5 must-visit British spas that will rejuvenate your body and mind

When it comes to R&R, nothing beats checking into a spa hotel for a decadent pamper. And, with lives busier than ever after a turbulent few years, a peaceful retreat feels even more appealing than usual.

Whether you're looking for a city escape, coastal jaunt or countryside getaway; a wellness weekend or a day of pure indulgence, there's a spot in the UK that will deliver.

Here, see the Bazaar verdict on the best spa hotels in the UK, spanning the country from North to South. Featuring the traditional, the tech-driven, and everything in-between, there's bound to be one here that ticks all the boxes.

CLARIDGE’S, LONDON

 

The best spas begin to work their magic as soon as you step inside, and Claridge’s is one such. A calming, wood-panelled space, designed to resemble a Japanese temple, it has seven treatment rooms, steam rooms, saunas, a gym, and a small but perfectly formed pool. The spa offers Augustinus Bader facials, FaceGym contouring and a wide variety of massages. My bamboo-and-silk ritual started with a foot-washing ceremony, then segued into a massage with bamboo sticks and herbal poultices, and ended with a facial using silk cocoons. After a bouncy blow-dry at the Josh Wood salon, I left feeling as though I had just returned from a month’s holiday.

THE DREAMING, RADNORSHIRE

 

This Welsh retreat is the vision of the soprano Charlotte Church, who invites attendees to join her for healing holidays at Rhydoldog House in the Cambrian Mountains, once the home of Laura Ashley. Sound journeys, silent discos in the surrounding woodland and sing-songs at dawn are all on the agenda here, as are flower-garland making, firepit ceremonies, and communal meals. Participants are encouraged to switch off (there’s little phone service and no Wi-Fi) during the three-day retreats, which take place twice a week, with one ‘pay what you can’ spot reserved each time

HECKFIELD PLACE, HAMPSHIRE

 

The country hotel’s Bothy Spa by Wildsmith opened recently, and from the moment you open its secret door—part of the house’s original walled garden—you feel thoroughly pampered. The generous structure includes six treatment rooms, outdoor hydrotherapy and healing thermal experiences. The Sun Room is the pièce de resistance—a space that brings the outdoors in, where you can relax and dine from a plant-based menu created by Heckfield’s culinary director, Skye Gyngell. Also on offer are invigorating experiences such as forest bathing and cold wild-water therapy.

GLENEAGLES, PERTHSHIRE

 

Set deep in the countryside, this Scottish icon is well-positioned to encourage relaxation. Its new range of botanical oils and treatments draws on the power of the herbs found on the estate (think borage, sea buckthorn, rosehip, and pine), while the mountainside yoga sessions and wild-swimming retreats hosted by the nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson make the most of the hotel’s rural location. You can experience Dr Barbara Sturm’s first residency outside London or unwind in the crystal steam-room, vitality pool and on heated relaxation loungers after a bracing country walk.

THYME, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

 

The founder of this Cotswolds hotel, Caryn Hibbert, is a former doctor and an advocate of breathwork; the range of beauty products she has designed for Thyme reflects her belief in the power of scent to release tension and rebalance the body. Now, visitors can try this for themselves in the Botanical Bothy, the newest addition to the Meadow Spa, which consists of a tranquil indoor space and a picturesque garden. Book the ‘Signature Ritual’, a treatment that incorporates breathing exercises, a head massage, and a warm herbal bath; you’ll leave feeling restored and equipped with techniques you can practise at home.

This piece originally appeared in the June 2023 print edition of Harper's Bazaar UK.