News and Reviews

Palazzo Fiuggi – We Check In To The New Multi-Million Pound Italian Spa Retreat
Following a £26 million renovation, Palazzo Fiuggi is being hailed as one of Italy’s leading wellness retreats. Spa guru Jo Foley investigates…

A Secluded Pampering Haven – Homewood Hotel & Spa
With its Roman-built baths, such as the world-famous Thermae Spa, the city of Bath has been a favourite destination for spa breaks for literally centuries. However just outside the city, in the village of Freshford, you’ll find an equally lovely proposition, in the boutique hotel Homewood.
Set amid 20 secluded acres of country landscape, this Georgian country house, a member of the Mrs & Mrs Smith collection and Small Luxury Hotels of The World for 2021, instantly transports you from bustling city to the calm of the countryside.

Wellness In Paradise – We Test The Tailored Wellbeing Offerings At Anantara Maldives
Set in the North Male Atoll amidst the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean, the tropical island of Anantara Dhigu offers the perfect location for a stress-busting getaway…

The New ‘Wellbeing Sanctuary’ By Banyan Tree, Koh Samui & Krabi
Banyan Tree are known worldwide for their exceptional holistic spas and wellness facilities. The new “Wellbeing Sanctuary” by Banyan Tree provides guests with an opportunity to combine a leisure stay with a daily wellbeing programme – designed to enrich mind, body and soul.

Introducing The Fabulous New Wellness Retreats By Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental are renowned worldwide for their award-winning 5 star hotels and resorts – offering world-class accommodation, outstanding service, innovative dining and exceptional holistic spas & wellness facilities.
Reflecting on the past couple of years and all the stress that has been endured, the iconic brand have launched their new wellness retreats with a focus on complete rejuvenation of body and mind – offering guests the chance to de-stress and re-boot in the lap of luxury.

A Wonderful New Spa & Wellness Experience Awaits At Scotland’s ‘Glorious Playground’ – Gleneagles
The iconic country estate and hotel, Gleneagles, has launched an exciting new spa and wellness offering – cementing its place as Scotland’s leading wellness destination.

Spa & The City – We Check In To The Culloden Estate and Spa
Belfast is now making headlines for all the right reasons. There’s been a boom in film and TV companies shooting blockbusters here of late, and with Hollywood stars swanning about the city as a result, it’s no surprise that Belfast is increasingly being seen as a chic destination for a weekend spa break.

The Future of Heath and Wellness – Revealed by Clinique La Prairie
Reversed ageing and advances in stem cell technology are among eight key trends in the future of health and wellness, as predicted by experts at the world-renowned Swiss wellness clinic, Clinique La Prairie.

Amanzoe Launches Personalised Individual Wellness Immersions
The birthplace of modern medicine, renowned for its philosophers, natural beauty, and healthy cuisine, Greece is soon to become the fifth Aman destination to offer personalised Individual Wellness Immersions. Three life-enhancing, multi-day programmes will launch at Amanzoe on 1 April 2020, promising guests expert guidance and cossetted time in which to reflect, recalibrate and reset the course of their long-term wellbeing.
Following the success of the multi-day Individual Wellness Immersions at Amanpuri in Thailand, Amanbagh in India, Amanoi in Vietnam and Amanemu in Japan, Aman is bringing the concept to the shores of the Peloponnese.

Juliet Kinsman’s Life Changing Programme At Vana Retreats
Well, I’ll be, says Juliet Kinsman. I went to north India for a week’s holiday, ate to my heart’s content and spent most of my time supine. And you know what – it was the most life-changing holiday I’ve had. That’s because Vana Retreats is a new breed of destination spa with extraordinary wellbeing cuisine, ideal for anyone who fears abstinence or bootcamps. This salubrious road to wellness is smooth and only gently sloped.

The Scarlet Hotel & Spa – We Fall In Love With Cornwall’s Eco Retreat
Renowned as one of the UK’s most luxurious eco retreats, The Scarlet sits in an enviable spot overlooking the rocky shores of Mawgan Porth, North Cornwall. A trip to this grown-ups only, dog-friendly, coastal bolthole has been on my bucket list for years.

Lanserhof Tegernsee – A Gleaming Mayr Clinic At The Foothills Of The Bavarian Mountains
Of all the detox tribes – juicing, raw, paleo, macrobiotic – Mayr cure disciples might be the most hardcore. Named after the Austrian scientist and pioneering holistic therapist Franz Xaver Mayr, FX Mayr clinics and medispas are dotted across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, peddling a spartan, results-driven regime of fasting, chew-training and purging epsom salts. Its no-nonsense approach to digestive health is particularly popular with the international fashion crowd (Alber Elbaz and Karlie Kloss are fans), wealthy Russians and high-powered German CEOs and bankers, all of whom think that superfood smoothies are for wimps.

A fabulous new spa experience awaits in a fairytale Irish castle
It’s the epic Neo-Gothic, 17th century castle hotel that resembles something from a fairytale. Set amid an 840-acre estate in County Limerick, and surrounded by medieval ruins, walled gardens and picturesque woodland paths, Adare Manor is one of the gems of Irish architecture…

Nayara – The Award-Winning Luxury Hot Spring Spa Hotel In Costa Rica
Located in the Arenal Volcano National Park of Costa Rica, Nayara Springs is ideally situated for wildlife enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. Where activities range from canyoning in the wild rainforest waterfalls, to kayaking on the tranquil lake. Followed by soaking in the natural hot-springs, heated by the third most active volcano on earth …

Clinique La Prairie Opens An Exclusive Detox Chalet In The Heart Of The Swiss Alps
This summer sees the opening an exclusive Clinique La Prairie chalet in the heart of the breathtaking Alpine village, Verbier. Offering a highly exclusive detox experience in utmost privacy, this one of a kind hideaway has been devised to provide guests with outstanding health and wellness care.

Linda Meredith Oxygen Facial At Four Seasons Park Lane
The Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane has long been acknowledged as one of London’s big hitters, perched on a statement corner by the grand entrance to Hyde Park. So the invitation to review the new signature treatment menu at its eponymous spa is no small deal, particularly when these treatments include a 24-carat gold facial.
Ascending to the 10th floor the lift doors open to an ultra-modern circular reception area, all in white with floor to ceiling windows looking out to the city. Busy looking women sit around the circumference urgently tapping on tablets. Combined with the fact I am trialling an ‘Oxygen Facial’, the whole affair gains a futuristic edge.

Boutique Swiss Retreats – We Check In To Ultima Gstaad
I’m going to start with two cliched adjectives to describe Ultima Gstaad: jet set and flashy. Which, at the risk of making me sound a bit old fashioned, hit the nail on the head in summing a chalet hotel that is the ultima(te) in Gstaad resort opulence. With the crystal chandelier in the entrance by Baccarat, the Schimmel glass grand piano, customised by street artist Alec Monopoly – is one of two, the other owned by Alicia Keys. A piece that, along with the giant Harrods teddy bear in a corridor, and most of the other art on display in the hotel, is available for the international and monied guests to buy at whim.

Chiva-Som Launch Online Wellness Services – Including one-on-one consultations
Chiva-Som has announced the launch of Chiva-Som Online Wellness Services to provide support and encourage wellness goals during this challenging time. The online services will be provided by the resort’s wellness advisors, practitioners and experts and feature some of their most popular services. These include consultations, activities and physical training, all of which will be conducted one-on-one.

Anazoe Spa At Costa Navarino Introduces A Detoxifying Wellness Programme To Rebalance Mind & Body
Anazoe Spa at Costa Navarino, the luxury sustainable destination in the Greek region of Messinia in the south-west Peloponnese, is introducing a new calming, detoxifying spa programme for guests using indigenous Messinian ingredients, to rebalance and energise mind and body.
Guests staying at The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort and The Westin Costa Navarino Resort will be able to clear the build-up of stress and improve wellbeing and vitality, whilst relaxing in one of the most unspoilt landscapes in the Mediterranean. The resorts and spa are set within 130 hectares of rich natural environment overlooking a one km stretch of untouched sandy beach and the Ionian Sea.

Luxury Resort VILA VITA Parc launches Elite Fitness Retreats hosted by leading wellness gurus
The prestigious clifftop resort, VILA VITA Parc – located in the charming town of Porches in Portugal’s beautiful Algarve – have enhanced their credentials for being Portugal’s go-to destination for wellness-seekers, with the exciting launch of the Elite Fitness Retreat hosted by the world-renowned health and wellbeing guru Harry Jameson and Alice Liveing in May 2020.