What are the different types of Spa?

Health and Fitness Travel

The idea of a luxury spa holiday is always a particularly attractive one but which type of spa is for you? At Health and Fitness Travel we have many different types of spa holidays ranging from Destination Spas to Ayurveda spas, Medical Spas and more traditional spas.
A spa holiday allows you to enhance your spiritual awareness, heal emotional distress, rid the body of toxins, improve circulation and give the mind and body a chance to fully repair and relax from the stresses of daily life.  However, you may not be aware of all the variations of spas, and the extensive range of treatments they provide; so how do you know which type of spa is right for you? From healthy spa breaks to wellbeing holidays we give you a breakdown of 7 different types of spas and 7 different healthy holidays to help you decide which one is best for you.

Traditional Spa

A traditional spa brings together an extensive range of spa treatments and therapies with the purpose of improving health, beauty and relaxation, resulting in an unforgettable spa experience. It is likely to contain facilities such as a Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room that you may use in addition to your treatments. It could also include hydrotherapy circuits, a fitness centre and swimming pool.

The view from the spa at Aphrodite Hills

Aphrodite Hills - Cyprus

This traditional Mediterranean health and fitness resort on the island of Cyprus combines fine accommodation with a state-of-the-art spa, gym, tennis academy and golf course. The Retreat Spa overlooks the resort, with wide sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea, and is a Greco-Roman inspired haven for the indulgence of mind, body and soul. It has 27 treatment rooms where a number of tranquil therapies are delivered by an expert team of therapists. The idyllic location, only 15 minutes from Paphos, allows you to be as active or relaxed as you wish.

Destination Spa

A destination spa will provide you with a comprehensive healthy holiday programme that includes spa treatments, physical fitness activities, holistic exercise classes, wellness lectures and healthy cuisine. It is typical for guests to actively partake in the programme at the spa and fully integrate it into their wellbeing holiday, rather than visiting for a one-off treatment whilst at the destination.

 

The stunning pool area at Chiva Som

Chiva Som - Thailand

This world-renowned award-winning Thai spa emphasises healthy relaxation and holistic therapies to make your stay as tranquil as possible. Dedicated to reaching total well-being, Chiva Som takes you on a journey of healthy living. From stress relief and weight management, to detox and fitness, expert health and wellness advisers utilise the best in modern, specialist and complementary medicine and spa treatments to create a dedicated programme for you to embark on your own personal wellness journey.

Relaxation and Pampering Spa

A relaxation and pampering spa is characterised by being owned and located within a resort, providing professional relaxation and beauty treatments. It typically does not extend to other areas of the resort but rather remains within its own spa centre, offering first class treatments such as personalised massages, body scrubs, hydrotherapy treatments and thermal circuits.

 

The outdoor pool at Reads in Mallorca

Reads - Mallorca

Reads Hotel is a beautiful boutique retreat at the base of Mallorca’s Tramuntana Mountains, where guests can relax and unwind in quiet seclusion. The converted estate house holds only 23 rooms, allowing for an intimate stay, and at the core is the world-class Vespasian Spa, designed to relax the mind and body in a beautiful setting. Aside from the spa you can take part in a range of outdoor pastimes that include cycling, horse-riding, tennis and yoga.

Ayurvedic Spa

From the Sanskrit meaning “The knowledge for long life”, traditional Ayurveda medicine is an ancient Hindu healing system. This concept improves one’s health and well-being by creating a balance between mind, body and spirit through an assessment of lifestyle. Treatments are based on herbal preparations, diet, purification and yoga. It is widely regarded as the oldest form of healthcare in the world and is viewed as a more popular choice for a healing holiday.

 

An exfoliliation experience at Ananda

Ananda - India

Set at the foot of the Himalayas, Ananda is a spiritual retreat that creates unique programmes designed to extend your health and unite your body and soul. Ananda’s 24,000ft² spa uses over 80 different body and beauty treatments including a selection of traditional Ayurveda therapies, facials, massages, exfoliation, hydrotherapy and many more. You can also participate in different activities that the spa has to offer such as yoga, meditation and a variety of exercise classes.

Medical Spa

Medical spas, also known as medi-spas, offer medical services as well as traditional spa therapies, often in a spa like environment. The treatments generally focus on one of two areas — aesthetic enhancement or wellness. They have become more popular in recent years for both men and women. A medical doctor overseas the spa and typically provides a health consultation before your stay, whilst other medical professionals, such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, and aestheticians, handle the daily spa treatments and therapies.

 

The Spa tea lounge at Longevity Wellness Resort

Longevity Wellness Resort - Portugal

This luxurious mountain resort and spa, overlooking the Algarve coastline, offers natural medical procedures to help harmonise your system. Through highly personalised evaluations and consultations, you can expect improved mental clarity, inner balance, a lessening of tension and a complete re-energisation of body and mind. The spa also readdresses the way you look at yourself, aiming to completely readjust and improve the way you look and feel.

Thermal Spa

A thermal spa is built around a hot spring that is formed from heated water from the earth's crust. The heat from the thermal waters increases blood flow and body metabolism, bringing improved nourishment to vital organs and muscles and aiding digestion, whilst removing unwanted toxins from the body. Additionally, as heated water can hold more dissolved solids, thermal waters often contain a high number of minerals that can have a number of healing benefits and therapeutic values, offering pain relief from all kinds of different types of injuries and ailments, as well as skin conditions.

 

A view of the pools at Adler Thermae in Tuscany

Adler Thermae - Tuscany, Italy

Adler Thermae is located 300m from the romantic town of Bagno Vignoni, in the heart of Tuscany’s natural park, Val d’Orcia, famous for its thermal waters and hot springs. The spa is set upon its own spring where the waters are obtained from the earth’s crust and enriched with valuable minerals and sulphurs, which can have positive effects on your whole body, especially benefiting the skin, bones and joints.

Hammam Spa

Created around the time of the Roman Thermae and built on traditions of communal bathing and cleansing that evolved over thousands of years, today's urban Hammam spa experience has been formed. The Hammam allows refreshing essential oils to be infused in the air as the steam is absorbed through your pores, helping to cleanse and relax you and release built-up stress and toxins. Now popularised as a Turkish tradition, this Middle Eastern variant of a steam bath can be seen as a wet alternative to the sauna.

 

The private spa zone at Kempinski Barbaros Bay

Kempinski Barbaros Bay - Turkey

Kempinski Barbaros Bay in Bodrum, Turkey, looks out over the Aegean Sea from the hillside above the bay, set in an area of unspoilt natural beauty. You can harmonise your body’s energy with the treatments and therapies on offer at the Six Senses Spa, which includes two traditional Turkish hammams, and enjoy daily holistic activities such as yoga, Pilates and stretching. Source-Healthandfitnesstravel.com