In The News – World Spas

Whether it's a full-scale detox or just a serious pamper session, there's no shortage of terrific spas to choose from. 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.

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.

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. 

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. This 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.

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. 

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.

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