Last updated September 2018
We like to enjoy ourselves and we love to light up the fireplace, drink afternoon tea, or go to the spa. The latter we often do when we are away on longer trips. For what is better for recharging our batteries than a delicious massage or a soak in a whirlpool? We have been so lucky to visit some spectacular spas around the world and in this blog post, you can read about our 3 very best spa experiences.
Nr 3. Spa Village Bath at The Gainsborough Bath Spa (Bath, England)
Image reproduced by kind permission of The Gainsborough Bath Spa.
We had a great stay at The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel and were impressed by the beautiful spa, built around the natural warm springs of Bath. The Gainsborough Bath Spa is the only hotel in the UK that has thermal water within its spa facilities.
The atrium roof of the Spa Village Bath creates a beautiful ambiance in the main pool room, which is built in Roman style. The spa also has different pools, jacuzzis and steam baths.
We found two things to be especially charming about our spa visit. The first was that we were given scent bags filled with aromatherapy oils and salt. These were custom made for us in the Aroma Bar. The second thing we loved was the hot chocolate dispenser. Drinking hot chocolate drink was a perfect indulgence before the treatments.
We ended our visit at The Gainsborough Bath Spa with a very pleasant couples massage. Spa Village Bath is our second runner-up in our top 3 spa experiences. You won’t regret a visit here.
Tip:
Book your stay and treatments directly with the hotel and receive some great perks!
Link to Spa Village Bath at The Gainsborough Bath Spa
Image reproduced by kind permission of The Gainsborough Bath Spa.b
*We visited Spa Village Bath in July 2016.
Nr 2. The Spa at Old Edwards Inn (Highlands, North Carolina, USA)
The Spa at Old Edwards Inn is the perfect place to recharge your batteries.
Old Edwards Inn and Spa is one of our favorite hotels in the entire world. Their fantastic spa is a big part of the reason for this, but the hotel also has fabulous rooms and great resort amenities.
Before our first stay here, we had high expectations after reading all the very favorable reviews about the Spa at Old Edwards Inn. Still, we were totally unprepared for the amazingly cozy and warm ambiance that met us.
Our favorite area inside the spa was the fireside lounge. The comfortable armchairs placed in front of the fireplace simply begs you to relax with a good book and a glass of wine. And in the next room, a water fountain and daybeds with plush blankets are awaiting. Power napping to the sound of running water turned out to be incredibly calming. Furthermore, the nail salon charmed us with its creative and unique decorations.
Pedicure in charming surroundings.
The wardrobe facilities include saunas, whirlpools and steam rooms, with the most special feature being the 14 head(!) Swiss showers. The Swiss showers are, of course, heavenly. Stylish changing rooms with plenty of bathroom amenities are also available.
We had a lovely and relaxing couples massage. It actually made us unwind so much we did not care to go out for dinner but ordered pizza to the room instead!
Last, but certainly not least, we were greatly impressed by the spa staff. Every single staff member we met was smiling, kind and ready to assist.
The very hospitable Spa Operations Manager, Daniel Proscia.
The Spa at Old Edwards Inn is our first runner-up. A visit here is highly recommended. We were already back the very next day!
Click here to read our full review of Old Edwards Inn and Spa
Tip:
Book spa treatments well in advance, as they are extremely popular. As a guest, you are welcome to take advantage of the spa facilities even without a spa appointment.
Link to the Spa at Old Edwards Inn
*We visited the Spa at Old Edwards Inn in May 2016 and in March 2018.
Nr 1. COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Parrot Cay (Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands)
This is the sight that greets you upon entering COMO Shambhala Retreat.
Our very best spa experience was at COMO Shambhala Retreat on the private island Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands. From the moment we stepped into the spa we were treated like royalty by the exceptionally friendly staff.
The spa and the surroundings are truly spectacular, and the different treatment rooms and pavilions all have large windows overlooking the beautiful Caribbean nature.
Outdoor jacuzzi at COMO Shambhala Retreat.
The gorgeous wardrobes have outdoor jacuzzis and steam rooms, decorated with fresh tropical flowers. Bathroom amenities are of course from COMO Shambhala’s signature collection. We loved the fragrance so much, we bought several bottles of the shower gel to take home!
We had two different treatments, an Indian head massage and a four-hand massage. While the head massage was very nice, the four-hand massage was nothing less than mind-blowing.
The four-hand massage took place in a separate pavilion, with amazing views of the mangrove forest and the sea surrounding Parrot Cay. The two massage therapists were completely synchronized and made for a totally new experience for the senses.
The massage was followed by a visit to the private steam room in the spa pavilion and ended with an outdoor shower. It was truly magical to enjoy the running water while darkness fell on the island of Parrot Cay. Visiting COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Parrot Cay is the best spa experience we have ever had!
Spectacular surroundings.
Tip:
If you are not staying at COMO Parrot Cay, day passes to the resort are offered when the resort has availability. As a day guest, you can book spa treatments or just enjoy the spa facilities and the resort in general.
Link to COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Parrot Cay
The most amazing waiting area.