Travel

5 Ultra-Relaxing Retreats For Total Restoration

Buahan, Banyan Tree Escape

When relaxation is called for, an immersive trip can be the most rejuvenating experience. Whether it’s connecting to nature, designing a perfect night’s sleep, or enjoying expert-guided therapies, these five hotels will help you truly unwind. By KATIE BERRINGTON

Lifestyle
Banyan Tree Escape’s chic yet pared-back aesthetic allows the stunning scenery to be the star of the show

Buahan, Banyan Tree Escape, Bali

An adults-only retreat close to the small village of Buahan, Banyan Tree Escape has ethereal views of the surrounding jungle, rice fields and Bali’s seven mountain peaks, giving guests an utterly absorbing perspective of this majestic scenery. Accommodation is comprised of just 16 villas – each of which has a private pool, sweeping deck, open-air bathtub, four-poster bed and expansive living area – built using locally sourced materials and honoring traditional Balinese architecture. What’s more, the properties are all open to the elements, with no walls or doors, for what the resort calls a ‘Naked Experience’ that promotes a connection to nature. When it comes to activities, there are authentic local wellbeing and therapy experiences on offer, as well as more active pursuits, such as yoga, foraging, hiking and mountain biking.

SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico is built in the brand’s signature sleek and modern style
The hotel features greenery on every level and is situated in prime position on the beach

SHA Wellness Clinic, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Joining its Spanish sister hotel, the soon-to-open SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico is situated north of the Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast. The area is a piece of paradise, with glorious native flora and fauna, a silky, white-sand beach, crystal-clear waters, and the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere – an incredible marine ecosystem of protected species. While amplifying the wonders of the region, the Wellness Clinic will also offer the signature SHA integrated approach to wellbeing, through programs that focus on elements including nutrition, natural therapies, preventive and healthy aging, cognitive stimulation and emotional health, inner balance and physical performance.

Lime Wood combines period features with a modern spa for a truly luxurious countryside escape

Lime Wood, Hampshire, UK

New Forest wild ponies roam the roads leading up to Lime Wood, a 13th-century hunting lodge transformed into a wisteria-adorned hotel, which proffers the bucolic idyll in all elements of its offering. The award-winning Herb House Spa is a peaceful space sprawled over three storeys that immerse guests in the lush, local surroundings – from the floor-to-ceiling glass walls of the hydro pool and sauna to the alfresco pool and the rooftop gym with breathtaking treetop views. But to really escape into nature, the hotel’s ‘Re-Wild Yourself’ retreats offer rejuvenating experiences amid the lush forest canopy, whether you want a relaxed recharge or something more adrenaline-pumping.

From the beautiful mountain setting to the cozy bedrooms, Hotel de Len in the Dolomites aims to create optimal conditions for the perfect night’s sleep

Hotel de Len, Dolomites, Italy

When rest is in order, Hotel de Len, in the soaring setting of the Dolomites, has developed a specialized regenerative sleep program. Each bedroom has been designed to create an optimal and biocompatible atmosphere for sleep, with technologies such as Magma13, a macromolecule panel that ‘reorganizes energy’ in accordance with light and temperature fluctuations; Orpheus, an electromagnetic filter; and Astreo, a tool used to reduce high-frequency disturbances. The program combines these elements with invigorating outdoor pursuits in the fresh mountain air, targeted treatments, and a relaxing evening wind-down in the rooftop spa, to get you ready for the most restful of nights.

Carved into centuries-old lava canyons, The Retreat at Blue Lagoon feels almost otherworldly

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland

An ancient lava field with a volcanic backdrop is the storied and otherworldly location of The Retreat at Blue Lagoon. Soaking in the steamy, mineral-rich geothermal pools is a spectacularly restorative and exhilaratingly ethereal experience. Submerged in the soothing waters of the lava canyons, dynamic therapies such as floating treatments and in-water massage are uniquely healing. Beneath it all (quite literally), the subterranean spa, carved into an 800-year-old exposed lava flow, provides an equally atmospheric place to relax and revive.