The Summer Edit: Spa therapies with a seasonal twist

Aria Spa's Eastern Sculpture Lymphatic Massage

Aria Spa in Cheshire is an exquisite day spa, and a haven for luxury wellbeing, where the team continuously focus on creating meaningful spa experiences that boost health, wellbeing and a sense of self.

New to their spa treatment menu this year is their Eastern Sculpture Lymphatic Massage, offering a unique take on a traditional therapy. It is a specialised treatment rooted in Eastern traditions, blended with modern, advanced lymphatic drainage techniques.

In addition to skilled, hands-on techniques, therapists incorporate supportive tools such as bamboo sticks and specially designed rollers to enhance lymphatic stimulation and drainage. These tools not only aid the effectiveness of the treatment but also create a deeply soothing, rhythmic experience that feels both nurturing and restorative.

Guests can choose between a 55-minute treatment or an extended 85-minute version. The longer experience includes facial lymphatic work as well as a back treatment using flash cupping to further stimulate circulation and detoxification.

It is particularly effective for those feeling heavy, sluggish, fatigued or hormonally imbalanced. Clients often report feeling lighter, clearer and more energised almost immediately.

The Beltane experience at Galgorm Resort and Spa

Galgorm Resort and Spa is well known as one of the most impressive and luxurious spa destinations in Ireland. Alongside an exquisite hotel, which is enough of a joy all by itself, the spa is spread across 163 acres of lush parkland with the River Maine flowing through the middle.

The thermal village is a complete haven of wellness, from the pool and orangery to the Celtic sauna, snow cabin and sanarium, as well as the River House for classes, which is raised on stilts. There’s a ‘snail shower’, an infinity hydrotherapy pool, outdoor hot tubs and lots of saunas - the list goes on. It's the architecture and design as well as the scope of facilities that's so impressive, almost always with views of the gardens and offering something for every mood.

While the hotel and spa are highly recommended for couples, solo travellers or anyone else in the mood for luxury wellbeing, the scale of Galgorm makes it ideal for groups of friends. Amongst its popular offerings is the Beltane Experience, where you relax around a sunken fire with friends before enjoying a dip in the 12-person hot tub. The idea is to connect to the elements - fire, air and water - feel great and get back to nature.

Forest bathing at Spread Eagle Hotel & Spa

Forest bathing is perhaps best described as a guided meditation - combining mindfulness and a walk in nature to help settle the body and the mind amidst an otherwise busy world.

A practice that started in Japan in 1980s, forest bathing encourages you to connect with the world around you on every level, strolling in woodland, along the coast or wherever you find yourself, you are invited to listen intently, touch the earth, the leaves, the flowers and try to be wholly in the moment. It may involve sitting and meditating in the fresh air, or perhaps some yoga elements to help you really slow down and relax.

This calming experience is a different type of therapy and a particularly nice way to enjoy spa experiences in the summer months. At Spread Eagle Hotel & Spa their sessions are led by the Helena Skoog, who practices what she preaches, living off grid in the ancient woodlands in East Sussex. She says:

"For me, forest bathing is like a conversation or a relationship with the natural world. The longer I’m here the better and deeper that conversation gets."

Combine the experience with therapies and time in the pool within the spa itself and you have true holistic wellbeing experience.

Laceby Manor's Black Soap Hammam Journey

They offer lots of gorgeous spa treatments, from bathing rituals to touch therapies. A favourite is their unique Black Soap Hammam Journey, which enhances their regular scrub massages, inspired by the traditional Turkish hammam.

Usually, after a full body exfoliation using a peppermint sugar scrub, your body is cleansed using lime and mandarin infused water, before you're treated to a light traditional foam massage, followed by a rosemary and mint shampoo and scalp massage. With the Black Soap Hammam Journey however, they layer in a black soap before the scrub, containing natural enzymes that supercharge the exfoliation effect whilst being gentle on sensitive skin.

Black soap has a long history, rooted in Africa and Morocco in particular. In terms of the treatment however, it's inspired by the hammam tradition, but it's a therapy designed by VOYA, who are known for their seaweed-based products. It's a really beautiful treatment that leaves skin looking and feeling instantly amazing.

The Beach Hut Experience at Three Horseshoes Country Inn & Spa

A unique experience in every way, the Three Horseshoes Country Inn & Spa sits in a beautiful countryside location on the edge of the Staffordshire Peak Park and brings spa feel-good-factor to the warmth of a traditional inn. The Mill Wheel Spa offers rustic style and wellbeing that draws inspiration from its heritage. For example, it has a Peak District 'stone bath' steam room and a Mill Wheel Shower.

The surrounding spa garden gives you an instant sense of calm and tranquility, and amongst its unique offerings is The Beach Hut Experience. Not an outside treatment, but one that mimics the benefits of laying on the beach, it's a beautiful way to help counter the blues in winter, or get summer vibes on rainy days in August, with a vitamin D top-up.

Lay on a bed of warm sand for 25 minutes as the room goes from darkness to sunrise, peak sunshine and sunset, while relaxing music and essential oils add to the atmosphere.

The Cleopatra Ritual at The Natural Spa at Sawcliffe Manor - Natural Spa

A historic family farm and spa retreat, Sawcliffe Manor - Natural Spa Country House is a unique B&B offering suites and cottages to stay in, combined with a unique Natural Spa. The spa is a one-of-a-kind retreat that's 100% natural and off-grid, inviting guests to enjoy private three-hour spa sessions and experiences that are therapies in their own right.

The Cleopatra Milk and Flower Hot Tub Ritual, which simulates Cleopatra, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt’s, famous milk baths. They combine the bath with essential oils and flower petals, all placed in a copper tub, which is said to improve circulation. They also add Himalayan salt foot baths into the experience, Moroccan Beldi soap exfoliating scrubs (made from Argan oil) and bentonite clay face masks.

The Prosecco Spa at Norfolk Mead Hotel

The Norfolk Mead is a boutique, four-star hotel run by owners Anna and James, who pay careful attention to detail, from serving local fare in their award-winning restaurant, to offering unique treatments in their purpose-built spa. Perfect for a romantic getaway, the retreat has the warmth of a home away from home alongside the sophistication of an immaculately run destination offering professional hospitality.

For those looking to add a little sparkle to the summer months, The Prosecco Spa experience is a treat. It's a self-led bathing experience, where guests bathe in our specially designed wooden hot tubs in a dedicated room. There are two wooden hot tubs available, each lined with mosaic on the inside, but with this authentic barrel appearance on the outside. Each tub is suitable for up to two people, and there is a seat in each one, so you can enjoy the experience on your own, with a friend or partner, or as a group of up to eight people.

They fill the tubs with fresh warm water and then add their special ingredients, including Champagne Leaf Extract, caviar extract, grape leaf and pearl extracts, as well as jojoba, apricot kernel and sweet almond oils, all of which help to make the skin glow. Guests also get half a bottle of Prosecco (per person) to add to the luxury experience. It's a 45-minute experience, and really makes you feel rejuvenated.

Ayurvedic experiences at The Scarlet

The Scarlet Hotel has made a name for itself as an adult-only spa destination known for combining Ayurvedic wellness with sustainability and luxury. Unlike anywhere else in the UK, the holistic destination is perched on the dramatic clifftops at Cornwall's Mawgan Porth, taking in Atlantic views and offering contemporary architectural excellence in harmony with nature.

One of the key elements in its offering is their approach to therapies, offering a connected journey that's all about the individual. Rooted in ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, every element of your visit is designed to help you listen to your body’s needs, quiet the mind, and rediscover your natural balance.

Rather than booking a specific treatment before arriving, they encourage guests to follow their journey, surrendering three or four hours from a 30-minute consultation through to different experiences. They start the guest experience with a very simple tip sheet through which therapists can start to see areas that are out of alignment, and then curate their experience to help bring them back into balance. Typically that includes a personal consultation, bathing rituals, a personalised Ayurvedic treatment, and space for deep relaxation.