Five Spa Hotels for Winter Retreats

Searching for a last minute gift idea for your partner, sister or best friend? Or perhaps you’re hoping to diminish the January blues with a relaxing getaway? A spa retreat in a luxurious hotel is always a good idea, but perhaps even more so during the midwinter months when basking in a wood-fired sauna sounds even more tempting. There are many, many spa hotels to choose from across the UK; for this edit we’ve chosen five hotels that combine elegant, design-led interiors and exceptional service with beautifully designed, relaxing spas that all have something extra special to offer

The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath

Nestled in the middle of the Roman city of Bath, The Gainsborough Bath Spa is located right on the site of the original Roman Baths. The hotel itself offers a variety of contemporary elegant rooms – from cosy deluxe rooms to vast suites and a self-catering townhouse – but it is the spa access which secured its place in this edit. The geothermal waters here are mineral-rich, fed by the thermal springs which sit beneath the city – it’s the only spa in the UK where you can bathe in such water, and the minerals have a multitude of benefits ranging from soothing dry skin to being good for muscle tension and arthritis. Hotel guests can enjoy private access to the spa for two hours each morning and evening, allowing them to soak in the two thermal pools and indulge in the traditional and infrared saunas, steam room, ice alcove and relaxation areas. You could also choose to book one of their spa rooms or suites – the only hotel rooms in the UK with in-room access to thermal waters from the roll-top bath tubs. Treatments are predominantly themed around the mineral-rich waters, including Hungarian Moor Mud scrubs, mineral facials, and aquatic body treatments where a therapist stretches your body in the water.

Image: The Gainsborough Bath Spa

Estelle Manor / Eynsham Baths, Oxfordshire

Luxury hotel and private members’ club, Estelle Manor has swiftly become the place to stay in Oxfordshire since its grand opening last year. Located on a luscious 85-acre estate, guests can choose from 108 rooms spread across the Neo-Jacobean manor house, the converted stables and walled gardens, or a scattering of private cottages – all elegantly designed by Roman and Williams. The manor’s spa, Eynsham Baths is one of the most exciting recent spa openings in the UK. Available to members and guests only, the spa is a serene space, inspired by traditional Roman baths. The Neoclassical structure is tucked away in the forest, centred around a tepidarium bathing hall that transports you back in time. A 180-minute Thermal Journey takes you through 6 thermal areas, including a frigidarium, caldarium and hay sauna, with two circuits designed to either energise or calm your body. There’s also the option of a full day pass which includes additional access to the Hideaway, an open-air oasis with its own waterfall. Treatments are based around ancient Indian, Chinese and Tibetan rituals with a vast range of massages and facials available, plus a hammam, rasul and shirodhara. Curated rituals combining the thermal journey with multiple ancient therapies are available for those who want to experience the spa’s most healing treatments. Sound healing sessions and Wim Hof breathwork classes in a dedicated outdoor pool are also available on weekends.

Image: Mark Anthony Fox for Estelle Manor

Heckfield Place / The Bothy by Wildsmith, Hampshire

The perfect countryside escape, located just an hour outside of London, Heckfield Place has built a reputation as one of the UK’s finest luxury hotels. With interiors lovingly designed by Ben Thompson and Skye Gyngell as the culinary director, this working estate places equal emphasis on its calming interiors and seasonal menus. Opening last year to critical acclaim, The Bothy by Wildsmith completed Heckfield’s offering. The bothy itself is a small cottage nestled in the walled gardens, where your spa journey begins. Guests are invited to slow down, spending three hours bathing in The Waters (an 18-metre mineral-rich pool with a glass wall that retracts during the summer months), unwinding in the sauna and steam room, and soaking up the fresh air in the beautifully designed outdoor hot tub. There’s also a cosy sitting room with a roaring open fireplace, and a sunroom boasting a plant-based menu. Treatments are based around Wildsmith’s products and principles, with facials, massages, reiki and reflexology on offer. A variety of natural therapies are also available, guided by expert practitioners in everything from nutritional therapy to craniosacral therapy. To complete your experience, book an introduction to cold water immersion in the picturesque lower lake. 

Image: Heckfield Place

Saltmoore, Whitby

The north of England has been sadly lacking in beautifully designed, wellness-led sanctuaries, but Saltmoore, a brand-new opening on the North Yorkshire coast, is set to change that. Fully embracing its wind-swept position beside the North Sea, guests are encouraged to connect with the outdoors and enjoy everything from cycling and surfing to trekking the moors on horseback. 72 cosy rooms and serene suites designed by Sapin Studio are split across the main house, the family-friendly Beach House and a couple of private cottages – while local legend, Tommy Banks heads up the culinary offering. The Sanctuary at Saltmoore spa is designed to aid guests in relaxing and recharging: there’s an ice bath and cryo chamber for those hooked on cold therapy following a bracing dip in the sea; plus a sauna, steam room and bubbling spa pool if you’d rather warm up. The indoor pool offers floor-to-ceiling views of the luscious gardens as you bathe, and an outdoor pool will also be opening next year. A curation of holistic Wildsmith treatments include massages, facials and a pampering skin renewal experience. 

Image: Esme Mai for Saltmoore

Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall

Perched on the cliffs overlooking Mawgan Porth beach, Scarlet is an adult-only refuge dedicated to fine dining, a great night’s sleep and relaxation. Rooms range from ‘just right’ to ‘unique’ and ‘indulgent’, all of which boast breathtaking sea views and balconies or terraces. There’s an excellent restaurant and bar serving delicious cocktails, as well as several lounges to unwind pre- or post-dinner – but it’s the spa that you really come here for. Outdoors, a distinctive natural reed pool dominates, where guests can brave an icy dip between wood-fired sauna or hot tub sessions. Whether you’re a cold water swimmer or want to try something new, this is an invigorating way to start the day – you could book a surf session in the notorious waves below if you fancy something wilder. Indoors, there’s a large chlorine-free pool, steam room and spacious relaxation room, as well as a space for daily yoga and Tai Chi classes. Ayurvedic-inspired massages and other treatments are centred around the cocooning tented treatment area, where draped material creates a womb-like ambiance. Each treatment is tailored towards your specific needs, and is followed by time to reflect and nap in a suspended relaxation pod. There’s also hammam and rhassoul experiences, candlelit copper tub bathing, and solo or couple ‘journeys’ that include a bathing ritual, guided meditation and bespoke treatments.