Britain's most romantic spa breaks
What makes a spa break romantic? Rather than a sprawling resort with every amenity, perhaps it’s the lure of a snug relaxation room with an open fire and sink-in sofas. Instead of the must-visit venue dominating your social media feed, maybe it’s the lesser-known boutique hotel with fewer bedrooms for fewer guests, the glass of ice-cold rosé served to you while steeping in the thermal pool, or the holistic rituals designed to truly relax you, à deux.
Beyond the realms of the spa itself, the magic in what makes a well-rounded romantic spa stay lies not just in the all-singing, all-dancing set-up but in peripheral elements like slipping into a marshmallow-soft bed and lingering over long, lazy breakfasts on your own private terrace – whether that’s in the centre of a historic city like Bath or amid ancient woodland in the North Yorkshire countryside. Throw in a couple of mind-mellowing enterprises like nature rambles and breathwork sessions and you may never want to leave.
The wonderful thing about Britain is that the spas are designed to feel supremely romantic whatever the season: from spring’s blossomy zing to the oaky throws of autumn. So take a look below, see what chimes with your love language, and treat your significant other to a weekend you won't soon forget.
How we review
Every hotel in this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis. They stay for a minimum of one night, test at least one meal and trial other experiences that the hotel might have to offer.
This supremely relaxing and stylish retreat is part of the postcard-pretty village of Southrop, about eight miles from Burford. It's a profoundly peaceful place; the approach along a sweeping drive through sheep-nibbled pastureland sets a bucolic mood and a sense of being in another world, and no expense has been spared in the bedrooms. When it comes to wellness, the facilities are first-class – from the Meadow Spa with eight treatment rooms (therapies come courtesy of Aurelia and Bertioli) to the heated spring water swimming pool, tennis courts and fragrant gardens. Then there's the exquisite Botanical Bothy – a private spa space with a roaring fireplace and two deep soaking tubs for restorative bathing rituals.In the lush New Forest national park, Lime Wood’s sybaritic Herb House Spa – an ensemble of indoor and outdoor hot pools, surrounded by foliage – is ideal for a weekend spa break for two. In summer, the glass doors by the 16-metre lap pool are folded open to the deck where people recline on thick-cushioned loungers with juices or champagne. In autumn and winter, the place to be is the thermal room, whose full-length windows reveal treetops and envelop you in the surrounding area. In here you will find the sauna (with more forest views) and steam room, a tepidarium and another hot pool with jets. A beautiful rooftop garden offers quiet contemplation – and many of the herbs grown in it are incorporated into the treatments.
What makes Middleton Lodge’s Forest Spa really special is that only 16 guests are allowed in at any one time. Although this means it’s a bookable extra, what you get is a session of totally unrushed, unharried relaxation. Come rain or shine, the outdoor pool is a wildly romantic place to wallow, and the woodland cabins are particularly cosseting when the pitter-patter of rain accompanies a Voya or Aromatherapy Associates treatment (there’s even a double hut for couples). Log fires crackle in the relaxation spaces – one of which houses an icy indoor plunge pool – and there’s a sauna and a steam room to pad between. A choice of restful rooms – from shepherd’s huts to rustic doubles in the Dairy (opt for one of the ground-floor rooms to enjoy your own al fresco tub) – lean into a farmhouse-chic aesthetic which continues to the two restaurants: Coach House and Forge, which both use produce foraged and grown on the estate.This country house hotel doesn’t do things by halves. The Coach House Spa, designed by renowned stained-glass artist Brian Clarke, is a work of art, with flower-themed glass panels and ceramic tiles and mosaics that reflect the hotel’s nature-filled surrounds (the house is set among 470 acres of grounds and woodlands). There are six treatment rooms, including a suite for two. Couples can potter around the thermal area with its whirlpool, steam room, sauna and ice fountain, as well as the two main pools (one outdoors, heated). The fun doesn’t stop at the spa – all bedrooms come with luxurious bathrooms, fluffy robes, Bamford toiletries, turndown service and complimentary minibars, including a bottle of Sipsmith Sloe Gin for Deluxe and above.Couples seeking peace and pampering pass through a mile-long avenue of lime and beech trees to reach this Palladian mansion. In contrast to the historic architecture of the original house, the spa occupies a modern wing to the rear of the property. In the main pool hall, couples can relax in the glow of the impressive fireplace that spans the length of the 20-metre pool. There are five thermal cabins – a Japanese salt steam room, a 25C jasmine-scented amethyst room, a eucalyptus-infused steam room, a tepidarium and a sauna – plus a hydrotherapy jet pool that allows dippers to swim through to an open-air infinity pool where soothing views of the surrounding parkland and arboretum greet them.There are country house hotels – and then there’s Cliveden. This National Trust property, dating back to the late 17th century and set among 376 verdant acres on the banks of the Thames in Berkshire, truly offers one of best spa breaks for couples in Britain and has an intriguing romantic history involving scandalous political affairs and pre-wedding stays from former royals. Characterful rooms feature different highlights, from four-poster beds and working fireplaces to freestanding bathtubs and an outdoor hot tub. The spa draws couples with state-of-the-art treatments in the glamorous rooms, stress-busting water-mattress treatments (good for a giggle) and its centrepiece – the swimming pool beside which Keeler first met John Profumo.
You'll find one of the sleekest spas in the country at Corinthia London. Spread over four floors, it’s home to acres of black marble, a steam room tiled with vampish mosaics, and a stainless steel pool made more dramatic by the glow of a flickering fire. There's a bill of ESPA therapies to pick from and facials now come courtesy of game-changing skincare label Augustinus Bader. Those who book the private spa suite for two can enjoy a skin-smoothing rasul mud ritual followed by a treatment of their choice – lunch is included, along with a glass of champagne and all-day access to the main spa space, with its amphitheatre sauna and plethora of thermal pools. Afterwards, book into one of the bedrooms, which strike the perfect note between contemporary and classic.This is the only hotel in Britain to have access to natural thermal waters. Couples can enjoy mineral-based treatments by Hungarian wellness brand Omoroviczia in a private room for two. The wellness centre is staggering, complete with 4th-century original Roman mosaics, three thermal pools, saunas and a steam room. Guests are encouraged to partake in the house circuit, spending around an hour soaking in the baths of varying temperatures, rubbing the body with crushed ice and having a sauna. Charming rooms have an understated neo-Georgian look, with grey-blue colour schemes, period-style black furniture and pretty antimacassar cloths.
This historic island hotel’s Floating Spa, housed in a specially built riverboat moored along the bank, couldn’t be a more appropriate setting for a romantic spa escape: the feeling of seclusion immediately descends once one arrives. Treatment rooms are in cabins, the therapists wear nautical outfits and the whole spa journey – using tinctures and liqueurs once made by monks – is a soothing, unusual and unpretentious delight. Afterwards, a glass of something fizzy on the terrace is the perfect way to unwind before heading to dinner at the Brasserie with its views of the River Thames. Those who spend a certain amount on their wedding day at Monkey Island get a complimentary seven-night stay at one of YTL’s Malaysian resorts – which include extras like daily spa treatments and experiences.
How about a private spa for two? The chic spa lodges at the Gilpin are a lesson in spa weekend breaks for couples with their own personal saunas, hydrotherapy hot tubs hemmed in by Eden-like walled gardens, a steam room, stone bath, crackling fires and views of the Lake District moors. Life here is all about kicking back: from fishing and horse riding to fine dining and, if you're staying in the six-bedroom Lake House, an indulgent spa treatment at the romantic Jetty Spa. Expect contemporary country-house comfort in the main house rooms, and a Scandi feel in the separate open-plan garden suites (private hot tubs) with fanatical levels of luxury.
Treat your loved one to a night or two in one of this Scottish Baronial mansion’s luxurious spa suites. Set on a private island accessible by a bridge, amid glorious scenery in the west highlands, these rooms have their own hot tubs and private gardens – they really push the experience up there as one of Scotland’s top luxury spa breaks for couples. The spa is set in the property’s old stables, and offers Ishga and Espa treatments. Elsewhere, in the Main House, drawing rooms are filled with deep sofas and fireplaces, and the restaurant, which offers sophisticated dining, is popular for romantic celebratory dinners. Please note that some of the spa facilities are currently undergoing refurbishment.
Dormy House is a complete treat of a hotel with very stylish and deeply relaxing décor, terrific food and impeccable service. Its state-of-the-art spa has also won armloads of awards. The private suite for couples is adjoined to the rhassoul mud room, so guests can book a hot mineral mud bathing session before or after a treatment for two. Spa facilities include a tranquil indoor infinity pool, aromatic steam room, Himalayan salt sauna, and snowfall room – plus an outdoor hydrotherapy hot tub which best in winter when you can slip your robe off to sink into the warm waters and gaze into the flames of the outdoor fireplace.
Standing boldly among the conifers and pines, Brimstone is intentionally reminiscent of a large ski chalet, constructed using beautiful blue-grey Lakeland stone. It has a Bubble Private Spa for two, complete with heat and steam cabin and spa bath. Treatments on offer include bespoke rituals using Pure Alchemy products, and tRiBe517 muscle-relaxing massages involving sleep balms and hot ceramic pods. From glowing, glass-fronted stoves (lit to be toasty just as you arrive and replete with log stack) to double showers, enormous spa baths and bi-fold doors opening out to Lakeland views, it’s impossible to find fault with bedrooms. Dinner at the Stove is a romantic treat.
No spa in London can rival the views from this rooftop fixture, which overlooks the copper beeches of Hyde Park. The skyline vistas from the 10th-floor Sky Suite for couples, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, makes quite the backdrop for a two-hour treatment of choice and hour of relaxation by the double steam room, glass of bubbles in hand. Elsewhere the sauna, which also has a window, boasts particularly magnificent vistas, and there's a vitality pool. Treatments are by Margaret Dabbs London, The Organic Pharmacy and Linda Meredith Skincare. For an extra treat, opt for an oxygen facial by the latter for a 75-minute experience that will make you and your skin feel date night-ready.
• The most romantic hotels in London
Imagine taking in views of the Atlantic while enjoying a scented bath in the clifftop hot tub, glass of English sparkling wine in hand. The 'Rediscover Each Other' package makes for one of the most indulgent overnight spa breaks for couples with treatments included, as it starts with a bathing ritual (outdoor hot tub, hammam, rhassoul or candlelit copper tub), followed by guided meditation or a sound experience and a tailored therapy which culminates in an Epsom salt bath for two – or a massage lesson for two in the couple’s suite. Other facilities worth seeking out include a reed-filtered natural swimming pool and clifftop cedar wood sauna. Glorious sea and sunset views make this the ideal hotel for honeymooners, and it's a child-free zone.
Couples who book into this hotel are lured by the charming seaside setting, tucked into the south-easternmost fringe of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The spa has a cliff-edge treatment room for two with French windows that, weather permitting, stay open so guests can breathe in the sea air and listen to the heaving waves during their facial or massage. There is also an infinity pool and a thermal bathing experience that includes a salt infusion room, herbal rock sauna and ice fountain. The hotel has its own gallery, showcasing works by local artists, and the restaurant offers fresh, colourful cuisine with a nod to local seafood.
Contributions by Charlotte Johnstone, Fiona Duncan, Fred Mawer, Gavin Bell, Harriet Charnock-Bates, Harriet O'Brien, Helen Pickles, Jade Conroy, Kathryn Liston, Kerry Walker, Lizzie Frainier, Natalie Millar-Partridge, Natalie Paris, Rachel Cranshaw, Robin McKelvie and Sherelle Jacobs.
