Which spas are so special even seasoned
beauty travelers can’t wait to return? From Cornwall to Antigua, Kelly Gibert
picks up the trail
1. Jessica Hogan on romance at Soneva Fushi by six senses in the
Maldives
Soneva
Fushi resort
There are few better places to feel awash
with love than on an island in the middle of paradise. Soneva Fishi differs
from its Maldivian counterparts in sheer size: it is big enough that if you
don’t want to (and I didn’t), you don’t have to see anyone else, apart from
your charming Man Friday, for the duration of your stay. My other half and I
enjoyed many antisocial, but truly indulgent, secluded activities: a movie
under the stars at the open-air cinema, sunset cocktails lying under nets on
beds suspended over a lit-up coral reef, a picnic on the adjacent deserted
island of Nibiliga, and several candlelit dinners à Deux in out villa. Well, I
did say it was paradise… the pleasure continued with the Aphrodite Spa
Experience for two, which involved massages and a rose-petal bath orchestrated
with great delicacy, topped off with chilled champagne while we soaked. An
unexpected surprise was falling head over heels with acupuncturist Maureen
Cromey, whose healing hands fast-forwarded me to a state of relaxation that
might otherwise have taken a week to achieve. Be still my beating heart.
Claridge’s health club & spa, London
If
you like Soneva Fushi, you’ll love… Claridge’s health club & spa, London
Squirrelled away on a lofty floor of
Claridge’s is a spa gem. It is intimate, with just three treatment rooms, and
has such charm. It uses Sisley products, which are a delight (the Sisleya Body
Therapy is absurdly effective), and there’s a men’s range, so if you are away
with a lover you can both book in to maximum effect.
2. Kelly gilbert on child-friendly Carlisle Bay in Antigua
Carlisle
Bay in Antigua
I’d thought a truly child-friendly, luxury
spa holiday in an exotic location impossible – anywhere offering a children’s
supper-sitting, crèche, travel cots and cinema room is liable to be a bit Naff –
until a friend told me about Carlisle Bay. It has all of the above, plus a
serene, zen-like quality, and not a wipe-clean plastic table in sight. The
Japanese aesthetic (filmy white curtains, dove-grey walls) helps, as does the
curve of the bay where the hotel nestles it breaks the force of the sea so that
it tickles at the sand. The spa is genius for many seasons, not least because
you take the same path there as you do to the crèche (fun and secure with
indoor and outdoor play areas run by cheery local staff), so you drop off and
skip along guilt-free to the treatment bed. And here comes the good stuff:
serious anti-ageing facials from Natura Bisse, with results as impressive as
those you’d expect at home, mixed with, say, a pummelling from a local
reflexologist. There are thoughtful options, too: soothing solutions for
sunburnt skin, or exfoliations pre-swimwear. The décor is chic and bathed in
sunlight (no basement rooms with piped music). Which is why Carlisle Bay is a slice
of humble pie for me: clearly, if you know where to look, a beauty haven avec
enfants is entirely possible.
The cowshed spa at Babington house, Somerset
The
Cowshed spa at Babington House, Somerset
You’ll need to plan ahead, they offer only
a few rooms that can be booked with children, but once you secure a Stable
Block spot you’ll find yourself in reliably cool yet child-friendly surrounds.
There is a lovely crèche in the grounds and a world-class spa in the magical
Victorian walled garden.
3. Frances Bentley on finding peace at the scarlet in Cornwall
Clifftop
hot-tub at The Scarlet
At the Scarlet, which sits on the north
Cornish coast, the front door opens with a quiet swish and I’m greeted like an
old friend. It’s a place where I feel cosseted from the world: partly because
there’s no mobile-phone reception, except at the top of the hill, but mostly
because the Atlantic lulls a busy mind into a dreamier space. The hotel’s eco
credentials are comforting, but do nothing to distract from the luxury of the
spacious rooms and the lavish, locally sourced food. My preferred spot is the
outdoor hot tub, which looks out over the surf and is best enjoyed with a
sundowner. You can borrow the hotel dog, Jasper, for a walk along the beach, or
head out for a wild swim with your own personal instructor. I take advantage of
the Ayurvedic massage during my stay, and use the time to meditate. For me,
this plus lots of reading and
