CHANTAL BORCIANI discovers a wellness world deep in the Italian thermal caves and lakes of Grotta Giusti Hotel and Spa and Bagni di Pisa Warm water laps aground my ears as I stare up at the lunar-like walls of the grotto. I sway in the warm water, weightlessly suspended in the arms of Paolo, my Italian Watsu instructor. I’m lying in the thermal pool of Grotto Giusti, an emerald millennial lake at the heart of a hotel spa in Tuscany, and immersing myself in the Watsu experience, a floating ballet of shiatsu in water… We have booked a couple of…
Author: TheSpaTraveller
Most spas today not only offer a treatment menu but also a music menu so we can relax to the soothing music of Deuter’s Sea and Silence or even the romantic ballads of Michael Buble. But what is the benefit of selecting our own background music during a massage or facial? It has been found that spas offering personalised music choices to guests may be onto a winner, according to findings from the University of Maryland Medical Center in the US. A study led by cardiologist Dr Mike Miller found that listening to your favourite music may be good for…
Dream wellness destination spa If you’re looking for wellness to de-stress, lose weight or simply relax in the sun why not book yourself into these Asian spas with a western twist Images: Courtesy The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort, which nestles in the Berjaya Hills in Malaysia, 50 minutes from Kuala Lumpar and The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort, which lies on its own island in the South China Sea are offering a tempting two-centre spa holiday which ticks all the boxes for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. “This offers the…
When life gets in the way, escape to the Swiss mountains Spa Traveller Wellness ‘romance’ correspondents, Claire and Jason, rediscover harmony and balance in the spas of St Luc in the Anniviers valley of Switzerland Claire’s journal: Whatever one plans, it’s fairly certain life will get in the way, and that’s when I start searching online for an escape. Nothing too avaricious, but definitely something involving a place where we can unwind and remember why we love each other. So, it’s serendipity when I get a call to review a spa hotel in St Luc in Switzerland. It nestles in…
Wellness in the heart of Game of Thrones country Penny McCormick learns ‘how to spa’ after check-in at the Galgorm Resort & Spa, County Antrim for her 24-hour luxury wellness retreat Spending 24 hours in a fluffy bathrobe is my idea of luxury, though clearly not a frequent experience for many. Hence when I check into my room at Galgorm Resort & Spa, in County Antrim, I find instructions on how to spa. It’s not surprising some pointers may be needed given the multiple facilities on offer at this impressive location that encompasses 75,00 square feet fusing the natural elements of air, fire, earth…
Release your stress PENNY McCORMICK visits the Mandarin Oriental Spa in London and “let’s go” during the signature treatment MOSST which is the perfect start to the weekend It’s traditional at this time of year to embark on a new diet or attempt a detox. Possibly more beneficial than either is booking a session at the Mandarin Oriental Spa in London. I started the spa year with their signature therapy – called MOSST. Typically I arrived late and therefore did not get to enjoy the relaxation process that is the sanarium (sauna), vitality pool or amethyst crystal steam room but I…
by Chantal Borciani Slinking into the outdoor hot tub, thick globules of snow oozing over the tan-coloured chalet roofs, I feel properly ensconced in alpine life. Everything about the pretty chocolate box town of Gstaad seems to perfectly encapsulate its “come up, slow down” ethos. Firstly your arrival into town is along one of the oldest and most beautiful train routes in Europe. The Montreux Oberland Bernois railway carves through alpine valleys and winds skywards into the mountains, its elegant carriages chuffing higher and higher past snow-swept scars, emerald glacial streams and tiny hamlets until real life feels a long…
Santa Barbara’s jewel: Bacara By Chantal Borciani Located around ten minutes’ drive from cool and stylish Santa Barbara on California’s Central Coast, Bacara (meritagecollection.com/bacararesort) is a luxury resort with serious star quality. The five-star resort is set on a marigold whisp of beach and its Mediterranean-inspired chic ocean-facing haciendas, private cabanas and divine suites dot the resort’s 78 oceanfront acres. Bacara’s 42,000 square foot spa is one of the largest on the west coast and boasts a courtyard adult-only pool encircled with lazing pods made for two, male and female steam, sauna and Jacuzzi, 37 serene treatment rooms, a fire-lit…
MARIA HART explores Bermuda, a 21 square mile subtropical island getaway with luxury at its core. For such a small island, Bermuda is blessed with a bounty of natural beauty: Sunshine, pink beaches, native cedar trees, underground caves, tropical flora, and turquoise seas that twinkle like diamonds inside the Great Sound bay. A bit Caribbean and a bit British, Bermuda has a character all its own and a spa experience to the island should reflect that. Fortunately, it’s a pirate’s chest full of spa treasures so there is no need to settle for the ordinary. Here I’ve selected five of…
Switch off – it’s time for a digital detox Digital detoxers ditch their devices – Ofcom. Is an obsession with smartphones, iPads and ‘screen time’ harming our children and us? Help is at hand… Sign-up to find our more about our Digital Detox and other Bespoke Guided Retreats – click here… Fifteen million UK internet users have undertaken a ‘digital detox’ in a bid to strike a healthier balance between technology and life beyond the screen, according to major new Ofcom research. The study of 2,025 adults and 500 teenagers reveals how our reliance on the internet is affecting people’s personal…
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