Awards aren’t everything, but they can give a good guide as to what to expect and what to really celebrate when you visit a spa hotel. So here are 10 of our most celebrated award-winning spa hotels in the UK and Ireland…
Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort has been making waves over recent years as one of the best spa hotels in the world. Sweeping the boards when it comes to awards, it really does have everything from high end luxury and an exceptional location to superb wellness knowledge and facilities. Awards include, but are not limited to: Hotel of the Year at the 2019 Licensed & Catering News Awards; they won Global Luxury Spa Hotel of the Year 2018 at the World Spa and Wellness Awards and Ireland’s Best Four Star Resort at the coveted Gold Medal Awards.
Originally called the Iceland Cottage, the Ice House is a place steeped in history. Strategically positioned on the Moy estuary, it’s where tons of wild salmon were once preserved under ice before being shipped to the markets of Dublin and Liverpool. Today it is a contemporary hotel offering inspiring architectural design and city chic style, accompanied by the aptly named Chill Spa.
The hotel has won a number of awards including People’s Choice, Irish Tatler Spa Awards 2018; Irish Tatler Spa Awards 2016, Best Spa at the Irish Hair and Beauty Awards 2016 and Best Organic Therapy (VOYA) at the RSVP Awards 2016.They won Boutique Spa of the Year at Irish Tatler Spa Awards 2014 and Best Spa Therapist and Irish Tatler Spa Awards 2014.
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels group and Ireland’s illustrious Blue Book, Hayfield Manor is a five star hotel in Cork. Retaining the distinct charm of a country manor house, it caters to couples, families, groups and business travellers. The Beautique Spa offers a complete relaxation experience from leisure to pampering. It also has those finishing touches and facilities that mean you leave feeling completely made over.
What you really need to know about this award winning spa is that the attention and care they put into their treatments is what really makes it shine. As a result, they won the Best Spa Therapist at the 2018 Irish Tatler Spa Awards.
A name that has stood the test of time in hospitality, Gleneagles is a figurehead in the hotel and spa world. A location, a property and a service that really is unparallelled, it’s about sophistication and personalisation. Set on one of the best golf courses in the world, it was first conceived as design homage to the French aristocracy’s chateaux tradition.
Today the five star hotel is accompanied by a an elegant spa offering Elemis pampering as well as a truly unique approach to wellbeing. Sitting separately from the spa a short walk across the grounds, Gleneagles also has a dedicated beauty offering for guests in the form of Bob & Cloche. A brand new facility, it was formerly one of the hotel’s gate lodges. It has been transformed into an elegant beauty destination named after two style motifs of the Jazz age - the racy ‘bob’ haircut, and the close-fitting cloche hat.
Amongst a catalogue of awards, it was named Scotland’s Best Hotel/Resort in the Today’s Golfer Travel Awards four years running. It scooped the Domestic Bliss prize at the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards 2018 for the second year in a row. It also retained the accolade of ‘Best Golf Resort in the World’ at The Daily Telegraph; and Ultratravel Magazine’s ULTRAs 2018 awards for a remarkable seventh year running.
In the heart of one of London’s most prestigious shopping districts, The Bulgari Hotel adheres to the timeless aesthetic of the worldwide brand. That includes innovative design using marble and silver throughout. There are 85 rooms and suites, all offering the ultimate luxury commodity at a city hotel - an abundance of space - alongside a fusion of contemporary English style and Italian craftsmanship.
The Bulgari Spa leaves no hot stone unturned when it comes to the health and relaxation requirements of its guests. A rarity in the middle of a buzzing metropolis, it is a glass, onyx, oak and Vicenza stone haven, set over two floors.
It was an award winning spa and hotel at the 61st annual Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards. It won the Conde Nast Traveler US Hot List 2013, The Conde Nast Traveller Reader Awards, Best UK Hotel Spa 2013, the Tatler Spa Awards Best British Spa 2014, and the Conde Nast Traveller Reader Awards Best UK Hotel Spa 2015.
A Grade II listed mansion in Hertfordshire surrounded by a spectacular golf course, The Grove is a contemporary hotel forged on a historic site. With artwork peppered throughout the house and gardens, it is accompanied by its award winning spa, Sequoia. Facilities include an ozone-filtered pool (which avoids the use of chlorine), a steam room and a Jacuzzi. Meanwhile, therapists use products from the highly acclaimed Natura Bissé and ESPA brands.
Awards include the Hertfordshire Tourism Awards - Big Sleep Award 2017.Also Hotel Catey’s - Housekeeper and Front of House Manager of the Year 2017.They won Forbes Travel Guide - Four Star Award 2016, and the Bookatable Awards - Best Restaurant in Hertfordshire 2016.
Half an hour from Durham city centre, Seaham Hall is an iconic building in the style of a Georgian country house and dating back to 1791.Today it is a five star hotel accompanied by the award winning Serenity Spa. It is true to its name, providing a relaxed environment for wellbeing and some well-earned pampering as well. Last year, they introduced Cancer Touch Therapy to add to their already extensive knowledge. Awards include The Good Spa Guide Awards 2018 amongst many others.
Built in 1609, the hotel is a visual feast inside and out, with four-poster beds and understated grandeur harping back to its Tudor roots. It also has spectacular views across landscaped gardens and countryside. It has two award winning restaurants and the award winning spa is a destination in its own right at 45,000 square feet. Amongst its wide range of facilities, there is a Natura Bissé ‘bubble’. It’s one of only 24 in the world and it’s an exclusive place in which to perform treatments, where the air you breathe will be 99.95% pure. The system works to filter out allergens, bacteria and viruses leaving your skin even cleaner than a facial in the regular world. Pennyhill has many awards, not least of all being voted ‘England’s Leading Spa Resort’.
Set in the wider surroundings of Ribby Hall Village, The Spa Hotel is an adult only spa facility with an aqua thermal journey and a Zen Garden. The garden includes a salt sauna, monsoon shower and two hot tubs. Offering complete escapism, it’s a retreat for a whole weekend. The award winning spa received ‘Best for Customer Service’ at the national Good Spa Guide awards. They also scooped the top award at the Professional Beauty Regional Awards.
An enormous country house that has performed under many guises since its Victorian conception, this ornate red brick building retains a sense of easy-going, homely comfort alongside the grandeur. Amongst its facilities, there is a rooftop infinity pool with breathtaking views over the grounds and rolling Leicestershire countryside. It also has an open air heated experience with reclining underwater massage jet seating.
They’re such an important part of the UK spa landscape, they have won most awards going. That includes Best Dedicated Spa at the Candis Spa Awards. They were highly commended at Natural Health magazine’s International Beauty Awards 2018 for The Best Hotel Spa Experience. They have also won three titles in The Spa Traveller Awards 2013.
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