Based on the top selling destinations from 2019, from luxury spa hotels to affordable overnight breaks, group getaways to romantic retreats, here are Spabreaks.com’s best spas from last year…
A favourite for group getaways and celebrations with friends, Whittlebury Hall has a wealth of spa facilities with plenty of space to spend time together. In addition to beautiful grounds and incredible spa facilities, they are also masters of a good party, with tribute nights and party packages that are perfect for hen parties and celebrations. It’s little wonder that it’s one of the best spas for groups.
One of the best spas for romantic spa breaks, Hoar Cross Hall is an adult-only hotel spa surrounded by impressive grounds. There’s plenty to do in order to while away the day, from jogging to boules, archery to yoga and Tai Chi. Wander across manicured lawns surrounded by rose beds and box hedges, then retreat to the spa and lounge in saltwater vitality pools and the beautiful slumber lounge. Definitely stay overnight and dine in award-winning style on vegetables from the estate’s own greenhouses.
This magnificent hotel is achingly romantic, and so welcoming it’s like snuggling up in a feather down duvet. Meanwhile, it’s accompanied by a state-of-the-art rooftop spa garden. It is complete with unique features including its own bar, infinity pool, oxygen pod, saunas and steam rooms that use herbs from the garden. Together they make it one of the best spas in the UK for romantic breaks as well as quality time with anyone you care about, especially if you dine in the Clocktower restaurant where there’s a 400 year old Catalonian olive tree taking centre stage in the conservatory.
London’s country house estate, bringing chic city style alongside country tranquility, Hilton London Syon Park in the grounds of the Duke of Northumberland’s 200-year-old estate, has something for everyone. Rooms are opulent with a monochrome palette, and crystal accents dotted throughout, while the Kallima spa is a combination of beautiful facilities, holistic therapies and innovative treatments.
A celebrated golf course, a vast array of facilities, impeccable style and impeccable service, Celtic Manor is one of the best venues for just about every occasion. Couples love the spa facilities and high standards, especially the Elemis Herbal Steam in a chamber where small lights mimic the constellations, perfect for sharing, and the 20-metre pool overlooking the Rooftop Garden. The resort has recently added a Champagne and Beauty Bar, which is the ideal place to indulge in a glass of Champagne or sip a cocktail while enjoying some heavenly pampering. Meanwhile, the hotel has an array of restaurants, perfect for sumptuous meals in one or cocktails in another.
The Macdonald hotels have a nationwide reputation for high standards and reasonable prices. Craxton Wood is a particularly beautiful example of everything they do best, ensconced in 27 acres of mature woodland. The spa had a £1.4 million renovation in recent years adding a state of the art thermal suite to the experience, and there are 11 treatment rooms. So it’s perfect for friends spending quality time together. Other celebrated Macdonald hotels amongst the most popular and best spas were Old England Hotel & Spa, Inchyra Hotel, Macdonald Berystede Hotel and Spa and Spa and Manchester Hotel and Spa, all bringing their own unique offerings to the table.
No list of the best spas would be complete without mentioning this deity of the spa world. Both the hotel and the spa are destinations in their own right. The luxurious historic hotel with its Michelin star restaurant, the vast spa with its ballroom pool complete with underwater music and an array of thermal pools is always a real drawcard, especially when swimming from the inside out into the gardens in the winter, surrounded by snow.
Always a favourite amongst spa goers, Lifehouse Spa & Hotel is a contemporary space with a wonderfully caring ethos. Surrounded by character defining gardens complete with fruit trees and a lily-filled lake, their food and drink is a combination of healthy and indulgent, curated under the watchful eyes of the resident naturopath. Meanwhile, treatments and spa facilities are light, airy and tranquil. It’s one of the best spas for couples as well as groups of friends, but then again it might be somewhere you want to keep all to yourself on a solo spa break.
The Belfry offers a range of accommodation from the new signature rooms to the new Manor House suites. Stylish and tastefully decorated, they blend luxury and comfort along with an acute attention to detail to make you feel at home. Meanwhile, the spa is a luxury retreat that sits upstairs above the leisure facilities in The Belfry Club. Surrounded by a golf course, and with a range of activities available within the hotel grounds, The Belfry is ideal for hen parties and group bookings.
The nationwide collection of QHotels has a reputation for welcoming all who visit. They’re great for groups and families, but each destination has its own characteristics and charm. Surrounded by 54 acres of private grounds but still within easy reach of major transport links and the historic city of Winchester, Norton Park constitutes a former manor house blending 16th and 17th century architecture with modern additions. The spa is in the same building as the majority of the hotel’s rooms - that is to say a 21st century addition to the original building and with eight treatment rooms it’s perfect for friends. Norton Park welcomes groups and hen parties, and nearby at the Bombay Sapphire gin distillery you can head for a group tour or cocktail making class. Other QHotels favourites were Ashford International Hotel, Slaley Hall and Oulton Hall Hotel & Spa.
A four AA star lakeside hotel, set in five acres of countryside and on the outskirts of the picturesque town of Marlow, the Crowne Plaza Marlow features modern design and accommodation. The Quad Club at Crowne Plaza Marlow is a health and fitness centre with the added dimension of providing space and facilities to relax and unwind as well. Crowne Plaza Marlow welcomes small groups, making it well suited to hen parties.
The first thing that strikes you about Five Lakes is just how contemporary and new the building is - light and spacious, the 194 bedroom venue boasts modern style with sweeping views of the golf courses and surrounding countryside. Surrounded by 320 acres of Essex countryside, the spa and leisure facilities at Five Lakes are wide reaching to say the least. For more active guests there are eight tennis courts as well as badminton, squash, table tennis and a gym; while the spa area has a pool, sauna and steam room, and a manicure and pedicure room catering for up to seven people at a time. The resort is a great destination for groups, particularly with a manicure/pedicure room catering for up to seven people at a time.
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