From lakeside escapes to tropical retreats, GH has tested the best overseas getaways
If you’d combine your next spa getaway with travel trip abroad, we’ve found the best overseas spa hotels to head to. The GH beauty team has been busy trying out the dreamiest spa getaways in the world, from city breaks, beach resorts and exotic long-haul retreats.
There are so many wonderful destinations to discover, from holistic retreats in Thailand and the Alps, to a host of wonderful hotels that offer spa breaks in spectacular settings, from golden beaches to beautiful cities.
For an unforgettable, five-star Italian adventure, head to the newly renovated Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, which now has the largest spa on Lake Como. Meanwhile, those seeking the perfect balance between me-time and family time will adore every moment of a stay at Daois Cove in Crete. Or if you're in search an exotic holiday of a lifetime, you can't do better than The Royal Palm Beachcomber, Mauritius, where the discreet attention to every detail is at a level you imagine only exists in actual royal palaces.
If you like to combine your spa time with sightseeing and culture, try the Pulitzer in Amsterdam or The Phoenica in Malta’s Valetta, a historic hotel beloved of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who lived nearby in the 1950s. Those who like to spend as much time lying on a beach as on a massage bed will appreciate Saint Lucia’s StolenTime, or – slightly closer to home – the five-star Anassa resort in Cyprus, which has recently introduced treatments from one of our favourite luxury brands, Subtle Energies.
For a truly holistic wellbeing experience, book in at Thailand’s Kamalaya or Italy's Lefay, where guests can be immersed in a life-transforming spa journey, focussing on both body and mind. The only problem will be returning to the real world. Here are some of our favourite spa hotels in the world...
Anassa Hotel, Cyprus
Where do we find the spa? Why, it’s out the front door, past the village square, around the Byzantine chapel... and we haven’t even left the hotel grounds! The five-star Anassa resort, snuggled into Cyprus’s easterly tip, has many such gems to discover as you meander along paths bursting with hot-pink bougainvillea and beckoning you down to the beach.
The award-winning Thalassa Spa is a key slice of this paradise. It offers a serene place to swim beneath Roman columns, sink your shoulders into a seawater massage pool or shade-bathe in the spa courtyard.
Treatment-wise, the premium roll call of spa names has been further elevated with the arrival of Subtle Energies, a brand that brings a magical alchemy of aromatherapy and Ayurveda.
Its signature Indulgent Beauty therapy (around £205 for 120min) saves GH from the traditional ‘facial or dilemma by delivering both in two hours of top-to-toe heaven. The full body exfoliation followed by a dosha-balancing massage is so relaxing, it’s genuinely challenging to roll over for the second half. When we admire the glow from the real 24k gold-infused facial, though, we’re glad we managed it.
The ‘mind, body and soul’ ethos of Subtle Energies is complemented by Anassa’s own wellness offerings, including the most intensely reverberating sound bath we’ve ever been immersed in, and a session with a shaman to discover our spirit animal (we can neither confirm nor deny that GH is a sloth).
Away from our spa-time, we enjoy indulging in Anassa’s excellent restaurants, feasting on the hotel’s self-produced cheeses, breads, pastries, cakes, honey and much more. A typical day of gastronomic heaven might begin with an al-fresco breakfast at Amphora, progress onto poolside mezze at Pelagos, and end with exquisite Asian flavours by candlelight at Basiliko.
With our senses satiated by food, spa and sunshine, we feel delightfully spoiled at Anassa – and ready for another lie-down.
Click here to read the article in Good Housekeeping.