The same, but different—our list of the best spas in the world appreciates the differences that distinguish.
To assemble Vogue’s first global spa guide, a task force of editors and experts spent more than six months whittling down the world’s best wellness havens to a list of just 100 – a serious undertaking, to say the least. Arguably even more challenging? Selecting the 10 best spas in the world from across that wide-ranging long list.
While each of the 10 spas below offers world-class wellness facilities and treatments, what perhaps unites them is their differences – and their willingness to root themselves firmly in their natural or cultural surroundings. Whether you’re drawn to the spring-fed pools of an onsen bath in the mountains of Japan, steam rooms scented with Alpine herbs in the Dolomites, or traditional Ayurvedic treatments in the foothills of the Himalayas, there’s something for everyone.
Here, in alphabetical order, find Vogue’s 2024 line-up of the very best spas in the world.
Amanemu
Ise-Shima, Japan
Tokyo and Kyoto might hog the spotlight, but Japan’s true beauty lies in its rural destinations. Tucked away on the eastern edge of Mie Prefecture in Ise-Shima National Park, Amanemu is not the easiest to access, but that also means this secluded retreat is primely positioned for relaxation. Yet what really sets Amanemu’s spa apart from the rest of Aman group’s extraordinary portfolio of sumptuous properties around the world is its access to mineral-rich waters, which feed not just the two outdoor pools but every bedroom. The spa itself spans about 21,500 square feet, and the large hot-spring-fed pools are the crown jewels. Daybeds are strategically laid out throughout the spa garden, and a sunken firepit sweetens the deal. Those keen on having their own space can book a pair of private onsen pavilions for an additional fee. Onsen purists, this might not be your vibe: Proper practice calls for complete disrobing in gender-separated oases. But if you’re coy like me, this modern approach to Japan’s traditional bathing culture is much appreciated. — Christina Liao
Chenot Palace Weggis
Zurich
Half a century ago, Italian doctor Henri Chenot set out to answer an age-old question: How can we live forever? Though immortality may, alas, not be possible (in this lifetime, at least), he did conclude that the human body could live to 120 if taken seriously. But how? Enter the Chenot Method, a preventative medical approach vitalising human life for longer. Thousands – some curious to see if the hype really is true, some being annual returnees (Naomi Campbell is among fans) – flock to the flagship spa, Chenot Palace Weggis. From its attentive eye to detail to sweeping views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Lucerne, there’s a reason the medical spa is widely recognised as being among the world’s best detox programs. On the standard seven-day retreat, your stay is bookended by in-depth consultations with various doctors, nutritionists, and therapists to explain the program – really, Chenot is less like a spa and more like a scientific retreat. Visiting is an opportunity to learn more about your body, its immune responses, and how to take your learnings beyond your stay and into life. Of course, lovely massages and facials are involved, as well as other ways to relax, like yoga sessions and aqua therapy. You’ll come out feeling like you’ve shed your deadweight like a snake. — Giles Hattersley
Dior Spa at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Paris
Twice a year (or six times, if you’re counting the couture and men’s shows too), a glittering phalanx of buyers, editors, stars and influencers descend on Paris for the world’s most stylish trade fair: Fashion Week. And when it comes to accommodation, the seasoned pros know you have to book early – at least if you want to be in one of the city’s see-and-be-seen hotels. On that front, few hotels rank quite as highly as the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, which dates back to 1913 – and after a major renovation of its Dior Spa, which reopened in autumn 2023, the fashion crowd (or anyone) has another pressing reason to visit. There’s a head-spinning array of treatments to sample, unless you’re only there to check out the sauna and hammam. While the spa’s three signature rituals – recharge, recover, and rest – may all seem simple on the surface, how the in-house “well-being experts” help you achieve those goals is a little more complex, relying on cutting-edge technology. Most impressive, perhaps, is the Dior Light Suite, which uses LED lights scattered across the ceiling to harness the power of the sun – and the body’s circadian and chronobiological rhythms in response to it – in order to combat jet lag, encourage the body to feel reenergised, or simply strengthen the ability of your dermis to withstand the likes of pollution or stress. It’s a serene (and highly scientific) slice of paradise in the heart of the city. — Liam Hess
Eynsham Baths at Estelle Manor
The Cotswolds, England
Five years in the making, the spa opening of Eynsham Baths at Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds was as anticipated as when the house itself opened earlier this year – and it is absolutely worth the wait. A celebration of ancient rituals mixed in with a sprinkling of modern science, it’s a neoclassical Roman-bath-inspired villa that houses 3,000 square meters of sublime spa space. Once you’re checked in and escorted down the stairs through the changing rooms into the main Tepidarium, it’s hard not to be bowled over by the sheer scale and design of the fully marbled main bathing hall. But it’s the little touches that really propel this spa experience into another league: Ponchos replace robes as the attire of choice; the faint chanting played throughout the spa is almost imperceptible but subconsciously puts you in a relaxed state of mind; the hay sauna, so called because it features bales of hay secured to the ceiling to maintain dry heat, is infused with lavender, which makes you wonder why all saunas don’t have some sort of scented experience. The devil lies in the details here. — Jessica Diner
Forestis
Bressanone, Italy
Within the state-of-the-art spa complex at Forestis – spread across more than two thousand square meters and two floors – you’ll find a kind of sleek Nordic Disneyland for rest and recuperation. There are all your standard spa mod cons, of course, but also briny steam baths, hot rooms scented with local herbs, and saunas set at a perfectly calibrated temperature. As is custom in this corner of Europe (Forestis is located in the heart of the Italian Dolomites) inside the cabins, nudity is expected, but there’s also a sauna and steam room by the pool where the less brave can keep their swimwear on. And for those feeling especially plucky, there’s an outdoor Finnish sauna with a giant tub for cold plunging afterward, refilled by a wood tube plugged straight into the side of the mountain to release its glacial waters. Forestis’s unfussy approach to wellness stems from its illustrious history as a place for recovery – the more adventurously inclined can even try out a Wyda session, a millennia-old energetic stretching practice nicknamed the yoga of the Celts – but within the spa, the emphasis is firmly on healing methodologies absorbed from the resort’s natural surroundings. Here, you’ll truly feel at one with the forest. — L.H.
Golden Door
San Marcos, California
Does the birthplace of American wellness mean nothing to you? What about classic Old Hollywood glamour? What about it’s a two-hour drive from Los Angeles (30 minutes from San Diego) and you’ll feel like you’re on an entirely different plane of existence? Okay, how about an all-inclusive 40-room escape with 25 miles of private hiking trails, one-on-one personal training, delicious farm-to-table meals, multiple beauty treatments for face, hands, feet and hair, daily massages, and a robust schedule of classes in everything from meditation and Pilates to fencing and tap dancing? Golden Door offers all that and a sense of chic camaraderie: Think summer camp for swells, starlets and CEOs who want to get back in touch with themselves – mentally, physically, mindfully. Lunch and dinner are taken communally (unless otherwise desired), as are the programmed classes and activities. Beyond the pampering, the cheerful sense of community – of gathering with and getting to know 39 other people in such an idyllic environment – has become a huge part of the appeal. But if the idea of group activities strikes fear into your heart, fret not: As much as community and camaraderie can play a very soul-enhancing part in a stay at the Door, if you’re the introspective sort or looking for more of a private retreat, that’s entirely possible to do, and seamlessly, while still reaping the countless benefits of the property. But, if you’re on the fence, err on the side of socialising: You won’t regret it. — Alessandra Codinha
Joali Being
Raa Atoll, Maldives
The Maldives is the epitome of a dreamy beach vacation, but when you combine that with the country’s first dedicated wellness resort, you’re in for a real treat. Centred around four pillars – mind, skin, microbiome and energy – Joali Being delivers so much more than just a spa. Here, practitioners specialising in Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, naturopathy and nutrition are on hand for guidance. An encyclopaedic treatment menu covers the usual suspects along with the less familiar, like chi nei tsang, a centuries-old abdominal massage rooted in the Chinese philosophy of qi. It’s also home to many a superlative: the archipelago’s first cryotherapy chamber, the region’s largest fitness center, a one-of-a-kind sound-therapy room. Needless to say, the bar has been set high, and admirers (or, should I say, competitors) have taken note. — C.L.
Lanserhof Sylt
List auf Sylt, Germany
Lanserhof’s newest destination, on the island of Sylt off the northern coast of Germany, adheres to the concept that originated more than three decades ago at Lans, the Tyrolean alpine resort in Austria: that the gut, once cleansed and detoxified, has an astounding ability to kickstart the body’s path back to health and vitality. Paired with state-of-the-art diagnostic analyses and extensive physical and psychological assessments, Lanserhof’s gut-focused treatments inform individualised protocols that can include naturopathy and chronomedicine (the mapping of future illnesses), as well as overall regeneration. There are many options here, but your path is likely going to be very prescribed. A sampling of what’s on offer: “intermittent hypoxic training” (which involves inhaling varying levels of oxygen through a specialised breathing mask to enhance energy), abdominal massages to stimulate digestion, full-body algae treatments and reflexology for relaxation, and hypnotherapy, as well as the more traditional workout, massage and reflexology sessions. — Vassi Chamberlain
Sha Mexico
Costa Mujeres, Mexico
Father and son Alfredo and Alejandro Parietti founded Sha in 2008, and their first clinic in Alicante, Spain, has earned accolades and awards as a pioneering spa at the forefront of the wellness wave. Their second location, in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, opened in early 2024 – and here there are just as many treatment rooms as guest rooms. Some are for traditional spa offerings like massages, facials, and sound baths. But most are for more cutting-edge undertakings: Think ozone IVs, transcranial electrical stimulations, virtual-reality workouts, cryotherapy, infrared therapy and more. There’s also a significant number of medical-grade offerings: You can get diagnostic tests done here, as well as dental cleanings, food-sensitivity tests and hormone screenings. Those who go to Sha are usually looking for a complete health and wellness overhaul rather than a simple trip for rest and relaxation – and that’s exactly what you’ll find. — Elise Taylor
Six Senses Vana
Uttarakhand, India
As soon as you step through the doors of the arrival pavilion at Six Senses Vana, you know you’ve crossed a threshold of some kind. First opened as simply Vana in 2014 by Veer Singh, the Himalayan resort quickly built a reputation as one of the most restorative (and ravishingly beautiful) destinations in the world, both for the subdued luxury of its design and the sheer breadth of wellness traditions on offer. It’s one of the few places globally, for example, to offer the Tibetan medicine practice of Sowa Rigpa, here delivered by therapists who trained at the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute. The Dalai Lama himself paid a visit to the resort back in 2016. In 2022, the property was acquired by Six Senses, the hotel brand that has established itself as a pioneer in delivering an accomplished blend of luxury, sustainability and wellness. Naturally, there was some skepticism from longtime Vana devotees (or Vanavasis, as they’re nicknamed). But most of those have proven unfounded. The majority of the team has remained from its previous iteration, and the only real tweaks to its well-honed formula are the additions of a few signature Six Senses touches (a more high-tech wellness screening upon arrival, for example). The treatments at Six Senses Vana aren’t just world-class – they set the very standard of world-class. — L.H.
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
