THE FUTURE'S BRIGHT: 11 best new spas for 2022

As demand for wellness soars, European Spa shines a light on 11 new spas set to debut in the next 12 months

REPORT BY WENDY GOLLEDGE

Two years on from the most significant event in recent history, we are witnessing a powerful wave of innovative new spa developments and wellness concepts that pay testament to the strength and resilience of our industry. The pandemic may have forced spa doors to close and seen investments put on hold, but as the restrictions on travel and hospitality are lifted, a wealth of new projects are set to debut across Europe.

The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, UK

The sheer number of new hotel and destination spas being announced as a must-have component for top hospitality projects indicates that a post-pandemic spa boom is starting and the resurgence is bold and exciting.

In this special report we have selected 11 outstanding pipeline spas that reflect the trends for innovative partnerships, sustainable design and experiential wellness concepts.

Six Senses Rome

From leading hotel and spa chains to boutiques and independents, operators are now investing to deliver the very best experiences to an evolving guest market that is demanding authentic wellness services. Spa gardens and the great outdoors are increasingly taking centre stage, bespoke and unique offers are at a premium, and facilities are upping their game to include everything from Roman baths to heated pebble beaches and gigantic glitter balls, with treatment concepts strongly centred around results and reconnection.

Lanserhof Sylt

Please enjoy European Spa’s top 11 spas to watch in 2022 – a collection of new openings planned for the coming year that are inventive, visionary, sustainable and above all proof that the importance of spa and wellness as a key driver for hospitality and leisure.

Six Senses Rome, Italy

Urban wellness in the Eternal City

The latest addition to Six Senses’ global portfolio, Six Senses Rome is one of four confirmed openings for the brand in 2022. Constructed in a restored palazzo in the centre of the ancient city, the resort is the newest in Six Senses’ urban collection. The ground floor will be a designated ‘social floor’ for dining and gathering, with the first floor home to the Six Senses Spa and Roman baths. The crowning glory will be a large rooftop terrace offering 360-degree views.

With five treatment rooms (four single and one double with adjoining relaxation space), the 960sqm spa will feature a unique Roman bath including a laconium, caldarium, tepidarium, solarium, hammam and relaxation lounge. This will be complemented by a gym and a studio dedicated to body-toning Electrical Muscle Stimulation. Personalised assessments and training will be combined with mind-body therapies like yoga with the aim of replacing short-term goals with long-term fitness.

In the resort’s Alchemy Bar, therapists will guide guests through locally sourced ingredients and products, encouraging them to feel textures, smell aromas and create their own scrubs, hair or face masks, herbal poultices or steam bundles to be used in treatments.

In-room wellbeing services

“Six Senses Rome will showcase our new take on urban hotels with in-room wellness programmes and the ability to order an infrared blanket, acupressure boots, massage guns and even an inverted chair if you prefer to hang upside down after you wake up,” says Anna Bjurstam, Six Senses’s wellness pioneer.

“We will launch an exclusive membership club, with access to our rooftop terrace, and of course personalised wellness programmes through our biomarker screening and expert coaching.” Other new openings planned in 2022 include Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives, Six Senses Crans-Montana in Switzerland and Six Senses Southern Dunes on Saudi Arabia’s west coast.

SPA STATISTICS

USP: With guests indicating how much they value precious time spent with family and friends, Six Senses Rome will have a strong focus on reconnection Spa size: 960sqm

www.sixsenses.com @sixsenses

Lanserhof Sylt, Germany

An exclusive European island retreat

Renowned health resort leader Lanserhof is scheduled to open an all-new €120m [£100m] wellness retreat in ‘the Hamptons of Germany’ on May 1. Located on an island in the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site long heralded for its healing and restorative climate and sea air, Lanserhof Sylt will combine the group’s trademark cutting-edge diagnostics and naturopathic healing methods with programming focused on cardiological rehabilitation for acute or chronic diseases, as well as treatments for respiratory and skin diseases.

Services on Sylt will include medical consultations and individual therapies, as well as CT and MRI scans, and the brand’s signature LANS Med Concept, which offers a medically supervised and highly personalised programme.

Framed by nature

Constructed using entirely sustainable, non-emitting materials, the medical spa has been designed to ensure its magnificent setting takes centre-stage. Facilities include saunas, steam baths, a relaxation area, interconnected indoor and outdoor saltwater pools with a counter-current system and a sun terrace among the dunes.

The new development is the latest in Lanserhof’s expanding portfolio, which includes properties in Austria, Bavaria and Hamburg in Germany, and London. Highly exclusive, rates at Lanserhof Sylt will start from €7,120 [£6,044] per person for a seven-night Lanserhof Cure Classic.

“Surrounded by the unique and ever-present nature of Sylt, the new health resort awaits guests, combining cutting-edge medicine with state-of-the-art equipment and alternative naturopathy,” says medical director and cardiologist, Dr Jan Stritzke. “For this new Lanserhof experience, we’ve built a great team of physicians, therapists, sports and nutrition scientists and beauticians. I can’t wait to introduce it to our guests. This is something very unique.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: Combines cutting-edge medicine with state-of-the-art equipment and naturopathy Resort size: Combined guest area of over 20,000sqm with a spa treatment area of 5,000sqm Suppliers and product partners: BWT Pool & Water Technology, hsb Germany, KLAFS, KG, KONE, ELIN Architect and designer: Christoph Ingenhoven for Ingenhoven Architects

www.lanserhof.com/en/lanserhof-sylt @lanserhof

Spa at Cashel Palace, Ireland

Sustainable luxury and wellness on the Emerald Isle

Opening this month in Ireland’s Golden Vale, this sumptuous standalone property is owned by the Magnier family – also part-owners of Sandy Lane in Barbados – and is the newest member of the Relâis & Chateaux family.

A restored Palladian manor, built in 1732 in the shadow of the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Cashel Palace will offer a multi-million-euro spa, the vision of Mrs Magnier herself, created in conjunction with London-based designer Emma Pearson and spa consultant Greg Payne.

Facilities will include a light-flooded 17m swim-out pool as well as two outdoor seaweed baths. Three hot and cold experience showers, a hot tub, a KLAFS starry sky-ceiling steam room and a bespoke Himalayan salt wall sauna enhance the offering. Facilities extend to a fully-equipped gym, hair salon and yoga studio, as well as a relaxation room and outside spa terrace overlooking the gardens.

A blueprint for green spas

Sustainability and the environment have been central to all decisions and, where possible, everything is eco-friendly and recyclable, with best practices in construction, restoration and energy followed to ensure its blueprint for sustainability stands up to the highest scrutiny.

Cashel Palace’s director of spa and wellness, Tara De Courcey, and her team will offer Bamford’s signature body and face experiences across four treatment rooms. The Irish spa also exclusively offers Skin by Olga facials.

“It’s a great privilege to be a part of such an amazing project – a spa designed to provide the best possible guest experience,” says De Courcey. “The purpose-built facilities overlook the historic mulberry trees and iconic Rock of Cashel; it’s an incredibly tranquil area, filled with natural light that encourages an oasis of calm for the body, mind and soul. Guests will also have the opportunity to relax in our pristine pool and al fresco baths – it really is a perfect place to rejuvenate.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: The only luxury spa in Tipperary and within 50 miles Spa size: Approx. 350sqm Suppliers: Bamford, Voya, Skin by Olga Experience, Valmont Product partners: NOHrD by WaterRower, Kenko, Hennessy Hair & Beauty, Gharieni, Xpert Professional Designers: Emma Pearson Interior Design, spa consultant Greg Payne Construction: Mulcahy Construction Architect: Reddy Architects and Smallwood Architects

www.cashelpalacehotel.ie @cashelpalace

The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, UK

Unrivaled relaxation surrounded by nature

Few spas can boast a mesmerising glitterball towering over a Roman bath swimming pool, complete with built-in fireplace! And unique touches don’t stop there at The Galgorm Collection’s newest offering, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat. This dramatic refurbishment is the result of a £10 million [€12 million] investment in the 33-bedroom boutique hotel and spa in Templepatrick, Co Antrim.

More than £2 million has gone into the outdoor spa experience, with attractions including the Roman bath, a Swedish sauna, hot tubs, a halotherapy salt chamber and an aroma steam room. A first for Ireland, The Relaxation Burrow offers a heated pebble beach with lakeside bar; cabanas with heated waterbeds; and a sunken lounge for laid-back luxury.

Many environmentally friendly details are in-built, from the use of locally sourced food and drink to 100% waste and water conservation, LED lights, refillable bathroom supplies and wireless heat systems. Plans are currently progressing to install new liquid pool covers to conserve water and heat in the Roman baths and hot tubs.

Environmentally friendly exercise

Construction of a £250,000 state-of-the-art fitness suite is underway, scheduled to open later this year. In homage to its woodland surroundings, The Rabbit will be the first spa hotel in Ireland to exclusively stock NOHrD gym equipment, manufactured in Germany using sustainable materials.

Four treatment rooms are due to open in the summer, offering personalised facials from IMAGE Skincare and nurturing body treatments by Germaine de Capuccini that focus on serenity, detoxing and energising.

“Following a £2 million investment in an outdoor spa area, the final phase of the Relaxation Burrow outdoor spa is soon to complete,” says Lynsey Gordon, general manager at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat. “Our unrivalled facilities include our showstopping Roman baths, tranquil halotherapy chambers and lakeside beach complete with heated pebbles.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: An open-air spa with a unique heated pebble beach, the only one of its kind in Ireland Suppliers: Germaine de Capuccini, IMAGE Skincare Product partners: NOHrD Designers: Galgorm Collection Architect: Cheath Roth Construction company: Hugh J O’Boyle

www.rabbithotel.com @therabbit_hotel

Inhale at Inhabit Queen’s Gardens, UK

A spa that treats wellness as a way of life

For those in charge at Inhale, wellness is not simply a physical state, but a way of being, so it will champion social connectedness, intellectual expansion, environmental responsibility, physical and emotional wellness and occupational enrichment.

A tranquil new treatment space will blend contemporary Scandinavian inspiration and eastern philosophical awareness with quintessential British design. Two treatment rooms will be complemented by a sauna, a yoga studio and a fitness suite offering an Eco-Natural Prime Line Treadmill and free weights as well as a Peloton Bike. The studio will host a programme of daily activities, including Vinyasa flow, transformational Hatha and Yin yoga, Pilates and complimentary morning meditation. A series of regular workshops, lectures and events will be curated by head of wellness Maria Tsiarta to help guests recharge, invigorate, connect and learn.

Partnering for success

Inhale is the first London hotel spa to offer GAIA treatments, including the GAIA Poultice Massage, using a herbal compress to heal, soothe and increase the flow of chi. The soothing signature GAIA Raindrop Therapy at Inhale is an exclusive, 120-minute full body and facial therapy that incorporates raindrop techniques to the back, spine and feet.

Mindfully designed, Inhabit Queen’s Gardens has a commitment to the environment and meaningful community partnerships. The hotel has pledged to work with 100 social enterprises and small, socially conscious businesses. There will be no single-use plastic across the whole hotel.

Spa consultant Eleanor Jeffrey says: “Inhale at Inhabit is a thoughtfully curated space centred around inner wellbeing as a way of life. Inhale allows space for meditation, reflection and calm, and provides restorative therapies to enhance equilibrium for both body and mind. The space at Inhale is simply an extension of our commitment to holistic health seen and practiced throughout all areas of the Inhabit hotel.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: Treating wellness as a way of life Spa size: 94sqm Suppliers and partners: GAIA, Eco-Natural Designers and architects: Holland Harvey Architects, Caitlin Henderson Design, Culture A

www.inhabithotels.com @inhabit_hotels

Holte Spa at The Swan, UK

Traditional bathing inspired by The Lakes

Nestled in the heart of the Lake District, Holte Spa at The Swan Hotel is the result of a recent £7 million [€8.3 million] investment. Opened at the end of February, the spa was masterminded by Kirsty MacCormick of The Spa Consultancy, to create a sustainability led, multi-sensory wellness experience.

Six treatment suites offer authentic bathing traditions combined with contemporary spa experiences inspired by the Lake District. Outdoor hot tubs in the spa garden are complemented by a chemical-free indoor/outdoor vitality pool in addition to a woodland plunge pool, a Finnish sauna, a steam room, waterfall showers and a relaxation space.

Rituals from Ground Wellbeing, created by the brand’s Cork-based founder Peigin Crowley, will include The Comforting Ritual, created specifically for pregnant women, and The Balancing Ritual to empower and support women in perimenopause and menopause. [comfort zone] has created exclusive treatments, including a Walker’s Massage, while OTO will offer a series of sensory CBD-infused experiences that combine CBD massage oils with the use of sound therapy. The spa will also be the first in the Lake District to offer a new Ritual Facial Experience treatment by OTO.

Away from the mainstream

The hotel has been expanded to include 30 new spa bedrooms and the ‘SOLE’ (sustainable, organic local, ethical) restaurant and café.

“The spa is unique and quirky, just like the Swan,” says Kirsty MacCormick. “For me, the spa was all about authenticity and ensuring nothing is faddy. The thermal journey is a circuit and we recommend a specific sequence for every guest so they enjoy benefits tailored for them.

“We’ve carefully chosen product partners and suppliers with a similar ethos, such as OTO, one of the most sophisticated beauty CBD brands out there, along with BackLabel for uniforms and local Cumbrian brands such as Bathhouse and Agnes & Cat.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: Authentic experiences and treatments with a focus on sustainability Spa size: 743sqm Suppliers and partners: Ground Wellbeing, [comfort zone], OTO, Gharieni, REM, Unique Pool, Finnmark Sauna, BackLabel, Bathhouse, Agnes & Cat Architect: DLG Architects alongside specialist contractor Medlock Designers: Fiona Parke of Johnston Park Interiors

www.swanhotel.com @swannewbybridge

Guerlain Spa at Raffles London, UK

A vision for world-class wellbeing

Set in the grandiose building that was once Churchill’s Old War Office, Accor has confirmed that Raffles London at the OWO will comprise an iconic 120-room and suite flagship hotel, as well as a world-leading destination spa, exclusively partnering with French brand Guerlain and movement specialist PILLAR. Set to open in late 2022, the grade II listed destination is being restored and redeveloped by the Hinduja Group and its joint-venture partner OHLD. It will be Raffles’ first opening in London.

“Serenity, harmony, relaxation, recovery and pleasure are touchstones for wellness at Raffles Hotels & Resorts and immersed in every inch of the Guerlain Spa at Raffles London,” says Emlyn Brown, global vice president Well-Being at Accor. “With societal habits shifting and wellness taking on new and further-reaching meaning in a post-pandemic world, true luxury is not about what you do, but how you feel.”

Flagship facilities

The new Guerlain Spa at Raffles London features nine treatment rooms including a barber and salon, beauty treatment spaces, a Guerlain boutique, a separate VIP area and two couples’ suites.

The active wellness spaces, created and run by PILLAR, will offer an extensive gym and yoga studio, a juice bar, a 20m swimming pool with a vitality pool, and steam and sauna rooms. This new wellness destination will be open to guests at Raffles London, residents of The OWO Residences by Raffles, as well as spa members and day guests.

Philippe Leboeuf, managing director at Raffles London, says “Raffles London at The OWO is committed to bringing together the best talent and partners, raising the bar for wellness experiences in the capital. Working with a heritage brand such as Guerlain alongside contemporary health and movement specialists PILLAR perfectly mirrors our vision of providing a world-class destination for our residents, members and hotel guests.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: A world-class wellness sanctuary in the heart of the city Exclusive partners: Guerlain, PILLAR Designer: Goddard Littlefair Suppliers and partners: tbc

www.theowo.london @theowo.london

Lesante Cape, Greece

Five-star bio-fuelled spa and wellness facilities

Opening in late May, Lesante Cape is the new property in the Lesante Collection, a family-owned group of five-star abodes on Zakynthos. The village-style resort’s Armonia Wellness & Spa will be uniquely powered by an onsite bio-farm.

Based on the three core principles of ‘unwind, restore, elevate’ the 400sqm spa is billed as an ‘oasis of tranquillity to relax, pamper and rejuvenate’. Healing treatments and therapies will be inspired by ancient Mediterranean healing practices, using natural and planet-friendly products.

Facilities will include four treatment rooms (one suite) and a massage space, as well as a sauna, a hammam, an adventure shower and an indoor hot tub area. The indoor pool is inspired by ancient Greek architecture and is complemented by an open-air relaxation space. A fitness centre completes the offering. The resort will comprise 55 guest suites and ten villas with private beach access.

SPA STATISTICS

USP: The spa’s three-element philosophy is ‘unwind, restore, elevate’ Spa size: 400sqm Architect and designer: Ioannis Kyratsous

www.lesantecollection.gr @lesantecollection

Gleneagles Townhouse, Scotland

A dedication to treatment and therapy

A state-of-the-art wellness space, The Strong Rooms will be housed in the old bank vault in the 33-room Gleneagles Townhouse, a hotel, restaurant and member’s club coming to Edinburgh’s St. Andrew Square this spring. Designed by Ennismore Design Studio, the dedicated treatment and therapy space will provide two treatment rooms offering a curated selection of Gleneagles Signature Treatments as well as offerings from partners Dr. Barbara Sturm and Tata Harper.

The holistic wellness offering is enriched and enhanced by the latest technology, with cryotherapy and infrared saunas. Alongside this, a fully equipped gym space, providing an ultra-modern, holistic fitness experience, will also offer an immersive programme of al fresco wellbeing and fitness classes as well as experiences including regular running and cycling clubs. A virtual platform will bring an immersive audio-visual dimension to the Townhouse’s class studios.

“The intention for The Strong Rooms and our wider wellness offering is to create a hugely progressive, first-of-its-kind wellness experience curated by local, best-in-class practitioners,” says Gleneagles’ director of leisure Colin Farndon.

SPA STATISTICS

USP: Bringing the Gleneagles’ spa offering to the city Spa size: 544sqm Suppliers and partners: Dr. Barbara Sturm, Tata Harper Designer: Ennismore Design Studio

www.gleneagles.com/townhouse @ thegleneagleshotel

7Pines Sardinia

Scenic splendour and holistic purity

This July, a Pure Seven Spa is coming to the new 7Pines Resort Sardinia, the latest Destination by Hyatt property. Billed as ‘a sanctuary of wellness and relaxation, laid out around a courtyard oasis’, its five treatment rooms for individuals or couples will be complemented by a relaxation area, a steam room, a sauna, an experience shower, an ice room, a gym and outdoor Kneipp therapy areas.

Taking inspiration from its sister spa at 7Pines Resort Ibiza, Pure Seven’s holistic approach to physical and mental wellness will be influenced by Sardinia’s scenery and culture. Located at the epicentre of the resort, treatments, beauty services and contemplative mindfulness sessions will combine advanced and ancient practices. All products, yet to be disclosed, will be organic, vegan and paraben-free.

Alessandro Ferino, director of sales and marketing at 7Pines Resort Sardinia, says: “Pure Seven Spa at 7Pines Resort Sardinia will be a haven of wellbeing on the island, inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle and uplifting culture of Sardinia with a mission to reconnect individuals to themselves in mind and body. We are very excited to launch this new wellbeing concept here.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: A holistic approach to physical and mental wellness inspired by Sardinia’s uplifting scenery and culture Spa size: 800sqm Suppliers and product partners: Gharieni Designers and architects: Piazza Martiri 7 A wellness resort with something for everyone

www.7pines.com/en/sardinia @7pinessardinia

Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino

A wellness resort for everyone

Mandarin Oriental’s first Greek property will open in Spring 2023 – a beachfront wellness sanctuary on Costa Navarino, the popular tourist destination on the south-west coast of the Peloponnese.

The resort will offer 99 guest rooms and an extensive spa and wellness centre, with ten treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite and a VIP suite, a 25m indoor-outdoor pool and a menu of Mandarin Oriental’s signature wellness rituals and therapies.

Facilities will also include a relaxation and tea lounge, a 168sqm indoor fitness centre, 90sqm of outdoor yoga and meditation areas and a four-station Mandarin Oriental beauty salon. These will be complemented by an experience shower, a sauna, a steam room plus a hammam suite with heated loungers, a vitality pool, a cold plunge pool and a sun deck.

The spa hotel is in partnership with high-end tourism developer and operator TEMES S.A, which has also recently announced the opening of the W Escape and W Costa Navarino.

Jeremy McCarthy, spa director at Mandarin Oriental, says: “This will be an incredible getaway with something for everyone... it is a perfect wellness destination with serene natural surroundings and soothing views as well as world-class spa and fitness facilities.”

SPA STATISTICS

USP: A wellness getaway with something for everyone at Mandarin Oriental’s first property in Greece Spa size: tbc Suppliers and product partners: tbc

www.mandarinoriental.com @mo_hotels