The Most Tranquil Spas in the World: Gold List 2016

Vacations are all about relaxing, right? There's nowhere finer for doing that than these world-class hotel and resort spas, which offer everything from soaks in hydrating gold water to a stretch out on a sand quartz bed.
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    Courtesy Badrutt's Palace

    Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, St. Moritz

    Nestled in the Upper Engadin, Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz makes spectacular use of its sky-high surroundings. The underground rock-walled spa was blasted into the Swiss Alps, and the indoor pool, encircled by floor-to-ceiling glass, offers up a dreamy swim. A Finnish sauna beckons, as do the full-body renewal treatments and hydrating gold water.

  • Courtesy Parrot Bay by COMO

    Parrot Cay by COMO, Turks and Caicos

    This private island retreat is so committed to wellness that the spa at Parrot Cay by COMO recommends a three-week healthy living regimen before staying at their sun-soaked Turks and Caicos property. The Asian-inspired treatments include Japanese baths, an outdoors Jacuzzi garden, and yoga overlooking the North Caicos Channel and surrounding wetlands.

  • Courtesy Les Sources de Caudalie

    Les Sources de Caudalie, Bordeaux

    Blond and teak wood and stone imbue the Bordeaux-based, vineyard-ensconced Les Sources de Caudalie with a rustic luxuriousness well suited to refined relaxation. Vinotherapists capitalize on the beauty benefits of the surrounding grapes and grapevines (take a “barrel bath for two”), while also tapping into the 1770-foot-deep hot springs flowing far below for mineral- and element-rich body treatments.

  • Courtesy One&Only Palmilla

    One&Only Palmilla, Mexico

    Feel and look great in equal measure at One&Only Palmilla’s 22,000 square-foot sanctuary situated amid lush Los Cabos gardens. Guys are invited to the party too with bespoke services (like a straight razor wet shave) at the men’s grooming salon, Beverly Hills celebrity stylists ensure coif-conscious guests go frizz-free, and hot and cold rock pools, saunas, and steam rooms leave everyone stress-free.

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    Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria

    The outdoor soaking pools, steam baths, and saunas are crafted of sandstone and pinewood sourced from the nearby wilderness—and even a lazy hour in the relaxation room, with its floor-to-ceiling views of Tyrolean peaks, is as rejuvenating as a turn on the massage table.

  • Courtesy Park Hyatt New York

    Park Hyatt New York

    Head to the Park Hyatt New York for the city’s only sand quartz bed, a treatment derived from an ancient Mediterranean therapy of being bathed and partially buried beneath sand. The hotel also cycles in seasonal remedies from their acclaimed spas around the globe, for a curated, freshly universal approach to pampering.

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  • Courtesy Clinique La Prairie

    Clinique La Prairie, Switzerland

    The world-renowned clinic was founded in 1931 by a cellular therapy pioneer and is revered for helping people “live better and longer.” Taking a decidedly scientific and holistic approach to its guests' overall wellness, Clinique La Prairie near Montreux, Switzerland, is the place to rejuvenate and recalibrate both body and mind.

  • Courtesy Le Blanc Spa Resort

    Le Blanc Spa Resort, Cancun, Mexico

    This adult-only haven lies on a stretch of white sand between two translucent bodies of water: The Nichupte Lagoon and the Caribbean Ocean. Aromatherapy bath salts and pillows are two of the thoughtful amenities that come standard in guest rooms. You won’t have to spend a penny beyond the cost of your room to enjoy the five-star cuisine and beverages, all spa services, off-site archeological tours, Jack Nicklaus golf course, and personal training sessions in the fitness center.

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  • Courtesy Akasha Wellbeing Center

    Akasha Wellbeing Centre at Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem

    The Akasha Wellbeing Centre isn't just about passively lying there on a massage table. There are classes in yoga and Pilates, a swimming pool, a "health bar" stocked with fruits and juices, and, best of all, a deck for taking in the trademark Israeli desert sun.

  • Courtesy Winvian Farm

    Winvian Farm Spa at Winvian Farm, Litchfield Hills, CT

    In the heart of Yankee Connecticut, Winvian is a perfect retreat for the jaded captains of industry, couples, and even families wanting to reconnect with their playful inner child. Each of the ultra-comfortable and unique cottage accommodations are based on a different concept (Library, Treehouse, Helicopter). Our favorite is Beaver Lodge, which gracefully resolves the oxymoronic luxurious trapper’s cabin with hardwoods, an authentic polished beaver’s den preserved in the ceiling, two fireplaces, and a bathroom floor of water-smoothed river stones.