If you’re serious about relaxation, you’ve probably been to a fair few spas, and know that the little things can turn a good experience into an amazing one. Most resorts now offer packages with meals and provide exceptionally fluffy robes, so it takes something truly special to make a visit memorable.
The lucky lot at The Times have visited ‘hundreds of spas every year’, and they’ve been keeping track of those exceptional spots. Now, all that knowledge has been put to good use, as the publication has just released a list of the very best spas in the world.
In order to create a list of the 50 best spas, each location was judged based on ‘[not only] the excellence of treatments and caring nature of therapists but also the design, ambience and location’. Creativity was valued, and the paper noted that it was particularly keen to ‘highlight those that really have something unique about them and bags of sincerity and soul’.
Lake Garda spa named best in the world
In first place was Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, a gorgeous resort with views over Lake Garda. In three words, the Times described it as ‘holistic, hedonistic and family-friendly’, and added that it is a ‘super-serious spa that at the same time is so boutiquely beautiful that it does a very good impersonation of being a “proper” hotel’.
So what actually makes this place so special? Well, the panoramic views of one of Italy’s most stunning landscapes certainly help. Enjoy them from the sauna with three glass walls, or from the infinity pool which ‘seems to slide gracefully into Garda’s emerald green waters’. But that’s not all that Lefay has to offer; there’s also an underground ‘salt lake’ swimming pool where you can ‘float like an angel’ in the ‘mineral-rich Alpine’ waters, dimly lit by dozens of candles.
There are multiple options for eating, including classics like pasta or burgers, and high-end Mediterranean cuisine depending on the day. All of this, of course, comes with top-notch health and wellness offerings and advice. According to The Times; ‘Lefay’s spa concept blends classical Chinese medicine and western techniques under the guidance of a scientific committee of renowned doctors whose specialisms cover everything from psychiatry to nutrition’.
The paper also revealed its picks for the best spas in specific niches, from detoxing to food. European resorts dominated – only two categories’ winners were outside the continent: oRAKxa Integrative Wellness, Bangkok in Thailand (the best ‘medi-spa’) and Bamford Spa 1 Hotel Miami, in Florida (best coastal spa).
Best spas in the world, according to The Times
Here are the winners for each category, making up the 10 best spas in the world:
- Overall winner: Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, Gargnano Italy
- Best detox spa: Park Igls, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria
- Best city spa: Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, Belgium
- Best boutique spa: Pres d’Eugenie, Eugénie-les-Bains, France
- Best spa for solos: Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece
- Best foodie spa: Palazzo Fiuggi, near Rome, Italy
- Best romantic spa: Borgo Santo Pietro, Tuscany, Italy
- Best medi-spa: RAKxa Integrative Wellness, Bangkok, Thailand
- Best coastal spa: Bamford Spa 1 Hotel Miami, Florida, US
- Best spa for sports and fitness: Palace Merano, Italy
You can discover the rest of The Times’ 50 best spas in the world here.
These are officially the 20 happiest cities in the world in 2025, according to locals.
Plus: This city has been crowned Europe’s newest ‘Green Capital’.
