotel, three-bedroom apartments or even their unique eco pods.

The Elevation Health Club is equipped with a vast gym overlooking the golf course and surrounding Hampshire countryside, while downstairs is an exquisite wellness suite complete with a 20-metre swimming pool surrounded by sliding doors onto an outside terrace complete with loungers. There’s also a sauna, aromatherapy steam room, Jacuzzi, hotbeds, and foot baths. Don't forget to make time for a treatment or two - there are 15 treatment rooms, so plenty of space for you and all your friends to relax at the same time.

Devon heaven at Budock Vean Hotel, Cornwall

Budock Vean is not so much a hotel as a world of its own, complete with a four-star hotel, self-catering cottages, a golf course, spa, and 65 acres of Cornish countryside to enjoy (including its own golf course). On the banks of the Helford River, rest and relaxation are built into your stay, with waterside views and subtropical gardens to explore.

The spa itself is dreamy - offering holistic wellness from the 15-metre indoor swimming pool, to the Aspen wood Finnish sauna, outdoor hot tub, and, of course, a collection of therapies using GAIA natural skincare products.

Adult-only wellness at The Spa at Carden

On a 1000 acre estate in Cheshire, The Spa at Carden Park is an adult-only retreat that’s a beautiful day spa destination as well as being an exceptional part of an overnight break. An expansive estate, it's complete with two on-site 18 hole golf courses, as well as its own vineyard, and then there's the spa...

The Spa is a two-storey building flanked by a 2,500 square metre spa garden with outdoor facilities that are open all year round. Perfect for enjoying late into the evening with friends, favourite features include a sauna with spectacular views of the grounds, as well as a Champagne bar in partnership with Bollinger.

A stylish sanctuary: Aria Spa, Cheshire

Looking to escape for the day with your bestie? Aria Spa is a stylish retreat in Cheshire where modern wellness is reimagined with a touch of timeless sophistication. Indulgent and transformative, it's a place where you can reconnect with mind and body, taking time to room from the aromatic steam room and the Himalayan sauna to the rooftop infinity pool, fire and ice room, and for a swim in the pool which goes from inside to the outdoors.

Therapies are an intrinsic part of the experience, offering everything from bespoke facials to restorative massages, Reiki, reflexology, invigorating salt scrubs and more. Then head to the restaurant to put the world to rights over Pan-Asian-inspired dishes.

Cosy vibes at The Signet Spa The Barnsdale, Rutland Water

On the edge of the breathtaking Rutland Water, The Barnsdale is a bijoux hotel offering a luxurious, rural retreat with cosy vibes and restorative surroundings. The hotel has 45 rooms and suites, so it's got a sense of intimacy that's ideal for small groups of friends spending quality time together.

The Signet spa, however, is set within the grounds. It's small and perfectly formed, designed to create time and space to simply be with one another, whether it's swimming in the heated outdoor pool in the chilly air, soaking in wood fired hot tubs, or unwinding in the sauna pod.

Health spa retreats at Ragdale Hall Spa, Leicestershire

One of the best known health spa retreats in the UK, Ragdale Hall Spa proves that luxury and wellness can coexist in style. This spacious, all-inclusive retreat has wellbeing woven into every experience, from the views that you wake up to, to the food and drink.

The spa itself is a wellness wonderland, with six unique pools, a gym, two exercise studios, three shops and numerous relaxation areas. The thermal spa has 12 heat and water experiences ranging from an outdoor waterfall pool to a volcanic salt bath, and a cave experience shower complete with its own thunderstorm. The rooftop infinity pool is a firm favourite, however.

Off-grid goodness at Sawcliffe Manor - Natural Spa, North Lincolnshire

If you're looking for a totally unique wellness experience with friends, Sawcliffe Manor - Natural Spa is one of a kind. A country house that once featured on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed, you can stay in a variety of unique B&B suites, as well as cottages for up to eight people. Tuck into tapas and local cheese platters in the evening, with plenty of Prosecco, cold pressed juices and afternoon tea also available.

The spa itself is like nothing you've seen before. Set in the walled gardens, it's a handcrafted wood cabin with no chemicals or electricity, just fresh water and the incredible antiseptic and healing qualities of wood. Your spa session is between two and three hours, taking time to enjoy the wood fired larch wood tub, Estonian Iglu-sauna, and experiences like the favourite Cleopatra style milk and calendula flower copper hot tub.