The Best Spas In Europe

The spa hotel scene in Europe has boomed of late, with a host of big-deal openings breathing new life into the wellness travel industry. Now, if you’re looking for a spa break that transcends the Prosecco-and-hot-tub standard, you’re spoilt for choice.

Old mansion houses set on sprawling country estates (we’re looking at you, Adare Manor), are bound to impress anyone itching for a spot of city respite, while ultra-sleek fitness retreats are here to ensure you perspire as much as you recline. For those who want to come back feeling lighter, there’s the new school of nutrition-based wellness weekends, while anyone who refuses to call it a holiday if they haven’t seen the sea should, honestly, skip the scrolling and book straight into the unbeatable Daios Cove.

Here, see the very best spa hotels in Europe, according to the ELLE team. If it’s here, you can rest assured an editor has been and loved it – and we’re an extremely picky bunch.

1. Daios Cove

It would honestly be quicker for me to tell you what you can't do at Daios Cove, the sprawling, sun-bathed resort set on a private patch of Cretian coastline.

Kepos by Goco is the hotel's new, world-leading wellness spa: although to call it spa would really be reductive. Start your stay with a full-body health assessment by one of the in-house doctors, then the wellness world is your oyster: BXR fitness retreat? Cryotherapy chamber? Colonic hydrotherapy? (Yes, that is what you think it is).

If that all sounds a little low on the relaxation scale, know there's also a host of indoor and outdoor pools, thermal experiences, and a full menu of 111 Skin spa treatments – the marker of a seriously good spa – waiting for you too.

Daios Cove, Crete

2. Terme di Saturnia, Italy

About two hours drive from Rome is the village of Saturnia, whose history dates back to 7th century B.C. Terme di Saturnia's thermal baths was said to offer respite to Roman soldiers after battles, and the water's reviving and purifying qualities are sought after by Italian locals and tourists alike.

Forget rigid programmes and forced relaxation, at Terme, its all about having some down time - your own way. That means enjoying a sublime breakfast spread (semolina cake for breakfast? Si, signora), lounging in your bathrobe 24/7, soaking up the sunshine, spending time in the various steam rooms and yes, luxuriating in the thermal baths. In the evenings, the bar is buzzing with drinks and cocktails, which makes Terme a great spot for a girls trip, too.

It's difficult to leave the comfortingly warm pools, but 20 minutes is the recommended time for softer skin - and do make use of the floats available, it can be hard to find your footing otherwise. Don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling significantly lighter and more serene after the baths; its what keeps generations of Italians returning to Terme.

For those seeking something extra, the spa offers an extensive menu of massages along with in-house specialists who can take care of your skin's needs, whether that's a mole check or a laser treatment. Do make time to wander to the tiered hot spring pools located just five minutes walk from the hotel. Milky turquoise waters make for a magical, once-in-a-lifetime sight. There's also a lush, verdant golf course if you fancy a round of putting.

Got an extra day? Make your way to the ancient town of Pitigliano, which is built into a cliff and features the Medici aqueduct - it's a must-see for history buffs.

Like most thermal baths, there is a strong scent of sulphur emanating the air, but given the breathtaking scenery and the bliss one feels after a dip in the baths, it's worth it.

Terme di Saturnia, Italy

3. Adare Manor

Adare Manor has stood on the banks of the River Maigue since the 17th century – and while the original building has seen several expansions, repairs and renovations over the decades, it has lost none of its imposing grandeur.

Today, the sprawling country hideaway is home to what many consider one of the best hotels in the world, where Michelin-starred dining, an internationally renowned golf course and, of course, a truly remarkable spa can be found.

The order of the day here is flawless traditional hospitality. Whether you're hiding in a cosy corner of the Tack Room, whisky in hand, or arranging a very special dinner (naturally, many come here to celebrate a major occasion), you can expect to be wholly looked after.

But back to the spa – the star of the show, if you ask me. Few manage to balance slick modernity with classic cosiness, but the Manor has mastered it: just submerge yourself in the supersized jacuzzi pool, with glass walls revealing the forest outside, and tell me otherwise. And for your treatment? The arrival of Harley Street's acclaimed 111 Skin can only mean very promising things: whether you opt for circulation-boosting cryotherapy or the famous Celestial Black Diamond facial, you're in very good hands indeed.

Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland

4. Borgo Santo Pietro

Borgo Santo Pietro is the most special place I have ever stayed in Europe, and frankly I doubt anything could top it. Owners Jeanette and Claus Thottrup purchased the 800 year-old villa (and the rolling hills that surround it) just over twenty years ago, and have been painstakingly reviving it ever since.

Today, the place is an otherworldly ode to nature, where horticulturists, vintners and farmers nurture the fruits of the biodynamic land. In-between dips in the infinity pool, sound-healing sessions and imbibing in the Borgo's own rosé (you will never try a better one), retreat to the stone-walled spa, where treatments spotlight Jeanette's other baby: Seed to Skin, which uses potent plant extracts sourced from the grounds, and formulated by scientists in her local lab.

And the rooms? The rooms! Each villa is entirely unique and true to tradition, with claw-foot bathtubs taking up the centre of your outrageously sized bathroom and a four-poster bed to flop into come nightfall. Some have private pools and secret herb-lined gardens.

As you can probably tell, I could wax lyrical about this Tuscan retreat for days, but to summarise: there is pizza, there is rosé, there are views you will never forget. For a seriously special occasion, it cannot be beaten.

Borgo Santo Pietro, Tuscany

5. Holzhotel Forsthofalm

If you like to balance all the reclining with a few activities that actually raise your heart rate, Forsthofalm is the ultimate choice. This action-packed Austrian resort is part ski stalwart, part yoga retreat, part ridiculously indulgent hillside spa – so you can feasibly steam yourself silly in a eucalyptus-scented sauna while your travel companion throws themselves down a mountain.

Of course, in winter the place is filled with snow-sport types, but come spring this Austrian haven transforms into an idyllic green escape, where high-altitude hikes are followed by a peaceful yoga class, or simply a glass of Prosecco overlooking the phenomenal landscape.

Yes, there might be an endless list of sports to try your hand at here (including a mountain bike trail ominously titled The Hangman) but the spa is the real star, if you ask this admittedly biased beauty editor. The wood-and-glass structure offers 360 views of the forest outside, so whether you're floating in the heated infinity pool or warming up in the thermal rooms, you'll feel fully immersed in nature.

Phew, there's a lot to squeeze into a wellness weekend here. Good job your room is built entirely from Swiss pine, which has an aroma said to knock you out for a full eight hours (I can attest this is true, so do set an alarm or you'll miss the breakfast extravaganza).

Holzhotel Forsthofalm, Leogang, Austria.