By Krisanne Fordham, for CNN
The
past year alone has seen the debut of hundreds of wellness oases across
the globe -- a sign, perhaps, that spas have transitioned from being a
mere extravagance to an essential part of travel.
From
health retreats on Sicily's sun-kissed Mediterranean coast to high-end
hammams in the Caribbean, we've handpicked the world's 10 best new spas,
based on service, treatments, amenities and ambiance.
Rocco Forte Spa at Verdura Resort (Sicily, Italy)
There's no spa in Italy quite like the new, 43,000-square-foot
Rocco Forte Spa on Sicily's southwest coast.
For
starters, it sits on its own private stretch of coastline, with
uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean from almost every angle.
Unsurprisingly, the focus here is on thalassotherapy: the medicinal and therapeutic use of seawater and marine elements.
It has an extensive thalassotherapy circuit, consisting of four outdoor pools offering varying levels of salinity and heat.
Treatments,
like the Seaweed Body Scrub ($130), incorporate locally sourced marine
ingredients like kelp, sea salt and micronized algae to purify and
detoxify the body.
Thalassotherapy
aside, there's also an infrared sauna, a 65-foot-long swimming pool and a
juice bar that serves up organic, antioxidant-packed juices all day
long.
Spa at Ritz-Carlton, Bali (Bali, Indonesia)
Though it's just six months old, the
spa at the Ritz-Carlton Bali is already proving to be as impressively luxurious as the hotel itself.
Decked
out in suar wood and glossy marble, the spa features a state-of-the-art
hydromassage pool comprising of five sections that target different
areas of the body.
There are also two Jacuzzis, cold plunge pools, steam and sauna rooms, and a yoga studio overlooking the Indian Ocean.
In
addition to 14 free-standing treatment rooms, there are four private
spa villas outfitted with their own Balinese bathing pools and open-air
lounges.
Treatments blend ancient
Balinese methods and modern techniques, and incorporate locally
harvested ingredients like coconuts, seaweed and pearls, which are said
to have nourishing antioxidant properties.
Shiseido Spa at Excelsior Hotel Gallia (Milan, Italy)
Sprawled across the sixth and seventh floors of the plush new
Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Milan's newest spa -- opened late last year -- is also the largest in the city, clocking in at just under 11,000 square feet.
It
has an indoor swimming pool with hydromassage and waterfalls, a Turkish
hammam, an ice room and even a salt chamber, with walls made from sea
salt imported from the Himalayas (said to promote better breathing).
But
guests are really here for the high-tech treatments: The spa uses a
cutting-edge Japanese formulation called Skingenecell 1P, said to be the
first ingredient in the world to repel the fundamental cause of skin
damage and aging.
After something a little more low-key?
The spa's Zen Bathing Ceremony ($285), a two-hour-long, mineral-rich soak, is a perfect pick-me-up.
Thai House at Zemi Beach House Resort and Spa (Shoal Bay, Anguilla)
This isn't just any thatched-roof island spa: the newly opened
Thai House is a full-fledged wellness center on the shores of Shoal Bay.
Here
can be found the island's only hammam, a meditation garden, mud deck,
yoga studio, hydrotherapy showers and vitality pool set to guests' body
temperature.
There's even a juice bar.
Its
treatment rooms, built inside a traditional, 300-year-old Thai House
(hence the name), have their own private relaxation lounges with ocean
or garden views.
Treatments are
inspired by the wellness rituals of the local Taino people and use the
healing benefits of local herbs, flowers, mud and sea salt.
The
signature Zemi Sun Ritual ($305), for example, uses salt, papaya and
macadamia nuts to exfoliate skin, followed by an oil treatment infused
with local frangipani and jasmine oils.
Baglioni SPA at Baglioni Hotel London (London)
Located in the bustling heart of London opposite Kensington Park,
this sleek newcomer feels like an oasis hidden in plain sight.
Launched
in 2015 after a total makeover, the spa is ultramodern yet earthy, with
nature-inspired artwork, warm colors and dark wood decor throughout.
With just five treatment rooms and a menu of only 14 treatments, the cozy spa focuses on quality over quantity.
As
a result, treatments are as indulgent and luxurious as possible, from
circulation-boosting 24-carat gold masks ($200), to diamond
nectar-infused facials ($180) said to reduce hyperpigmentation and
brighten skin.
There's even a rare
facial made just for gents ($120) which uses green tea and mushroom
extracts to detoxify and reduce pore size.
Spa at Bernardus Lodge (Carmel Valley, California)
The views from the newly relaunched spa at
Bernardus Lodge are worth the visit alone.
Situated in the heart of Monterey wine country, it's flanked by 28 acres of sun-drenched vineyards, orchards and oak forests.
It
has all the features of a five-star spa: a sprawling pool, an outdoor
Jacuzzi, a eucalyptus steam room, Vichy showers, a dry sauna and a
state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness center.
But it's the spa's strict
"garden-to-treatment" philosophy -- which sources ingredients used in
treatments from the lodge's own organic garden -- that makes it truly
stand out.
Everything from facials
to pedicures are infused with homegrown lavender, mint, rosemary and
Chardonnay grapes from the lodge's own vineyards.
Guests can even soak in a Chardonnay-infused bubble bath.
Spa at Reverie Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Opened last September,
this two-level, 13,000-square-foot space is more like a full-fledged wellness center than a hotel spa.
With
two open-air Jacuzzis, an 80-foot-long (almost Olympic-sized) swimming
pool, several thermal areas and a 1,300-square-foot gym, it's the
largest spa in the city.
It's also
as unabashedly opulent as the hotel itself, decked out completely in
Carrara marble, hand-laid mosaics and gold accents.
Treatments
are fittingly decadent, from mother-of-pearl scrubs ($90) to
over-the-top couples' treatments featuring red wine body wraps and
massages by candlelight, with champagne and caviar refreshments ($820).
Bohemia Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Prague (Prague)
In the heart of Old Town Prague, with sweeping vistas over the Vltava river, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, Prague's
newest spa might also be its loveliest.
Location
aside, the space is architecturally striking -- set in a historic
neoclassical building that shares the same elegant Baroque touches as
the hotel itself.
Inside are mineral-rich thermal baths and an oxygen-intensified vitality pool said to have healing properties.
Treatments
are inspired by traditional Czech and Hungarian therapies and use local
ingredients like linden oil, drawn from the blossoms of the Czech
Republic's national tree.
Though
the new space won't officially open until the summer, a taste of its
treatments can be found at the hotel's current spa, which continues to
be fully operational.
Spa at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain (Sichuan, China)
Situated in the picturesque foothills of China's Qing Cheng Mountain -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- this
brand new spa's tranquil, river valley setting is as healing as the treatments themselves.
Here, traditional Chinese therapies and Tao principles reign supreme, with little regard for modern, Western spa trends.
Instead
of high-tech treatments, there's acupuncture, cupping, which uses
heated cups to promote circulation, and Gua Sha, which detoxifies and
heals through repeated, pressurized strokes.
In
lieu of stem cell-infused creams and diamond nectar serums, wraps and
scrubs are formulated from simple but potent local ingredients like
gingko, lotus, ginger and bamboo.
Thermes Marins at Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo (Monaco)
The
ultramodern, four-level space overlooks Monte Carlo Harbor and boasts
its own hammam, an ocean-facing saltwater pool, a state-of-the-art gym
and a full-service beauty salon.
It's
also home to the only spa in Europe with a cryotherapy complex, which
consists of two cold chambers set at -60 C and -110 C. (Cryotherapy is
said to stimulate the immune system, treat inflammation and help with
anti-aging).
There's even a dedicated organic restaurant onsite, L'Hirondelle, which serves up seasonal dishes of 500 calories or less.
