The best spa hotels in the Cotswolds
It is clear that, for most of us, even a short time spent in nature is guaranteed to have a calming effect. But however lovely the green fields and lambs might be, nature might need a bit of help when it comes to soothing some of us. Enter the Cotswolds and its spas. All nestled into some of the UK's most beautiful countryside, these are the best spas in the region, each guaranteed to soothe the soul and double up on serenity with beautiful surroundings.
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The best spa hotels in the Cotswolds
1/10The Lakes By Yoo, Lechlade
The Lakes by Yoo, an 850-acre sustainable estate in the Cotswolds, feels more like a summer retreat in upstate New York than somewhere in the honey-hued village of Lechlade. Property developer John Hitchcox and celebrated French architect Philippe Starck brought to life modern cabins, apartments and homes all facing several lakes around the large estate where privacy, nature and relaxation is felt in every design element and amenity – from kayaks and paddle boards that are left on lakesides for guests to pick up when they're ready to supper clubs facing the water and cosy fireplaces in every cabin. But it's the Spa by Yoo that really turbo charges luxury relaxation. All buzzwords are covered, from Cold Water wellness retreats to forest bathing sessions. The spa itself has some big names behind it, with Kate Moss's COSSMOSS massage treatments and Dr. Barbara Sturm facials.
Product line: Kate Moss's COSSMOSS, Dr Barbara Sturm, MOSS of the ISLES and Wildsmith Skin
Specialty treatment: For something a little extra book into the Cold Water wellness retreat or 'mum-to-be retreat.
Amenities beyond the spa: Swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, spa garden, fitness studio, Kayaking, sailing, paddle-boarding, woodland walks
2/10Bamford Wellness Spa, Daylesford
As a stylish arm of the Daylesford Organic empire, Bamford Wellness Spa is one of the destinations when it comes to Cotswold spas. Enjoy a wide range of holistic treatments with talented technicians, all ready and waiting to deepen your relaxation. With its sleek surroundings of white-washed and natural wood, the spa itself is sure to calm the senses even before you get to your treatment. Using all-organic ingredients in combination with high-end, scientifically-backed methods, the journey at Bamford Wellness Spa is sure to be perfect for body, mind and spirit.
Product line: Bamford (bonus, it's sustainable and organic)
Specialty treatment: the B Vibrant Treatment, “a revitalising experience to energise the body, awaken the senses and increase positivity”
Amenities beyond the spa: fully-equipped gym with a packed schedule of restorative classes and outdoor activities including yoga, Pilates, meditation and gong therapy; a health foods restaurant, ‘The Orchard Bar’, which serves a daily menu of organic meals using ingredients from Daylesford FarmWith treatments from £50.
3/10Soho Farmhouse, Great Tew & Chipping Norton
The private members' club's countryside compound is akin to a summer camp for adults: there's plenty of activities to choose from, as well as an array of choice ‘canteens’ (read: lovely, high-end restaurants). There is also Cowshed, a sprawling spa offering a multitude of different treatments, from reiki to manicures to deep-tissue massages. With a heated, indoor-outdoor pool, a sauna, steam room and the newly-installed ‘Lazy Lake’ (a private pool drained after each use), too, those seeking the ultimate pampering are sure to find it at Soho Farmhouse.
Product line: Cowshed, a spa-inspired line of natural bath and body products, from face creams to hair oils
Specialty treatments: The Lazy Lake, ‘a 2 hour spa experience including sunken lake hot tubs and infrared saunas’; GUAM® Body Therapies
Amenities beyond the spa: a well-equipped gym offering an array of classes from spinning to Pilates as well as personal trainers, tennis courts, a CrossFit space, an indoor-outdoor pool (‘the Boathouse’); four restaurants and one café; childcare and doggy daycare services; clothing, homeware and flower shops; equestrian routesSpa is only available for Members or for those staying on-site, with treatments from £22.
4/10Thyme, Lechlade
With an ethos of celebrating nature and its unrushed timing, Thyme is truly a hotel in which you can finally relax and slow down. Guests arrive at a simple yet sumptuous country house, where every detail is thought through. Thyme's spa, Meadow, is a true oasis in the Cotswolds, offering plenty of treatments in a pared back, Scandi-chic setting. Pure bliss.
Product lines: Aurelia London, a pioneering skincare brand which integrate probiotics into its creams, serums and lotions; Bertoli Beauty, natural bath products
Specialty treatments: Botanical Bothy Treatment; bespoke pregnancy massages & facials
Amenities beyond the spa: a spring water swimming pool; outdoor activities including walking and cycling trailsWith treatments from £115.
5/10Calcot & Spa, Tetbury
This elegant, 14th-century country house has become home to one of the Cotswolds' most sought-after spa destinations. Though always welcoming and adieu-ing a steady flow of guests, a spa guest could never tell. Offering experiences from aromatherapy to Swedish massage, as well as an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and whirlpool tub, a stay at Calcot & Spa is sure to leave one well-scrubbed and very relaxed. A well-equipped fitness centre is located on site, too, for those seeking the ultimate detox of body and mind. So we say go on, book a massage and melt into the Cotswolds, Calcot & Spa style. (And for those for whom spa-time is a right, not a privilege, Calcot & Spa offers membership packages).
Product line: ELEMIS, ‘a skin wellness brand with an aromatherapist’s soul’
Specialty treatments: ELEMIS and CACI facials and body treatments; aromatherapy
Amenities beyond the spa: an indoor, heated pool; high-tech gym offering heaps of classes and personal training sessions; cycling and walking trails; tennis courts; spa restaurant offering healthy meals in a refined settingWith full-day spa packages from £235.
6/10Barnsley House, Cirencester
ne of the most romantic hotels in the Cotswolds is also home to one of its best spas. Tucked away in the perfectly-manicured garden of Barnsley House, the spa is a calming oasis, ready to welcome guests to experience total soul-soothing relaxation. Enjoy massages on lavender-scented tables, refreshing scrubs and a variety of other treatments either solo or with a friend or partner. No matter your choice, the rest of the world and all its troubles will melt away – how romantic is that?
Product line: ELEMIS
Specialty treatments: ELEMIS massages & facial therapies;
Amenities beyond the spa: a small but completely glorious outdoor pool, plus an indoor hydrotherapy bath, steam room and saunaWith treatments from £60.
7/10Dormy House, Broadway
Nestled above the pretty village of Broadway on the Francombe Estate, the Dormy House is the ideal place to hunker down and relax – especially at its award-winning spa. The pool is long, set at the perfect temperature and benefits from a glass wall on one side overlooking the large hot tub and courtyard outside, and flooding the spa with light. There's a salt-infused steam room and sauna, as well as many treatment rooms where the pros get to work.
Product line: Temple Spa, an herbal line ‘developed in England with strong Mediterranean influences’
Specialties: Sweet Serenity Spa experience; CBD facials and massage; ‘A Brush With Heaven’ face and body treatment; Aleksandrowicz System Massages; light therapies
Amenities: candle-lit bathing room; indoor infinity pool; thermal suite including a juniper-laced Finnish sauna and salt steam room; health restaurant, ‘The Greenhouse’ serves nutrition-focused lunches and snacks; well-equipped gym; the ‘i-sopod’, a float tankRates upon request.
Photo: Courtesy of The Lygon Arms8/10The Lygon Arms, Broadway
Among the many reasons to visit the Cotswolds is its history; the region is chock-full of historic structures that only add to its charm. Case in point: the Lygon Arms, a 14th-century inn in one of the ultimate Cotswold villages, Broadway, that has been welcoming guests to its hallowed rooms since 1377. Back then, of course, it was a modest coaching inn, but it has developed considerably over the ensuing centuries – now including a fabulous spa.
There, guests can choose from a wide range of terrific treatments, from body scrubs to hot stone massages to luxurious mani-pedis. Water babies will enjoy the Lygon Arms' many aquatic options, including an indoor pool complete with retractable roof, spa baths, a steam room and a sauna and those more earth-bound will want to make the most of the Lygon Arms' idyllic grounds with long, bucolic walks.
Product lines: ELEMIS; OSKIA, ‘formulations are designed using clinical bio-actives to give you a beautifully healthy & glowing complexion’
Specialty treatments: Lygon Body Recovery; ‘Treat for Two’ and Junior packages; Sunrise Spa Experience
Amenities beyond the spa: sauna and steam room; indoor swimming pool; a well-equipped gym and fitness studio offering classes including yoga and PilatesWith treatments from £90.
9/10The Double Red Duke, Bampton
Hotelier and designer Georgina Pearman's vision for the Double Red Duke was to create a cosy, comfortable and fun hotel in the Cotswolds, and indeed, she has. Though not strictly a ‘spa’, the hotel's adorable treatment room, located in a charming shepherd's hut with tranquil white walls, offers a compact range of massages and facials, and is sure to enhance any stay at this delightful inn.
Product line: 100 Acres Aromatherapy
Specialty: Beauty Ritual facial
Amenities: equestrian school; a partnership with Dodd Fit, a local fitness centre offering classes and personal training sessions; The Barn boxing classesWith treatments from £70.
10/10Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
Come June 2023, the Italianite manor house first home to English royalty and then owned by a malted milk magnate, will be transformed into a true Cotswold destination. Behind the transformation are the hospitality connoisseurs part of the Experimental Group. Set to have high-end spa facilities, acres of Victorian cascades and woodland and just 36 bedrooms, Cowley Manor is set to be the perfect, relaxing countryside escape.
Treatment rates unavailable, set to open June 2023.
