The end of the holiday season is a time for pondering the year that was, making plans for the future, and implementing changes towards a better you. After the champagne has run dry and the tree is taken down, it’s time to focus on finding the balance, calm, and happiness that you’ll need to start the year right.
Whether an improved health and wellbeing routine is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, or perhaps you just want a holiday from your holiday, these luxury wellness spas will ease you into 2019 and give you the sense of serenity you deserve.
Baraza Resort and Spa
Situated on the eastern coast of Zanzibar, Baraza Resort and Spa provides a tranquil refuge away from busy city life. Each of its 30 villas has a private plunge pool with the entire resort decorated to evoke a bygone era fit for the sultans. Holding the privilege of being the only hotel in Africa amongst the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in the World, this island paradise provides rejuvenation for both mind and body.
Baraza Resort and Spa offers their very own yoga retreat where guests have the opportunity to learn and practice Hatha yoga with twice-a-day sessions at the Frangipani Spa or on the beach overlooking the Indian Ocean. The Frangipani Spa offers a range of specialist massages and treatments and has its own yoga centre and relaxation room where Swahili-spiced teas are offered before and after every session. Adventure-seekers are also able to take part in the numerous activities on offer, such as snorkeling safaris, scuba diving trips, or Swahili cooking lessons using medicinal herbs and spices.
Six Senses Spa Elounda
For travellers looking for a sun-drenched hideaway, look no further than Elounda SA Hotels & Resorts in Crete. The brand includes the Six Senses Spa, the Elounda Mare hotel (the only Greek member of the Relais & Chateaux group), the Porto Elounda spa and golf resort, and an all-suite hotel with seafront private pools called Elounda Peninsula.
Covering over 2,220 square metres, the Six Senses Spa offers treatments that perfectly combine luxury, relaxation, and state-of-the-art technology. Therapy treatments include the Sweet Honey and Yoghurt, which focuses on hydrating and rejuvenating the skin for improved elasticity and softness, the Aegean Breeze with salt and olive oil for removing dead skin cells, and the Wine Elixir Facial which takes advantage of the antioxidants found in red wine to reduce signs of ageing. For those who are looking for a more intense programme, their semi-medical offerings allow guests to meet with nutritionists and fitness experts who will give a full personal assessment before curating a bespoke programme that will target the mind, body, and soul.
Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre
Located inside one of London’s top luxury destinations, the Hotel Café Royal, the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre offers a relaxing urban retreat right in the city centre. “Akasha” is said to be the source of all creation, and when joined with the elements of earth, water, fire, and air, results in a holistic awakening of the spirit.
The centre is home to 9 treatment rooms, a private Hammam, London’s first Watsu pool, a sauna, jacuzzi, cutting-edge gym technology, and a lounge bar with an assortment of healthy options. Cleanse your mind and body with a selection of treatments such as an Aromatherapy Associates body experience, a specialist hydrotherapy treatment, or a Detoxifying Green Tea Vichy Shower Ritual, among others. Additionally, they have a faculty of wellbeing specialists who provide a range of expertise from nutrition and weight management, to Reiki, meditation, and even crystal healing.
Vilalara Longevity Thalassa & Medical Spa
Thalassotherapy refers to the use of seawater for improved health and wellness. The Vilalara Longevity Thalassa & Medical Spa is one of the leading experts in fusing Thalassotherapy with an overall luxury experience right in Portugal’s famed Algarve region.
The idyllic location is complemented by 27-acre gardens, a secluded beach, five outdoor pools with fresh or sea water, four tennis courts, and two health-focused restaurants. The spa offers a relaxing wellness retreat, alongside detox and anti-inflammatory programmes; however it’s their 7-night Longevity Thalassa Weight Loss programme which is really remarkable. The programme is the perfect solution for those wanting to jump-start their fitness regime for the year with participants benefiting from expert consultations, a bespoke fitness schedule, a dedicated detox meal plan, and access to a plethora of physical therapy and workout sessions.
Rudding Park Spa
Named one of the best spas in the country, Rudding Park Spa in Harrogate sits in 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland and capitalises on the area’s sulphuric medicinal spring water. Its rooftop spa garden is the first of its kind in the UK, and guests are spoilt for choice with a hydrotherapy infinity pool, a panoramic sauna, herbal bath steam room, an ice fountain, and warming Evo lounge beds.
Treatments include their signature Rudding Park Jewel Ritual which starts with a Mother of Pearl and jasmine body scrub followed by a lathering of inner peace oil using ancient yogic techniques and finishes with a rose quartz healing face therapy and jade cream massage. If you want to try something off-the-beaten-path, the Mud Rasul Ritual is a must. A traditional Moorish cleansing treatment, the ritual involves applying nutrient-rich mud onto the face and body, letting it dry, and washing all the impurities away with a gentle rain shower.
