Wellness expert Healing Holidays, which certainly has its finger on the pulse (and chi), tells us that “people are looking for purpose and guidance”, with continued demand for post-Covid balms to treat low self-esteem and poor sleep, as well as for full-body MOTs at spas such as Sha Wellness Clinic. You voted Joali Being best for its forest-green rooms (all with pool and sundeck included), Lanserhof Lans and Ananda in the Himalayas for their deft-handed therapists, and the Mayan-inspired Palmaïa, The House of AïA, on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, for its sustainability efforts. In the UK, Lucknam Park’s ever-evolving spa – now with CBD floating meditation on the menu – eased into first place.
These are the best spas in the world, according to the 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. The scores below are percentages representing overall average levels of satisfaction.
Lucknam Park
The best destination spas in the UK
15. Barnsley House, Gloucestershire. Score 91.36
14. Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, Hampshire. Score 91.79
13. The Gainsborough Bath Spa. Score 92.20
12. Buxton Crescent Hotel, Derbyshire. Score 93.46
11. Cowley Manor Experimental, Gloucestershire. Score 94.55
10. Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, West Sussex. Score 94.95
9. Thyme, Gloucestershire. Score 94.97
8. The Grove, Hertfordshire. Score 95.45
7. Gleneagles, Perthshire. Score 95.51
6. Beaverbrook, Surrey. Score 95.58
5. Coworth Park, Dorchester Collection, Berkshire. Score 95.60
4. Cliveden House, Berkshire. Score 95.61
3. Heckfield Place, Hampshire. Score 95.62
2. Lime Wood, Hampshire. Score 95.91
1. Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire. Score 97.06 (pictured above)
Indoor poolNathalie Krag
The best destination spas in Europe
20. Ikbal Thermal Hotel & Spa, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Score 89.01
