The best spa hotels in the UK
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Whether it's in the opulent surroundings of a London private club, or the more idyllic countryside setting of a Cotswold hotel, a spa break is always a welcome thing. The UK's spa hotels have been going from strength to strength recently, with ever-more beautiful swimming pools, stylish interiors, and luxurious treatments. The House & Garden team have selflessly committed themselves to trying the best spa hotels the UK has to offer, exploring swimming pools, saunas, steam rooms and treatment rooms, and assessing the beauty of the interiors, the excellence of the products, and the setting in the wider hotel.
The best spa hotels in the UK
1/17Thyme, Gloucestershire
Billing itself as a 'village within a village', Cotswold hotel and restaurant Thyme has something for everyone, from impressive gardens to its marvellous cookery classes. The Meadow spa does not disappoint, with an outdoor pool drawn from an underground spring, and seriously stylish interiors done out in soothing pale green, crisp white linen, and marble accents. This is a far cry from the ultra-opulent spaces of London spas, and the upscale countryside look is a distinct breath of fresh air. The treatments feature products from British brand Aurelia Probiotic Skincare, which prioritises natural ingredients.
- 2/17
Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire
For serious luxury in the countryside near London, Coworth Park is an unmissable destination. Part of the Dorchester Collection, the hotel offers a beautiful country house setting, vast gardens and meadows, fine dining, polo fields, and of course, a heavenly spa. With its own building set a little apart from the main house, the spa has just been revamped for summer 2025, and its light-filled interior is full of lovely things to explore.
The generous pool has a new thermal spa experience adjoining it, with a Finnish sauna, steam room and snow shower. On sunny days the terrace outside is the perfect place to sunbathe, and upstairs the cafe serves refreshing light lunches. But you'll find the real highlights in the eight revamped treatment rooms upstairs, where the focus is on bringing the relaxing properties of Coworth Park's marvellous wildflower meadows inside. The spa has a new partnership with Natura Bissé and their nature-inspired products – try the Lime Blossom treatments for an especially refreshing experience.
As a complement to the spa's treatments, the hotel offers wellness experiences designed to put guests in touch with nature, from guided woodland walks to mindful meadow bathing.
3/17The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath
Bath has been a spa town for a couple of millennia now, so it’s no surprise that they’ve got it right. The Gainsborough is the only private spa in the city to be directly fed by the thermal spring itself, and bills itself as a contemporary version of an age-old experience. The main thermal pools sits in a beautifully airy double height atrium surrounded by tasteful columns. From this space, rooms lead off that allow visitors to approximate a Roman bathing experience: pools of various temperatures, an ice fountain along with a sauna and steam room.
Treatments are based around aromatherapeutic principles, and each visit starts with a consultation about the precise blend of essential oils most suited to your taste–a nice touch that enhances the feeling of being pampered. Following the treatment you can relax on a mezzanine overlooking the pool - one of the pleasanter relaxation spaces out there. If you’re staying in the hotel, the sophisticated Dan Moon restaurant is well worth visiting; the marvellous tasting menu is the perfect end to a day of indulgence.
4/17The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath
Few rows of terraced houses in England can be anywhere near as grand Bath’s Royal Crescent; built in the 1770s, it is well-known as one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the country. Behind the doors of no.16 you can experience what it might be like to live in such an exalted place, thanks to the endlessly luxurious Royal Crescent Hotel. Beyond the terrace’s idyllic garden are a series of buildings that house the spa, restaurant, and many of the rooms. Within, the spa is all grace and elegance, with a small but beautifully-designed pool overlooking the garden, plus a hot tub and steam room. The room that contains these has the feel of a medieval abbey, enhancing the sense that you are steeped in history here. Treatments use nourishing GROUND products, and we can only recommend wafting out into the garden afterwards to sip on some herbal tea and contemplate your serenity.
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5/17Claridge's, Mayfair, London
Completed in 2024, the opening of a new spa was the centrepiece of Claridge’s massive renovation. The space was designed by renowned architect André Fu and is inspired by Japanese temples. Natural materials such as limestone and wood prevail, alongside graceful ikebana flower arrangements that help create a profoundly calming, zen-like space.Even the incense in the treatment rooms is inspired by temple Koh-do ceremonies.
The pool, with its electrolyte-rich water, is a highlight, and there are saunas and steam rooms for a deeply relaxing experience. Treatments include skincare by Augustinus Bader, massages with La-Eva products, and hairstyling by Josh Wood.
6/17Beaverbrook, Surrey
Beaverbrook is unquestionably one of the most beautiful country house hotels in England, with deeply comfortable interiors by Susie Atkinson (and some recent additions by Nicola Harding) making it almost impossible to tear yourself away. It's a short hop from London by car or train and once you sweep into the grounds and up the ambling driveway, you feel very far removed from the noise of daily life indeed. The hotel was once the house of publishing magnate Lord Beaverbrook, who was instrumental in the Spitfire effort during WWII and as a result, there are little spitfire motifs throughout. Rooms are also named after the many illustrious guests who stayed when it was a private residence (think Churchill, Kennedy and Taylor) and there's even a piano in the impressive main hall which was played by Charlie Chaplin.
The hotel is formed of the main house, which has lovely suites, views across the Surrey Hills, an elegant cocktail bar bedecked with botanical paintings, the main Japanese restaurant and a wonderful terrace that leads onto the glorious grounds. Elsewhere you'll find ‘The Village’, a new Nicola Harding-decorated addition that is perfect for families, The Coach House with a selection of cottages and The Garden House, with another restaurant and more delightful rooms. A stay here is a glimpse into the luxurious country life you’ve always wished you could attain.
The Coach House Spa is absolutely up to the exceptional standards set by the rest of the hotel and is definitely one of the best in the country. It looks unlike any other spa, with rich, jewel-coloured tiles and a stained glass ceiling by the artist Brian Clarke leading the way to the treatment rooms. There is a long, elegant indoor pool, and a heated outdoor pool, plus a hot tub, steam room and sauna. Lead by Lino, who directs all treatments, any you book will be utterly transformative. The pregnancy massage is the best you'll find anywhere and a roster of Visiting Wellness Masters bring their expertise to the setting for extra oomph. It's utterly magical in every way. With both spectacular interiors and treatments of this standard, The Coach House Spa is one to make a beeline for - and it’s only an hour or so outside London.
Durston Saylor7/17Rosewood London, Holborn
Rosewood London is one of capital's most lovely hotels and of course, the spa is no exception. While it's on the smaller side (there's no pool), the treatments are unparalleled, there's a steam room and sauna in the changing rooms for pre- and post-treatment relaxation and a lovely central room where you can lounge before and after a massage with a hot infusion matched to your treatment. Guests of the hotel have access to the spa if you fancy a quick morning steam, but it's certainly best used for its wonderful range of massages, facials, wraps and exfoliations. What's more, once you've been pampered, you get to pad back to your cosseting room in your slippers, enjoy the plush surroundings and get ready for a night at Scarfe's Bar (one of the best cocktail bars in the city) and one of the restaurants on offer. Breakfast at The Mirror Room the next morning is the icing on the already perfect cake.
8/17Dormy House, Broadway, Worcestershire
In the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, Dormy House offers a moment of relaxation and respite within its sandy-coloured stone walls. The closest town is buzzy, beautiful Broadway, but there's really no need to leave Dormy House once you arrive. The pool is long, set at the perfect temperature and benefits from a glass wall on one side overlooking the large hot tub and courtyard outside, and flooding the spa with light. There's a salt-infused steam room, sauna and lavender sauna, as well as many treatment rooms where the pros get to work.
Excitingly, Dormy House is the first UK spa outside London (and second overall) to offer treatments with Tata Harper products, an American brand famed for their all-natural, cruelty-free and beautifully packaged products that work wonders. Once you're pampered and feeling relaxed and refreshed, pop back to the lovely, cosseting bedrooms before heading for dinner in one of the hotel's excellent restaurants – we recommend the Back Garden, where fine dining dishes are served using produce grown at the hotel.
9/17Lime Wood, New Forest, Hampshire
Lime Wood hotel in the New Forest is always worth a visit for the cosseting, comfortable interiors and restaurant run by Angela Hartnett, but the Herb House spa is what really calls out. To the right of the main house is the spa, complete with heated outdoor pool, indoor pool and hydro pool, not forgetting the sauna and steam room of course.
The views add to the sense of total calm; the hydro pool's wall of glass windows and many of the treatment rooms look directly onto verdant forest foliage. It's a spa for those who favour biophilia. If you need some pre-dinner rejuvenation after a day of lounging and relaxing, each room in the hotel comes with maps for the various woodland walks around the property.
10/17The Lanesborough, Knightsbridge, London
Hidden away in the basement of one of the city’s finest Regency mansions, The Lanesborough Club & Spa delivers on all counts, with incredibly elegant interiors – think marble clad walls, moody tones and silk wallpapers – and a truly superb treatment list. New to the roster of wellness specialists, which includes facialist Anastasia Achilleos and holistic brand Ila, is Tata Harper, who is known for her natural and organic treatments. The Lanesborough was the first spa in the UK to collaborate with the American expert, who is offering a range of facials, as well as a full body treatment.
I opted for the indulgent 2 hour ‘Awakening and Energizing Body Ritual’ and while I was a little apprehensive about its length, I very quickly forgot – clichéd as it sounds – all about the time in the cocooning and ambiently lit treatment room. A knowledgeable therapist began by explaining the different oils to me, and the treatment started with a smoothing scrub, which was then followed by a deliciously smelling honey and pomegranate body mask. I left, after the final massage, feeling thoroughly energised. There are plenty more delights outside of the treatment rooms, including a hydrotherapy pool and steam room, and an array of loungers and comfortable chairs.
11/17Chewton Glen, Hampshire
The spa at Chewton Glen is suitably grand for this manor house hotel, with a domed, frescoed ceiling, colonnaded swimming pool and intensely fluffy robes. After some hours spent gliding through the temperate swimming pool and relaxing at the hydro pool to warm up muscles, it's up to the inky treatment rooms for an hour of pure indulgence on the warm massage beds that will leave you on cloud nine (the fresco in the swimming pool only adds to the effect). You can extend the spa feel into your room by booking one of the utterly charming tree house rooms, which are perched amongst the forest canopy with only the birds and their song for company.
12/17The Ned, London
Soho House is renowned for creating spaces we'd like to live in and the spa at The Ned – their city of London hotel in a former bank – is perhaps top of the list. It is, quite simply, magical and extremely hard to leave once you're there. There's no great magic or secret to its success, other than it feels like you've stumbled into a secret world that cocoons you in its marble and tile majesty. There's the main pool with a sauna and steam room to one side, a hammam steam room for those who can't handle quite so much heat, and a relaxing library where phones are banned, for when you just want to read in peace. Not to mention the nail and hair salons. As for the treatments? Complete heaven, as you'd expect.
13/17Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall Place, London
It’s not often that I find myself on a heated marble lounger in front of flickering fire, just a stone's throw from Embankment tube. But this is what the Espa Life Spa at London’s Corinthia Hotel is all about. Spread across four floors, it’s all black marble, curved lacquer walls and chrome details, with a gym, sleep pods, and an impressive Thermal Floor. With a glass-encased amphitheater-style sauna, a steam room, a lap pool, and an impressive vitality pool with massage jets, you could easily while away an afternoon on this floor. Make sure to also book in for a treatment, which range from rigorous deep muscle massages to more soothing hot stone ones. I opted for the personalised full-body ‘Be Nurtured Massage’, which takes place in one of the 17 treatment rooms. The whole experience, from when I was collected from the elegant changing rooms to the 60-minute deep tissue massage itself, couldn’t have been more relaxing and restorative. ‘Nightfall’ sessions, which run from Monday to Thursday from 5pm and cost £195, include a full-body massage and spa access.
14/17Bulgari Hotel, London
A hop away from Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, the spa at the Bulgari Hotel–a combination of sleek luxury with friendly relaxation–is the ideal location from which to rest weary shopper's feet. Spread over two floors, there is a 25m pool, vitality pool, thermal experience showers, a fitness room, 11 spa rooms and a nail salon. The doubles spa suite is seriously impressive: it has an enormous jacuzzi, private relaxation room and shower and beautiful décor - similar to the rest of the spa - of jade green, cream, blonde woods, steel and glass.
Brands used include Bulgari's signature collection and ESPA body and facial products. Treatments focus on overall wellness and luxury, rather than a specific geographical style, so whether you're booked in for a mother-to-be massage or detox facial you'll leave with energized and nourished skin, a sense of calm and a lightness to your step. Arrive at least an hour early to take advantage of the stunning pool and heat rooms, or even earlier should you wish to get a fitness session in.
15/17Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Wiltshire’s Lucknam Park is an utterly beautiful destination in itself, with a sweeping drive running up to a grand Italianate mansion which houses the main hotel. The house is set in 500 acres of parkland six miles outside Bath. The hotel runs its spa in partnership with Espa – with treatments using products made in Somerset and a hydrotherapy pool in the walled garden.
This is a seriously well-equipped spa, with eight luxurious treatment rooms, thermal cabins–Japanese Salt, Amethyst Room, Aromatic Steam and Sauna–and a fitness suite. The interiors are in pared-back Cotswold style, full of wood and pale stone, and the swimming pool is an absolute showstopper, with a glass ceiling giving the impression of being in the open air. Holistic wellness is the focus of the spa, with treatments including Reiki and mindfulness massages.
16/17Calcot & Spa, Gloucestershire
In the countryside outside Tetbury, Calcot & Spa is a delightful destination for anyone seeking a spa break. The honey-stone buildings have been sympathetically restored and extended, and a marvellous spa added to the existing buildings. One highlight is the heated outdoor pool in the courtyard, but once you get inside it's equally lovely, with tasteful, contemporary interiors. The treatments are blissfully relaxing - try a ComfortZone facial for the ultimate in pampering - and quite good value. A full day spa experience, including a two-course lunch, a body polish and massage with facial costs from £265.
17/17Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire
The pioneer of the new breed of informal, comfortable country hotels for London types getting a bit of fresh air, Soho Farmhouse does everything in style. The Cowshed spa is extensive, with 13 treatment rooms, and runs like clockwork. The interiors have the disciplined comfort of all the group's interiors, with a hefty dose of stone, beams, and modern chintz. Indoor and outdoor pools offer space to spread out, and the treatments are carried out with luxurious Cowshed (of course) products. A must-visit for anyone in this glamorous part of Oxfordshire.
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