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 Tired? Skin looking dull? In desperate need of a massage or a manicure? Try a break at one of our top five luxury spas as recommended by Louise Cook.
Whether you’re looking for a simple facial or an in-depth course of treatments, Spain has some of the very best spas in the world. Here are our top five luxury spas by the sea.
- Eminence Medical Spa, Kempinski Hotel Bahia Estepona
Head to the Eminence Medical Spa at the Kempinski Hotel, Estepona, and you will come out looking and smelling good enough to eat. Not surprisingly, the delectable Eminences skin care products - grown organically in Hungary - have become a must-have for celebrities worldwide. All part of the holistic approach favoured by the Eminence Medical Spa, the brainchild of a leading Canadian homeopath, the superb array of Eminence signature facials and treatments epitomises the new global trend for luxury with a conscience.
The spacious spa with 18 treatment rooms is located in a discreet area of the ground floor of the hotel. Surrounded by gardens and overlooking the Med, here you can breathe in as much therapeutic sea breeze ozone as your heart desires, while experiencing a wealth of desirable and expertly administered treatments. Complete with heated indoor pool, fitness room, sauna - and piece de resistance, the famous Rasul Arabian bath, this 1,000 m2 spa is one of the most respected in southern Spain. The spacious gardens lead down to a beautiful beach with spectacular views to Gibraltar, and provide plenty of quiet corners in which to relax. Add to this a 7 million euro refurb to the hotel rooms, and you are looking at a spa break to remember.
Ctra de Cádiz, km 159, Playa el Padrón. Tel: 0034 952 809 500 www.kempinski-spain.com
Guadalpin Spa, Gran Hotel Guadalpin, Marbella
The sumptuous Gran Hotel Guadalpin in Marbella isn’t only known for its stunning location, lavish suites and fine dining facilities; the in-house spa is the reason why the hotel was awarded a fifth golden star. Based on the concept of thallasotherapy, treatments have been developed around the healing properties found in water, marine cosmetic products and physical exercise. Among the facilities of this 1200 m2 spa are a relaxation area bedecked with sun loungers, eight individual treatment rooms and hydrotherapy bath. The jewel in the crown, however, is the dynamic circuit pool. Divided up into different areas for jet-stream swimming and aquatic massage and hydrotherapy, the hot and cold contrast showers invigorate your senses. The beach is only a stone’s throw away, and on Marbella’s Golden Mile you’ll find the beaches well kept and attractive throughout the year.
And not forgetting sister hotel, Guadalpin Byblos Thalasso Spa in Mijas. Formerly the Byblos Hotel, where both Princess Diana and Julio Iglesias escaped the glare of the paparazzi’s cameras, this idyllic spa is located in the heart of the rolling Andalusian countryside - but just minutes from the Coast’s main artery, the A7 and the family oriented Fuengirola beaches beyond. Built in the late 80s, the Thalasso spa enjoys the luxury of space, and incredible views. The spa also boast one of the world’s leading skincare brands - La Prarie - complete with a space age beauty capsule for indulgent caviar facials and sublime beauty treats.
Guadalpin Hotel, Blvd Alfonso Von Hohenlohe, Ctra de Cadiz, km 179. Tel: 0034 952 899 405 www.granhotelguadalpin.com
Guadalpin Byblos Thalasso Spa, Urb. Mijas Golf, Tel: 0034 952 669 067 www.byblos-andaluz
Thalasso Spa Marbella Club Hotel, Marbella
Ranking as one of Europe’s finest hotels, it’s hardly surprising that the Marbella Club’s Thalasso Spa is considered one of Europe’s classiest. Overlooking the Mediterranean up close and personal, through one-way glass windows on to the tranquil paseo marítimo, the 800-square-metre beachfront spa offers dressing gown-clad visitors state-of-the-art facilities, including indoor seawater pool, saunas, relaxation lounge and 12 treatment rooms. The full range of beauty treatments on offer includes rejuvenation, slimming and anti-stress programmes, as well as holistic and aromatic massages. With plenty of multi-lingual therapists to hand, your needs will certainly be understood here. And if you happen to be staying, then you will enjoy the theraupeutic effects of relaxing at the most legendary hotel in Marbella, where former guests have included A-listers Sting, Mick Jagger and Posh n’ Becks. Among the star treatments are the pampering for Him and Her for a couples’ day out, or the Reshaping Week for women who’ve recently given birth.
Blvd Alfonso Von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 0034 952 822 21 www.marbellaclub.com
Hotel Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa, Marbella
This recently refurbished minimalist spa is a haven of oriental calm to create peace of mind, body and spirit. Designed in a modern Zen style, treatments available include hydrotherapy baths, seaweed body wraps, and electrotherapy sessions to zap cellulite. The oriental influence can be seen with shiatsu and Thai massages while a plethora of facial and body treatments includes an indulgent 3-day chocolate therapy session, making the most of the antioxidant properties of the cocoa bean. What’s more, you can enjoy many of these relaxing programmes al fresco in the lush tropical gardens of the grounds. What could be nicer than a gentle session of Tai Chi with the murmuring of a stream in the background... A sporting paradise, as the name would suggest, you have a tennis club and several golf courses at hand. Being located on the best beach in Marbella, you could chill out at world famous beach club, Nikki Beach, dabble in watersports, or swim a few lengths of the outdoor pool, all year round, as it is heated in the Costa’s cooler months.
Ctra. de Cadiz, km 192, Marbella.Tel: 0034 952 768 800 www.hotel-doncarlos.com
Thermae Spa, Hotel Villa Padierna, Los Flamingos Golf
Not exactly beachfront, but only a respectable ten-minute drive away, the Thermae Spa at the Hotel Villa Padierna is in a league of its own. Located bang in the middle of the Los Flamingos Golf Resort, this spa is perfect for golf widows in need of some serious pampering. This 6 star establishment, managed by the Ritz-Carlton group, attracts the kind of clientele one would expect. The hotel’s spacious Thermae Spa has to be seen to be believed. The water circuit, at 60€ for a two-hour guided session, is the last word in affordable luxury with an indoor pool, plunge pool, Turkish baths and steam rooms, all designed with elegance and grandeur in mind. Think twisting marble columns, patterned mosaic tiles and Greek-style statues. Substance isn’t sacrificed for style, however. The treatments on offer are some of the best around, with a full range of Espa facial, body and nail treatments included on the spa’s extensive menu. The Balinese vanilla and coconut scented steam room is simply divine. The luxurious surroundings, coupled with the spa’s signature treatments, the Espa Chakra-Balancing with Hot Stones and the Turkish Stress-Relieving Back Treatment, will revive body, mind and soul.
Hotel Villa Padierna, Ctra de Cadiz, km 166, Urb Flamingos Golf. Tel: 0034 952 889 150 www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/VillaPadierna/
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