Don't fall into the trap of thinking that a weekend at a spa simply entails laying on your back with your face covered in green paste and a slice of cucumber hovering over each of your eyes. Relaxation is just one part of the spa experience; it's also a great opportunity to inject some romance into your relationship, pick up some useful health habits and get closer to nature.
Here are ten UK spa resorts you have to check out:
The Scarlet
If you made a list of the best places in the UK to build a luxury spa resort, a few hundred metres off the Cornish coast would probably be right at the top. This charming eco-friendly hotel is perfect for nautically inclined couples looking to snuggle up for a relaxing weekend on the seafront.
Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa
From the outside, Bailiffscourt hotel - an ancient manor house tucked away in the Sussex countryside - doesn't conjure up the image of modernity which most of its competitors strive for. But don't let that put you off: this charming resort is that perfect combination of understated and avant-garde.
Bluestone Well Spa
If you're looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, the picturesque Welsh valleys are the perfect destination. The Well Spa offers visitors plenty of on-sight amenities, a well as the opportunity to explore the surrounding Bluestone National Park in all its boundless glory.
Gleneagles Hotel
With some gorgeous woodland and a more than serviceable golf course nearby, Scotland's opulent Gleneagles Hotel is the ideal setting for more active visitors looking to combine relaxing spa pampering with outdoor pursuits.
Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa
Against the backdrop of the quiet Dorset coast, the Christchurch Habour complex is a charming family-friendly resort which combines all of the spa essentials with fun coastal pursuits and some locally sourced seafood which draws in visitors from around the country.
The Grove
Just a few minutes drive from London, The Grove Spa is the perfect weekend getaway destination for busy couples working and living in the capital, with plenty of innovative new treatments designed to help you forget all about the stresses of the office.
Chewton Glen
The award-winning Chewton Glen retreat, which makes its home along the Hampshire seafront, is famed for its innovative "treehouses" - luxury pods suspended among the treetops, which offer a charming love nest for couples desperate to get away from it all.
Cowley Manor
Given that The Cotswolds are frequently cited as one of the UK's best places to live, it is not exactly surprising to note that Cowley Manor - an opulent stately home secluded by acres of surrounding fields - has a certain homely quality.
Feversham Arms Hotel
Picturesque though they are, the Yorkshire Dales are probably not the destination of choice for most people yearning for a relaxing getaway. But there is a certain rustic charm in the Feversham Arms Hotel, which makes the most of the local surroundings while offering some of the best spa treatments money can buy.
Rowhill Grange
This is one spa resort which offers its guests the opportunity to relax in style. Few hotels can match the gorgeous interior of Rowhill Grange, which, nestled away in the Kent countryside, has plenty of natural features as well.
- one night in your selected hotel
- usually the package comes with a breakfast, dinner is optional
- one or more selected treatments - facial/body massages
- use of pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, hot tubs
- leisure activities if available at your selected hotel
- robe, towel and slippers are provided by the hotel
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