Check out Red's ultimate spa guide
What do you look for in a brilliant spa? When Red's team gathered to review some of the best across the world, our criteria varied wildly. Some wanted a full wellness MOT, complete with nutrition plans and exercise classes; for others it was near solitude, free to dip into warm pools and massage chairs as they please.
Hard-wired city dwellers sought backdrops of snow-capped mountains and calm waters to swim in. Others felt buoyed exploring new cities, recharging their batteries in chic hotel spas away from the hustle and bustle. Whatever you look for in a spa, Red's edit has covered all bases.
Scroll on down for our edit of the very best spas, according to Red's beauty team. You never know: one of of favourites become become yours, too.
Red's ultimate spa guide, chosen by our beauty team
Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris
"It’s pouring as my train rolls into Paris and I’m cold and wet, but two Metro changes later and here is the Plaza Athénée, with her signature red awnings, her manicured hedges stretching down Avenue Montaigne, and a “bonjour, madame” from the doorman. I’ve never been to Versailles, but this can’t be far off, with its silver-leaf mouldings, floor-to-ceiling marble and fresh blooms at every turn, and a signature amber fragrance floating through the lobby (custom-made by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, and so richly luxurious even my completely nose-blind boyfriend was charmed).
But despite the opulence it’s never stiff, and neither is the recently renovated Dior Spa on the basement floor. Here I’m given a gut and skin-loving shot of marine collagen, rose and fermented berries, and tucked into an impossibly soft blanket for Dior’s interpretation of the famously good HydraFacial. This is where models come to revive their skin during Fashion Week and I can understand why; it’s hard to square the bustling city above with the tranquility down here.
I’m also struck by the lighting in my treatment suite, with LED settings that resynchronise circadian rhythms thrown off-kilter by modern life. It’s soft and flattering, and were I having a body treatment, I really wouldn’t mind stripping off. I emerge from my facial with a glow that’s so emboldening, I go to dinner with only a slick of mascara and a red lip. Consider me assimilated." Phoebe Lee
Six Senses Rome, Italy
"Six Senses’ Italian outpost and first urban property is my kind of Roman Holiday: extremely smart with a modern take on wellness. Innovative treatments and classes include breathwork, wellness screenings and bio-hacking tech, but own spa journey begins with sound healing.
Lying on my back, eye mask on and cocooned in a blanket, I’ll admit to feeling sceptical - and to hoping that my husband (lying on the mat next to me) doesn’t laugh - but this turns out not to be the woo-woo bell ringing I’d imagined.
Francesca, our therapist and guide, asks us to take several deep belly breaths, then uses Tibetan singing bowls to create a sequence of sounds that vibrate through our bodies, The principle, she explains later, is that different emotions vibrate at different levels, and that using sound to release emotional blockages can help to heal body, spirit and mind. Within moments, I feel vibrations running up and down my body; some as sharp physical shocks, others making my limbs tremble as heat rises up through my skin. I’m so focused on the sounds that my mind clears, and I enter a trance-like state. It’s a powerful hour-long experience that leaves me feeling as if I’ve just had the most intense full-body massage.
Afterwards in the hotel’s Roman baths, I experience something of the ancient art of bathing, following a circuit designed to reduce inflammation by heating the body up and cooling it down again. After an hour of soaking and socialising, I’m left feeling pink cheeked, and fully committed to see past the woo, and to open my mind to all new wellbeing experiences that come my way." Oonagh Brennan
La Zambra, Spain
"I fly through a storm to reach La Zambra, palms clinging to the arm rests as I focus intently on the 325 days of yearly sunshine bestowed upon theCosta del Sol. Happily, the sun plays ball on landing and all turbulence is forgotten once I’m safely cocooned within the hotel’s white Moorish walls. La Zambra hasn’t always been this calm. Formerly the Byblos Hotel, it was a decadent party spot beloved of The Rolling Stones and Julio Iglesias(the Bamboleo bar is named in his honour). The lavish 1980s decor has left the building and the new owners have let the magical local light in; it bounces off the cool stone floors and is practically a design feature in the spa.
Treatments here follow different ‘journeys’,determined by your therapist over a house smoothie or steaming cup of whatever you fancy. It’s gently suggested that relaxation isa state I need to tap into, this being my first trip away from a one-year-old live wire, so a lavender and orange blossom massage follows. Sheer curtains enhance the ‘cloud nine’ vibe of my sun-dappled treatment room, separating my space from my husband’s (‘No talking!’). Warm oil is drizzled on limbs tired from toddler hauling,
and we drift in and out of Turkish baths, saunas and a cavernous Jacuzzi.The more adventurous can limber up with a Thai yoga massage, or hopaboard a ‘floating’ massage bed, but I stay grounded. Before leaving, we pop into the (complimentary) baby club, ‘just in case’. It turns out that serenity and soft play can coexist; we’ll be back." Anna Lao-Kaim
Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
"Recently refurbished by the hip French Experimental Group, Cowley Manor’s vibe is ‘cool members’ club meets country house charm’. New additions include food by Jackson Boxer (local produce with a French twist),lava-stone lacquered baths and basins in a palette of rust, mustard, deep greens and blues, and small doors hidden in the trees, which open to reveal QR codes to tell their stories (very Alice In Wonderland and, indeed, Cowley is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll).
The beautiful C-Side Spa, which I last visited pre-Covid, has had a glow-up, too, though the glorious outdoor heated pool (my idea of wild swimming) remains. Monu skincare, hailing from nearby Cheltenham, now features in the facials; my friend’s bespoke treatment leaves her smiling beatifically and her skin fresh and rested-looking, while a C-Side Mindful Massage soothes my menopausal aches and calms my scattered mind.
I would have booked a manicure, too, as I was curious to trial another of the spa’s recent signings, the newly rebranded Hara, but pre-dinner drinks in the stylish cocktail bar beckoned. Next time..." Eve Cameron
University Arms, Cambridge
"A book butler is not the first personI expect to meet on my arrival at the University Arms, but then this is not your standard spa experience. This is bookwormery with a side of spa.
In fact, I’d met the book butler (on email) a week before I arrived. As part of the hotel’s Peace Within The Pages package, she’d asked me about my favourite literature (gothic, noir, as dark as you like, please). And as I enter my room – a sublime suite with a terrace overlooking the green space of Parker’s Piece – I understand why: a beautifully wrapped copy of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca is an unexpectedly lovely gift. I quickly realise that the snuggling-down-with-a-book aspect of my stay will be just as relaxing as any treatment.
About which I’d love to wax lyrical but can’t, since I fall asleep moments into it (my unknotted muscles and lighter-feeling self, however, are testament to how good it was). I have a 90-minute full-body massage by Aromatherapy Associates, which runs treatment rooms out of some of the hotel bedrooms, delivering body and facial treatments that, through clever essential-oil alchemy, tend to the mind as much as the body; truly the thinking woman’s spa break." Fleur Fruzza
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L'Albereta, Italy
"You don’t have to be on a detox to be here, but it’s fun to know that L’Albereta is one of only five locations in the world that follow the teachings of wellness pioneer Henri Chenot, blending traditional Chinese medicine with medical screening tests and deceptively delicious plates of plant-based, low-calorie cuisine.
You don’t have to be detoxing to try the detox treatments either; I have my ‘fatty deposits’ blasted in a hydrotherapy bath and my lymph boosted by an energy-clearing massage plus cupping, then happily trot off to the fairy-lit pizzeria for fried calzone and a glass of local sparkling wine. This fusion of serious health and gentle hedonism comes together beside the two pools (the outdoor set into the lush grass, the indoor with a Fornasetti mosaic floor), where dedicated detoxers rub shoulders with dozing foodies and chic Italians fresh from the gym.
And in that no-nonsense European way, holistic treatments, such as acupuncture and reflexology, sit alongside wrinkle-relaxing injections, laser facials, body-sculpting treatments and very good pedicures. The hotel itself is magical. Terraces are hung with ivy and vines, there are alfresco hidey-holes around every corner and rolling views that make me wish I had an extra pair of eyes. The grounds twinkl eafter dark and everywhere smells vaguely of Parma violets. It’s a very special place. " Alexandra Friend
The Retreat at The Londoner, London
"A skip away from Red’s office and the hustle and bustle of Leicester Square, The Retreat’s subterranean oasis at the Diptyque-scented Londoner hotel is spa heaven after a day at work. I step through floor-to-ceiling glass doors facing a pool surrounded by private cabanas, and am taken along a hallway of soft, woody hues to meet Chaise, my masseur – and after an hour of targeted pummelling with energy-resetting Ila oils, my screaming shoulders are thankful.
I float past Ama Quashie’s AMA nail bar and a rail of Hunza G crinkle-stretch swimwear to Refuel, the superfood smoothie clinic with a pre- and post-treatment menu. I take my chamomile and ginkgo biloba tea (for stress and eye health) to the plush seats of a cabana. The pool here is a pool you’ll actually use, though maybe not for lengths. It’s a social hub, really, for floating and chatting. After one final trip to the steam room and sauna, I leave The Retreat in such a state of tranquillity that jumping on the Tube home feels, for once, entirely painless." Abby Allen
The Cape of Senses, Italy
"How many ways can you take a nap? It must have been front of mind when the final touches were put to Lake Garda’s newest wellness destination, because day beds, loungers and blankets thrown over squashy armchairs are legion. On the lawn, by the infinity pool, in multiple relaxation rooms and in the spa library... even my room has a sizeable day bed a few feet from the actual bed (which is vast), in case I can’t make it to my balcony sofa without stopping for a lie-down.
So much potential for rest and relaxation is made possible because this five-star hotel is an adults-only one. Teens (aged 14 and up) are allowed, but I didn’t see any, making Cape of Senses so beautifully, unusually still that just being here feels like a restorative treatment in itself. With my children at home on a rotation of babysitters, I could take a Vespa for a spin or tour an olive grove, but instead, I join the daily Aufguss sauna rituals, where whirling towels send hot air and botanical aromas swirling; then I walk barefoot on wet grass in the dark with a bunch of strangers, all naked under our towels, eating fruit kebabs and feeling fantastic.
The wellness itinerary here isn’t packed; just one or two meditation or gentle movement classes a day, which leaves plenty of time to just... sit. I also gaze wordlessly at the impossibly blue views, dress properly for dinner and drink excellent martinis. Gorgeous." Alexandra Friend
Kamalaya, Koh Samui, Thailand
"I’m six days into my Thai wellness retreat, so I can’t pin this on jet lag. One moment, hands are cupping my temples, lulling me to sleep in an ancient healing ritual; the next, I’m jolted awake by a crackle in my belly, a spiritual static that punctures my dreams. ‘It’s common in reiki,’ says my guru afterwards. ‘You had blocked energy channels; it’s a sign of stress being released.’ Stress? I imagine a portal bursting open and the past year’s pressures gushing out – an imperfect storm that has blown me towards Kamalaya’s edit of ancient Eastern wisdom. The term ‘integrated’ isn’t used lightly here; you can be prescribed sessions with anyone from a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to a former Tibetan monk-turned-mentor.
I meet the latter on my second day of Asian Bliss, a programme recommended for stress and fatigue. ‘Why,’ my new life coach asks gently,‘are you living so tightly wound? Life should flow effortlessly.’ The key to this preferred state, he explains, requires a reconnection to the past, embracing – not suppressing – possible sources of anxiety. His guided meditation is so moving that I leave the room clutching tissues and vowing to be kinder to my inner child.
My programme revolves around Kamalaya’s tropical hilltop Wellness Sanctuary, where each day brings treatments to nurture a more relaxed and resilient me. An Ayurvedic massage delivers ASMR-like thrills as I’m drizzled top-to-toe in oil, while the more cleansing, shall we say, Chi Nei Tsang therapy features such vigorous abdominal rummaging I get flashbacks to my C-sections. And no stay here appears complete without cupping, since everywhere I look there are backs covered in suction marks. Days chime with the body clock. Morning classes focus on movement, while sunset is reserved for blissful group meditation. At night, I spend peaceful hours journalling on my veranda, stars glittering above while crickets thrum all around. The food is equally inspiring. The ‘regular’ menu offers healthy Thai cuisine, while detoxing is made delicious and simple with filling soups, salads, curries and even desserts. When it’s time to depart, I feel nourished, physically, spiritually and mentally. My cupping marks may be fading but Kamalaya is imprinted on my heart." Lynne Hyland
Lily of The Valley, Saint Tropez, France
"It’s easy to believe that everything about this retro-chic hotel – from hilltop exterior to the perfect placement of every last vase – was imagined by one creative brain (French architect Philippe Starck), so harmonious is its vibe. This extends to the wellness offering, too: everything works seamlessly, so if you’re following a fitness plan in the gym after a body composition scan with the spa’s Wellness Advisor, you won’t be offered wine at dinner and the jam is deftly swiped from your breakfast table (‘My signature move,’ says the charming waitress, who tells us that yes, we can have a croissant, but then ‘it’ will not work).
It is what Lily’s clientele come for: to redefine their relationship with fitness and food. Exquisite, protein-focused meals – often featuring generous dollops of caviar – are large, but we don’t snack in between. Trainers are knowledgeable but also kind, and great fun, too, whether they’re teaching us to sea wade or swing kettlebells. And the overall feel is so laid-back and nurturing; I can see why some guests (funds permitting) stay for weeks on end.
I visit with a perennially dieting friend for two nights and her eating and exercise habits have completely changed since then. Less yo-yo dieting, more whole foods, and a new love
of movement that lasts." Alexandra Friend
Naturhotel Forsthofgut, Leogang, Austria
"After three days of drinking my morning cup of English breakfast tea on a balcony overlooking the Leogang mountains, the prospect of leaving this family-run eco hotel and returning to my London commute – the smart chalets and Scandi-style wooden lofts replaced by towering buildings– feels impossible.
Nature is the thing here; if I’m not in it,I’m looking at it or swimming pretty close to it. I ease into the outdoor bathing lake toe by toe, sticking out the cold by focusing on my outward breaths, then climb out feeling buoyant. I scrub my body with zingy exfoliating soap and sit neck-down in the blissful 42oC warmth of the onsen. Then it’s a toss-up between the saunas (traditional and infrared), rooftop whirlpool, fire-lit relaxation rooms with knockout views or the sleek Botanist Bar, where cocktails are mixed with house-made herbal tinctures and served with straws made of... well, actual straw.
I squeeze in a hike up to the magical forest yoga platforms, where I complete a beautiful class to a gentle soundtrack of spruce and pine trees swaying in the wind. Later, an alpine-themed massage channels the velvety green forests through lushly scented oils and hot compresses on my head and feet.I’ve heard it’s as magical here in the snow; I’ll be back for ski season." Christina Geggus
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, Champillon, France
"I realise this is my kind of spa when I’m offered a glass of Champagne on checking in. It’s the first of a few – obligatory, I feel, since the hotel sits in the heart of Champagne country. Built into a hillside, every room, including two of the spa’s treatment rooms, has picture windows with stop-you-in-your-tracks views of the Marne Valley.
But I’m really here for the Royal Sleep Experience, which begins in my airy bedroom with a guided meditation via a Morphée, a smart gadget that holds200 prerecorded combinations for relaxation and sleep (it’s so good, I buy one on my return to the UK). An afternoon nap later, I slip into a cosy robe and pad off to the spa for my candle massage; deft hands and warm oil make for a treatment that is rejuvenating and soporific in equal measure.
From there, I move to a lounger beside the indoor pool to contemplate my next move... a soak in my Diptyque-stocked bathroom. Dinner in Le Bellevue restaurant includes lighter choices, intended to be easier to digest and not interfere with sleep; I have a divine roasted cod with organic lentil ragout and Champagne sauce. Later, I find my room has been misted with Aime sleep spray, with the brand’s Sleep & Glow ashwagandha and melatonin drops on the bedside table. I’m out like a light." Eve Cameron
Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland
'As I cross Lake Lucerne by catamaran at sunset, Bürgenstock looks less like a hotel and more like an alpine Bond lair. I’m quitting the rat race for 48 hours in this idyllic state-of-the-art spa.
I listen to the faint sound of cowbells while watching the sun rise, then bathe in my expansive tub at sunset and can’t decide which was more tranquil. The spa’s obvious draw is the iconic infinity pool overlooking the lake. But for me, the real gem lies in Bürgenstock’s new Hydrothermal Journeys. There are three to choose from, each taking a different route through 15 hydrothermal experiences. ‘Regenerate’ leads me from room to room, alternating hot and cold and building up to the outdoor Alpine Eco Pool withrefreshing (read: extremely cold) water from the lake below. I even brave the bathing-suit-free panorama sauna and ultra-cold plunge pools.
Bürgenstock’s new Beauty Lounge features brands such as 111Skin and Biologique Recherche. I go Swiss with a facial by Lausanne-based medi-aesthetics brand Dr Burgener, then mitigate the effects of my golf practice (there’s a nine-hole course and driving range) with a hot-stone massage before heading back to reality." Jodie Dunworth
Velaa Private Island, Maldives
"As I step off the seaplane (yes, seaplane) and on to the white sand of Velaa Private Island (yes, private), I can’t help but feel like an A-lister. A feeling that’s fuelled as I’m greeted by our butler, who will be looking after us for the duration of our stay... a glimpse of the great things to come. The first of which is our villa, perched on stilts over the crystalline blue and deliciously warm sea, to which we have direct access, as well as our own private pool.
Inside, spacious rooms are decorated in shades of chocolate, cream and azure. And just in case direct ocean access and a private pool don’t meet all my aquatic needs, we also have a Jacuzzi overlooking the sea and a glass porthole in the sitting room floor to view fish swimming underneath. (We later join them in a snorkelling session, which includes a ‘pinch me’ moment: swimming with turtles.)
It’s easy to feel well in this environment but, nevertheless, Velaa offers an excellent wellness programme as part of your stay. Along with the Velaa Spa, there is the newly opened health centre, Eveylaa Wellbeing, which brings a holistic experience that balances nutrition and fitness with emotional wellbeing. Solutions are tailored to each individual (you can even have personalised menus throughout your stay) and offer long-term goals that are implemented here and continued at home. My two wellness consultations, with Ayurvedic expert and practitioner Dr Peeyush Kumar, open my eyes to both my diet and lifestyle – in a nutshell, fewer carbs and more protein and yoga are needed. The last of these is made easy during my stay, with early-morning hatha classes in a pavilion surrounded by an exquisitely lush tropical garden (we spot a fruit bat in
a banana tree). I try a few treatments, too, my favourite of which is the Abhyanga and Shirodhara Massage. This Ayurveda-inspired treatment sees oil gently poured over my forehead (or, in chakras, my ‘third eye’) to promote a clear mind, while rhythmic massage stimulates circulation and energy flow. The Maldives is, I think, as near to paradise as you can get. Velaa Island feels very private – it’s never crowded and the people there make us feel extremely special. I come home with a genuine health reset and a plan for the future... as well as a non-negotiable need to return one day." Carolyn Bailey
Hotel de Len, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
"Hotel de Len knew what it was doing by situating its spa on the top floor and encasing it in glass for a jaw-dropping mountain panorama. Regular yoga classes will never be the same once you’ve practised lotus pose surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and an outdoor hydromassage tub and two saunas are perfectly placed to maximise gawp time. Hikes in said mountains are recommended as part of the hotel’s sleep-friendly protocol, which encourages outdoor activities during the day and a wind-down in the rooftop spa at dusk (other add-ons include pasta-making and wood-carving workshops, intended to enable a state of mindfulness).
After an early-evening spa session overlooking the lights of Cortina, I retire to my room. Designed for optimal rest and wellbeing, it’s clad in wonderfully perfumed fir and reclaimed Swiss pine, and fitted with a network filter to capture radiation, a tool to remove dirty electricity from the air and a Magma13 Radiance Panel to facilitate deep sleep. I can’t say for certain whether it works, but I do sleep like a baby." Georgia Green
MayrLife, Austria
"Mornings at MayrLife begin with putting on my fluffy white robe, walking to the private wooden jetty by Lake Altaussee and launching myself into the 21oC water for a 10-minute swim. Then I go into the open-plan dining room for breakfast, choosing two small but perfectly formed dishes from a list (cured salmon, eggs, hummus, chicken, avocado mousse). For a caffeine-head like me, the only downside is swapping real coffee for a dandelion version.
If you’ve already heard of the Mayr method, the only recognisable element in this unexpectedly blissful scene might be the chewing, because with each meal comes the famed ‘chewing trainer’: crackers or a roll made from quinoa, buckwheat or oat, designed to help you chew each mouthful 40 to 60 times to support digestion. I’d been to the clinic 10 years ago, when MayrLife was part of a two-location set-up known as VivaMayr. Now the clinics have split, allowing MayrLife to update the traditional method (Dr Franz Mayr was preaching gut health and using fasting as a way to heal digestive health 100 years before we ever heard of autophagy, the microbiome’s internal clean-up process) with new technology. Unlike most of the guests here, I don’t have digestive problems, but I do have brain fog, bad sleep and a lack of energy, which my doctor tells me have their roots in a stressed gut, too.
Each morning, he massages my digestive organs (surprisingly relaxing), recommends further tweaks and tests, and prescribes treatments to aid relaxation and help my gut to heal. I discover I have more muscle mass than 10 years previously (thank you, Reformer Pilates), but am breathing at almost twice the rate I should be – a sure sign of stress. Altitude training, where I’m strapped into a mask and given varying levels of oxygen, gives me a high like half a glass of wine on an empty stomach. Cryotherapy is scary the first time I’m shut into a mega freezer at -110oC, but the endorphin high lasts all day. In breathing training, I’m retaught to take my breath right down into my belly. Inevitably, I spend the first three days feeling hungry. Lunch is fish, steak or chicken plus root vegetables. Supper is a root vegetable soup at 6pm, to give my digestion a 14-hour overnight fast. I swim in the pool, rotate through various saunas and go to bed early. Each day, I feel my breathing slow, my stomach get flatter and my energy levels get stronger, and after four days – thank goodness – my hunger goes away. On day six, for the first time in years, I don’t have brain fog. I go home feeling energetic, focused and missing that beautiful lake." Brigid Moss
Guerlain Spa at Raffles, London
"If I told you that Raffles at the Old War Office unveiled its new spa to the tune of Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, while a synchronised swim team plunged into a 20-metre pool, would that give you an idea of the levels of extra involved at London's hottest new property? Being Guerlain, the extra is matched by equal amounts of polish, making the spa politely hushed as well as incredibly luxe. Every corridor is a work of art and the lighting glows; in the relaxation room (squashy daybeds made up with sheets and blankets) I put a perfect plum on a marble side table and it looks like a still life.
My tailor-made treatment could have been anything I chose but my therapist and I decide on a facial with a side of Myofascial release, to loosen my clenched jaw and shoulder. It starts with a blind smelling of three fragrances, my favourite of which is misted onto towels and bedding, and ends with my face looking far fresher than it did in the selfie I took in the elegant changing room an hour earlier. Plan, save, cajole… do whatever it takes to spend a few hours here; you'll be (politely and luxuriously) blown away." Alexandra Friend
1 Hotel Mayfair, London
"Think you can’t experience the restorative power of nature in the city? 1 Hotel Mayfair is all about bringing the outside in, and around 1300 plants and shrubs live here. In reception (the desk made from the trunk of an English Oak) a swathe of tumbling vines forms a ‘living chandelier’, and bedrooms have their own moss wall, plus sustainably sourced oak floors, recycled glassware and a filtered water tap that eliminates the need for bottles. Staff wear muted colours, too, to add to the soothing aesthetic.
The Bamford Wellness Spa, infused with grounding forest-y smells, promises to nurture through its connection with nature. My body massage starts with a detoxifying foot bath while I choose the oil I feel most drawn to (warming rosemary). Ancient massage techniques - Japanese Shiatsu, Swedish Massage and Chinese Meridian Stimulation – are used to unblock energy channels and release muscle tension, and a warm chakra stone is placed on my abdomen, while I have a deeply relaxing head massage, ending with guided deep breathing.
I leave the Spa feeling recharged, and retreat to the mossy sanctuary of my room overlooking views of Green Park. Later, I experience a Michelin-starred chef's takes on a traditional roast dinner and I listen to live music in the cocktail lounge bar. Truly the best of both." Beverley Croucher
Sonnwies, South Tyrol, Italy
"It’s my children’s world and I just live in it. This much is clear when we walk into Sonnwies and spot a help-yourself soft-serve machine with accompanying sprinkles. A floor plan by the lifts is coded by colour and animal (our room: purple mouse), and the card on the dining table has my daughters’ names on it. If this sounds like the most misplaced holiday effort ever, it’s really not.
Sonnwies, with its pale wooden suites with suspended fireplaces, and heated outdoor pool misting over in the blue autumn air, also has incredible wine cellars, a walk-in cheese room and a two-floor spa. My boyfriend and I can count on one finger the times we’ve made it into any kind of relaxation space together, but the kids’ club here is so enticing that our nine-year-old’s eyes fill with tears when we joke about missing them too much to let them go back after lunch. So while they craft animal masks, stroke alpacas and make artisan butter (true story), we touch toes on a day bed. And yet, we do miss them... or is it the family aqua park I miss? Sonnwies is fun, but it’s also impeccably put together, down to every last muted pastel pool toy. If this is the benchmark I’ll measure all future family breaks against, it’s a tough act to follow." Alexandra Friend
The Lakes by Yoo, Lechlade-on-Thames, Cotswolds
"Six in a car on a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Kent means tensions are high when we roll through the gates of The Lakes By Yoo. Mine, mainly - I’m quietly concerned about keeping three generations of family occupied for a whole weekend. I needn’t have worried. As we decompress on a tour around the estate, I realise that a week wouldn’t be long enough to exhaust everything on offer here. Granny is taken by the nature trail, my boyfriend by the ziplines, and my parents by the cocktail classes. And we all adore our Cotswold-y lakeside cabin, with its butterscotch stone walls, comfy-cool furnishings, and fresh loaf of sourdough with pat of salted butter waiting in the kitchen.
With all parties happily occupied by the bread (this is before they even get to the zipline/nature trail/cocktail classes), I slope off to the spa for a Dr. Barbara Sturm Brightening Facial (Cosmoss and Wildsmith are other house brands here). The products do some of the heavy lifting and my therapist does the rest, using firm but relaxing movements. A (very fleeting) dip in an ice bath later and I return to a fire-lit cabin. As we gather to cook in the big kitchen, I catch a glimpse of myself in the window as I look out onto the lake. I’m the happiest I’ve felt in months, and it already shows." Phoebe Lee
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