In this day and age, a moment’s break from the constant connected go-go-go lifestyle is considered precious. It just seems impossible to sit back and relax these days! But Inghams have made it easier for you- we have compiled a short guide to some of our best and exclusive spa hotels around the Alps so you really can take the weight off your feet, sit back and... aah! Relax.
Whether you’re looking for a bit of luxury, fancy indulging in an eco-escape or you’re really seeking a unique spiritual experience, look no further!
If you fancy... a bit of 5* luxury
If you fancy... a planet-friendly green retreat
If you fancy... a mindful, stress-free experience
If you fancy... a bit of 5* luxury
Hotel Beatus in Merlingen, Switzerland
Sitting on the shore of the picturesque Lake Thun is the Hotel Beatus, and its renowned spa and wellness centre. A real luxurious treat for those who want to sip champagne as the sun goes down over the lake, and then slip into a heated salt water pool and watch as all their troubles melt away.
At the 5-star Hotel Beatus you are almost spoilt for choice. Amongst beauty treatments and massages, the hotel boasts not one but two sauna parks with different themes.
In the ‘Classic’ sauna park you can enjoy the Finnish block house sauna for an intense sweating session at 90°c. There is also the Flower Grotto for a truly indulgent aromatherapy session. When you’re finished with the heat in the sauna, dive into the cold ice fountain for an invigorating energy kick!
There is also the ‘Bamboo’ sauna park for an opulent far eastern experience with the Thai sauna and the salt water grotto. While you’re there, try out the herbal sauna with aromas and essences mixed into the steam in the air for a relaxing and breathe-easy experience.
If the heat of the Alpine sauna doesn’t appeal to you, the hotel also offers an open air salt water bath, kept at 35°c all year around and the ‘Petit Oubli’- a space for pure relaxation on waterbeds while listening to your favourite music.
Top tip: Make the most of the salt water bath. The spring water of the bath is mixed with 2.7% natural brine which is thought to promote health and rehabilitation following illness and injury.
Hotel Rieser in Pertisau, Austria
Nothing quite hits the spot like coming back after a long day out exploring the mountain, and retreating into a fully equipped luxurious and warm spa. The Hotel Rieser is the home of The Reiser Spa, where you can indulge in saunas, natural bathing ponds, indoor-outdoor pools, and private treatments.
In The Sauna Refugium you can make the most of a pine block sauna, an option of salt or freshwater steam baths, a quiet conservatory with waterbeds and loungers, and an outdoors area with a mountain spring waterfall.
The hotel also offers some fantastic meditation spots too, a quiet room with panoramic views means you can snuggle up on a lounger in solitude or with a good book and watch the seasons over the Karwendel Mountains go by.
Also on offer at the spa and hotel are a range and variety of different beauty treatments.
Top tip: Most Alpine saunas and spas encourage you to come as you are...! Swimming and bathing suits are not permitted in the sauna, but you are allowed to wear a towel for modesty.
Hotel Mignon in Merano, Italy
Another 5-star hotel retreat that sits in the scenic town of Merano in Italy, the Hotel Mignon offers some fantastic all-inclusive spa packages for their guests.
An indoor-outdoor swimming pool and a saltwater whirlpool are just a few things that this luxurious spa contains. There is also a tropical sauna with lights and aromas that whisk you away to a faraway place, and once you have had enough of the heat of the sauna, you can cool down in the ice grotto.
The hotel also has an array of stunning decks and lounges that look out over the gardens and water-lily ponds, and the wide green park beyond.
While the hotel offers some standard spa features, it is their extensive treatments menu that takes the prize. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing massage or a completely new experience, be sure to try out at least one of their pioneering body treatments during your stay.
Top tip: Definitely try out the South Tyrolean Hay Bath treatment! This is a treatment that is unique to the South Tyrolean area, and definitely an noteworthy one. Hot, steaming and aromatic herbs and grasses are formed into a pressé and bound against your skin, the treatment is said to aid circulation, relax tense muscles and tendons and stimulate health promoting hormones.
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If you fancy... a planet-friendly green retreat
Hotel Theresia in Hinterglemm, Austria
Like lots of people these days, we are wary about being green and ecological.
And not just eco side of things, there is also a strong desire for the back-to-basics approach to beauty. Chemical-free and organic skin products are gracing the shelves of spas and clinics around the world and many people prefer the refreshing holistic approach to their health and mindfulness.
The Theresia SPA at the Hotel Theresia in Hinterglemm in Austria has adopted exactly that approach to the running of their spa retreat. They proudly stock the German line of eco-certified cosmetics Annemarie Börlind Natural Cosmetics and the organically-certified Austrian cosmetic brand of Marías.
At the Hotel Theresia you can enjoy some beautiful natural outdoor swimming pools, treated with the minimum amount of chlorine and heated using an energy-recycling system from the hotel. For total relaxation, the kids’ swimming pool is separate from the adults.
The hotel also harnesses the power of two mountain springs, both which provide soft glacial water- fantastic for the more sensitive skin types. The water is fed into the inside and the outside pools, the whirlpool and the natural swimming pond.
And finally, once you are exhausted of splashing about in the beautiful spa facilities, you can enjoy some quiet meditation in the Tranquillity Pyramid- a conservatory full of light and harnessing the energy of the sun.
Top tip: Most saunas are strictly for adults only. The Hotel Theresia has kids’ facilities and swimming pools, so sit back and relax. Enjoy your uninterrupted time in the ‘Whisper Zone’ in the sauna.
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If you fancy... a mindful, stress-free experience
Aqualux Spa Hotel in Bardolino, Italy
Firmly rooted in science, technology and modern, pioneering treatments, this innovative spa, situated in Bardolino, is a contemporary take on the traditional Alpine retreat. State of the art, the Aqualux Spa Hotel asks you to leave all your worries and troubles behind you as you immerse yourself in the exquisite environment that is offered to you.
Embrace idleness and serenity and indulge in the facilities: a Turkish bath, three saunas at varying temperatures, a caldarium for a plunge in the icy pool, and a large Jacuzzi pool.
The spa also offers a range of new facial and body treatments, proudly endorsing Phytomer cosmetic products.
All the water pumped into the spa is recognised for its thermal qualities and thought to be exfoliating yet kind to the skin and beneficial to the muscles and tendons, especially post-trauma and injury.
Top tip: Take a moment to enjoy the gorgeous hotel garden that has been beautifully landscaped to maximise the pleasure of the guests. Nestled under the olive trees and between modern, artistic fountains you can find some excellent spots to stop and read a book or enjoy a glass of champagne in the evenings.
Hotel Salzburgerhof in Zell am See, Austria
At the spa in the Hotel Salzburgerhof, you are encouraged to focus on yourself, find your inner harmony and happiness, all while receiving 5-star treatment.
The truly indulgent pampering spa is proud of its ‘Wellness Castle’- this building, with over 3,500m² floorspace, is dedicated to wellness and focused on enjoying recreational time. A relaxing space where meditation and calm is encouraged with warm waterbeds and loungers, it is the perfect opportunity to really connect with your inner thoughts in this peaceful location.
There is also an extended sauna area, a steam bath as well as a lengthy pool area outdoors with a whirlpool, athletic pool, Jacuzzi and an invigoratingly cool waterfall.
For ultimate relaxation, why not indulge in the Salzburgerhof’s Salt Water Dome? The practice of floating in the dark, tranquil space is similar to that of a sensory deprivation experience: find peace and calm within your mind by abandoning all worldly sensations. You’ll be surrounded by candles, soft lighting installations, gentle music and floating in highly concentrated salt waters akin to those of the Dead Sea. All together you will be transported into a state of deep relaxation in both mind and body.
You can either float on your own in the Salt Water Dome or you can have an assisted floating session with a trained professional, who will lead you through a variety of gentle stretching exercises to grasp your inner state of calm.
Top tip: For a real deep breathing exercise, try the experience in the Dragons Grotto. A cocktail of steam, oxygen and fragrance in the air makes this a real detoxifying treatment for your lungs and sinuses.
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