We've entered 2019, and it's the ideal time to pause and take a minute to think about the next 12 months and what they will bring. How about taking stock at a luxe spa hotel or a soothing wellness retreat – we have a wonderful collection to choose from, ranging from high-end country hotels with hydrotherapy pools and saunas to rural B&Bs with top-notch facilities on-site. Read on for our top picks, and kick off the new year with a New You.
Green Farm Kent
Head to this charming, multi-purpose spot surrounded by 12,500 acres of ancient woodland and experience one of the privately-run weekend retreats, including 'Help Me Healthy' with an interactive cooking workshop, Spa & Yoga, Art and Pilates. Common to all is accommodation in the owner's Grade II listed B&B and use of the boutique on-site spa. Day packages are also available such as yoga with Reiki.
Thurlestone
We're fond of this getaway: a traditional hotel that has been thoroughly updated with a seaside location to die for, overlooking a particularly sumptuous stretch of the glorious coast of South Devon. As well as an array of facilities such as children's play areas, tennis courts and a nine-hole golf course, there's also The calming Voyage Spa offering a range of health and beauty treatments.
Ffynnon
This beautifully presented small hotel is not only in a great location in Dolgellau, at the foot of the Cader Idris mountain, it also has a fab restaurant. Plus guests can enjoy a range of popular in-room beauty and well-being treatments. Each bedroom has bags of personality, varying from the cultured orientalism of Annis to the cool simplicity of Hazel.
Split Farthing Hall
North Yorkshire is home to family-run venue that offers a whole lot more than a standard spa getaway: Andrea and Dr Claire Maguire offer well-being retreats for women that take in yoga, healthy eating, life coaching and meditation, and provide a nurturing environment for participants to re-connect with who they are and what's important in their lives.
Brimstone Hotel
One of the Lakes' new breed of dazzling boutique hotels, Brimstone is housed in a slate-clad building perfectly in keeping with its surroundings. The approach is as contemporary as it gets, with an emphasis on good food and creating a home-from-home atmosphere. Their spa offers a sensory experience inspired by the region's landscapes, complete with a private suite for two and seven thermal experiences.
Soar Mill Cove
A fabulous Devon hotel in a stunning part of the South Hams, the welcome is warm and the hospitality genuine and old-fashioned. But there's nothing old-school about the Soar Mill itself, whose rooms are well-furnished and thoughtfully decorated. And there's an indoor heated, spring-fed, saltwater swimming pool alongside a spa.
Careys Manor
Not only is this a special country house hotel in the New Forest, it also has a sumptuous SenSpa thrown in. All guests have full access to the large swimming pool and the gym, and the spa facilities include a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool. Well-placed just outside Brockenhurst, it's also right on the doorstep of the walks, cycle rides and wildlife that make this part of the country so amazing.
Twr y Felin
A place in which to immerse yourself in the beauty and history of Wales in the most elegant and contemporary of surroundings, this 21-room hotel is home to two AA rosettes eatery Blas (literally, ‘Taste’ in Welsh), and for those who feel like spoiling themselves, the treatment room at sister establishment Penrhiw Priory fits the bill.
Watergate Bay
This luxury 71-room beachfront hotel in Cornwall not only has dazzling views out to sea, a 25m indoor infinity pool, gym and Finnish sauna, but also a trio of treatments rooms, one of which is a double. Each is private, relaxing and low lit: indulge in the likes of a massage, scrub or facial.
The Horn of Plenty
A beautifully situated hotel overlooking the lovely Tamar Valley in Devon, this rather splendid country manor house prides itself on impeccable service and attention to detail. Whilst there, why not book in a massage or beauty treatment with one of the local experienced therapists.
The Old Rectory
This eighteenth-century bolthole on the fringe of Hastings Old Town has been tastefully decked out, with eight quirkily individual guest rooms each named after a street in the vicinity. Breakfasts are locally sourced and delicious – homebaked bread, eggs from a nearby farm, plus they make their own sausages and bacon. Plus, there are some treatment rooms and a sauna for a spot of proper pampering.
Another Place, The Lake
This lakeside country-house hotel does everything just right: handsomely sited on the shores of Ullswater in Cumbria, it's modern yet unstuffy and properly family-friendly – the sort of place that has muddy wellies by the door and kayaking from their own jetty. The indoor pool is a beauty – 20 metres long with its own lake view – and there’s a sauna, treatment rooms and outdoor hot tub too.
Maison Talbooth
Set in 'Constable Country' overlooking a lovely rolling green landscape punctured by spires and red roofs, this is a spa hotel where nothing is too much trouble. The name aside, it's all oh-so English and very definitely on the intimate side of things, with just 12 gorgeously-styled guest rooms, each deliberately different and named after a renowned poet.
St Enodoc
How does a contemporary seaside hotel in a gorgeous Cornish location sound? Set in spacious, beautifully manicured grounds overlooking the Camel estuary, it's a real delight, with 20 rooms that are bright, modern and cosy. Their spa offers a host of treatments, plus there's a gym, games room and quality restaurant.
Lakeside
Traditional, full-service and in superb waterside spot, Windermere’s finest hideaway sits at the southern end of England’s largest lake – a highly polished, family-owned affair to which people return year after year. What's more, there's a very glamorous spa and indoor pool set beneath a roof garden.
Saunton Sands
A very comfortable family-friendly hotel in Devon with one of the best coastal views in the UK, the Art Deco building is simply fantastic and retains many of its original features. Parents can book their children into the well-equipped creche for up to two hours each day, whilst they treat themselves to a relaxing massage in one of several classy black and white treatment rooms.
Bristol Harbour
The newest and most luxurious addition to Bristol's hotel scene is situated in a landmark nineteenth-century building: the 42-room former bank vaults houses a small gym and high-end spa, complete with hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room, and no less than 8 treatment rooms. It was about time the city got itself a hotel like this, and finally... it's arrived.
Budock Vean
This South Cornwall hotel, spa and resort is set on a splendid private estate of lawns, mature woodland and a private 9-hole golf course above the lovely River Helford – with a huge swimming pool and intimate little spa, it's an engagingly traditional place to stay.
Calcot Manor
Check into this 35-room country house hotel that occupies around 200 acres of prime Cotswolds countryside and look forward to a relaxing break. The hotel has a beautiful spa, with an indoor pool, gym, steam room and sauna and numerous treatments to enjoy – plus lots of packages if you're after a thoroughly pampered weekend away. Also worth remembering are sister hotels The Painswick and Barnsley House.
Atlantic Hotel
This well-named hotel sit in an enviable location perched on a headland high above the Towan, Tolcarne, Lusty Glaze and Porth beaches far below, halfway between the centre of Newquay and Fistral beach. The spa facilities – which make the most of the spectacular views – include a heated indoor pool and hot tub, sauna and steam room, as well as treatments such as massages and Reiki.
