Pamper Promise: 5 Special Spa Stays

Once upon a time, a visit to a spa meant going for a glow, without paying particular attention to the products your therapist used. Today, spa visitors take a more holistic approach to wellness and want to feel good about their choices, too. They also want to be sure that the products used during their treatments are well sourced, and that the spa they choose is environmentally sound.

We’ve seen a real demand for natural and organic products, such as Bamford, that deliver results but are kind to the planet as well as your skin—Laura Brown, The Berkeley, London

Núria Camins, wellness manager at PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness resort in Spain, observes: “As we become more conscious of how our choices and behaviour impact on the environment, it is a natural step to take a more sustainable approach to beauty and well-being.”

Laura Brown, health club and spa manager at London’s Berkeley hotel, agrees. “Guests are becoming increasingly aware of spa products and what is in their ingredients,” she says. “Similarly to food trends, guests are looking for products that are clearly labelled and have organic ingredients without chemicals and parabens. There’s a sense of going back to nature and taking as much care as to what you put on your body as the food you put in it. We’ve seen a real demand for natural and organic products, such as Bamford, that deliver results but are kind to the planet as well as your skin.”

According to the Global to Wellness Institute (GWI) the worldwide spa industry is expected to surpass pre-pandemic revenues this year, reaching $122 billion, with hotel spas enjoying the fastest growth. But who’s leading the way in organic, environmentally friendly pampering, and what do they offer? Here are five you might like to try.

Hotel Camiral at PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness Resort, Spain

Set among 740 acres (300 ha) of lush greenery irrigated with 100 percent recycled water—and home to bats, birds, and a colony of one million bees, as well as two golf courses—this resort, and its Hotel Camiral, has impeccable green credentials. Along with the now-common minimization of towel washing (hang them up if you intend to reuse them), guest rooms feature recycling stations and the outdoor pool uses geothermal energy, getting its warmth from the earth, using much less energy than a standard heated pool.

As you’d expect, the hotel’s state-of-the-art wellness center is equally eco aware and, in the words of Camins, “celebrates the natural environment in its design. We’ve tried to bring the outside in by using local, natural materials, planting indigenous species, and creating plenty of airy spaces filled with light.”

Treatments here are “non-aggressive and respectful of the human body,” using organic products from the likes of Biologique Recherche—which has been creating science-based formulations using raw active ingredients since the 1970s—and pioneers in essential-oil blending, Aromatherapy Associates.

“People ask a lot more questions,” says Camins. “They are very well informed. We’ve noticed a lot of guests are asking about the ingredients in products and how they are sourced. They notice packaging too; there is an expectation that single-use plastics should be eliminated as much as possible from treatments and touchpoints. Equally, people appreciate a team with training, know-how, and experience.”

The wellness center also offers a range of therapies normally only accessible at medical clinics or elite athletic facilities, such as cryotherapy, oxygen therapy, and intravenous vitamin infusions. Immersive one-, two-, and three-day wellness focused programs are available, tailored to guests’ individual needs, featuring treatments such as Hammam Purifying Massage and Revive Ritual. You can extend the PGA experience thanks to the resort’s on-site store, which stocks sustainable swimwear, eco-friendly clothes, and blankets. The disposable underwear you are given to put on for your treatments here is even biodegradable.

pgacatalunya.com

Bamford Wellness Spa at The Berkeley, England

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You would never guess that perched atop the Berkeley Hotel in the heart of London’s Knightsbridge is the Bamford Wellness Spa, and one of the few rooftop pools in the British capital. With the open-air pool and a scented garden, a visit here feels like a real escape from the stresses of city living. Treatments use British skincare brand Bamford, which was awarded The Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury in 2020 for its commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

Among the treatments on offer are the Bamford Wellness Facial, which includes massage to ease muscle tension, support lymphatic flow, and reduce puffiness, and the Bamford B Vibrant Treatment, designed “to energise the body, awaken the senses, and increase positivity.” The latter features a warm botanic sugar polish exfoliation to rejuvenate skin and increase circulation.

The spa also offers “the UK’s most advanced clinical facial,” the iS Clinical Fire & Ice Facial designed to reduce fine lines and encourage cell renewal. LED mask-technology is available as an add-on to further enhance results. The hotel is child-friendly, too, with kids’ yoga available on request and Berkeley bikes for a ride around Hyde Park.

the-berkeley.co.uk/health-club-spa

Saffire Freycinet, Australia

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Few spas can claim to be as immersed in nature as Saffire Freycinet, located at the gateway to Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park. The hotel has just 16 suites and four standalone pavilions, each with views over the Hazards Mountains, Freycinet Peninsula, and the pristine waters of Great Oyster Bay. The views extend to the Saffire Day Spa, where treatment rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows leading on to a private pool and the rainforest beyond.

Signature packages here include Spa Saffire Rejuvenation, which includes a full body exfoliation using Saffire Organic Salt Scrub and a Payot Les Essentials Beauté Facial—Payot’s products are made from 100 percent natural-origin ingredients. The menu of packages and bespoke treatments also uses LaGaia products. This Australian skincare range is pH balanced and scientifically formulated with botanical extracts and potent vitamins. Experience it in The Saffire Jewel treatment, which combines a personalized LaGaia facial with a relaxing back, neck, and shoulder massage.

There are men’s treatments, too, including a bespoke facial which uses LaGaia products. Meditation and yoga classes are also available. Once finished at the spa, guests can immerse themselves further into nature with the Connection to Country experience, where indigenous local expert Mick Quilliam guides them along coastal tracks and rock platforms.

saffire-freycinet.com.au/spa

Carlisle Bay, Antigua

For a truly holistic experience that’s even more deeply immersed in nature—this time on a private bay and beach—consider Carlisle Bay in Antigua, which has just announced a series of three-night wellness retreats taking place in October, November, and December, designed to “restore emotional rebalance and increase mindfulness to reduce stress and anxiety.”

The Carlisle Bay Wellness Retreat is hosted by holistic health practitioners and yoga instructors Girlette Brown and Jackie Holborough, who guide guests through a program of creative and soulful yoga practices tailored to all levels with daily mindful movement, meditation, and qigong. Thanks to the unique destination, the retreat allows guests to fully immerse themselves in the practise, reconnecting with the natural environment around them. Outdoor activities include guided hikes to Signal Hill exploring the diverse fauna and flora in the rainforest, nature walks around the magnificent tropical gardens of Carlisle Bay, and watersports such as paddleboarding and canoeing in the calm waters of the bay.

Through mindfulness coaching, guests will learn the practise of meditation and implement this in their own lives when they leave the retreat, creating a positive impact for healing the mind. Spa pampering is also available as an add-on. Treatments here use Espa products, which are formulated with pure essential oils and “wellbeing actives” such as magnesium and valerian.

carlisle-bay.com

Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel and Spa, Ibiza, Spain

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Eco-aware spa-goers will love Ibiza’s Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel and Spa. Now free of single-use plastic, the hotel has been installed with 200 solar panels for a self-generated electricity supply, and it has its own natural well for unlimited clean water. Chlorine is absent from the hotel’s 141-foot (43 m) freshwater pool, and there are electric bikes for clients and electric car charging points.

Products at the Atzaró Spa are organic and made from plants grown on the estate. Newly introduced packages include the Healing Spa Day Experience, which includes “an energy healing session and massage for body and mind,” a meditation or yoga class, and use of spa facilities—pool, saunas, hammam, Jacuzzi, firepit lounge, sun decks, gardens, and gym.

This relaxing day also includes time to lounge on a vast daybed in the Spa Garden and a nutritious, delicious lunch full of organic ingredients from the Atzaró Vegetable Garden. Other new beauty treatments include Ibiza-salt scrubs and botanical body wraps. The resort itself features 24 “luxurious, yet understated” rooms and suites, most with terraces or gardens and some with private pools. The design concept here is “natural luxury, featuring rustic local woods, four-poster beds, Ibiza whites, and touches of gold…”

atzaro.com

Banner image: Carlisle Bay, Antigua