From the city center to the countryside, this crop of eight international spas is keen to pamper with innovative treatments—and striking high-design.
Designed by New York’s Gluckman Tang Architects, Mii Amo is a sumptuous embodiment of Sedona’s wellbeing traditions. Upon reopening, the famed destination spa will increase its footprint by 40%, debuting a collection of elevated experiences designed to foster a deeper connection to nature and energetic perspectives of the region. New, enhanced movement and fitness studios and programs will speak to guests’ evolving tastes and priorities in the areas of physical fitness and health, further supporting Mii Amo’s commitment to whole-person wellbeing.
Huvafen Fushi (North Malé Atoll, Maldives)
The spa at the Maldives’ Huvafen Fushi resort opened as the first and only underwater spa on the planet—a spectacular feat of engineering and an unrivaled setting to experience a library of holistic rituals. In 2014, the submerged complex underwent a comprehensive redesign by Richard Hywel Evans, the man behind the world’s first carbon-free hotel. In deference to the aquatic environment, the architect incorporated organic forms and volumes, Barrisol stretched ceilings, and pebbled flooring made of blue resin to mimic the sea floor.
The Dolder Grand Spa (Zurich, Switzerland)
Zurich’s Dolder Grand hotel has long reigned as the city’s most sybaritic hotel, thanks to architect Jacques Gros’ chateauesque original design from 1899. The property would reveal a massive overhaul led by Foster + Partners, including a sprawling all-new wellness sanctuary just over a century later. From the traditional sunaburo (heated pebble soaking tubs) to the winding stone walls, Japanese influences meet alpine sensibility throughout the 43,000-square-foot, which is heated using renewable geothermal energy.
Floating in the storied Saint Lawrence River, this Scandinavian-inspired “spa-sur-l’eau” is one of the most iconic attractions in the attraction-rich Old Port of Montréal. Bota Bota sits inside an old ferry boat from the 1950s that was converted by Sid Lee Architecture. Across five different levels, the year-round spa offers sweeping views of the city skyline from its mooring, with 678 portholes punctuating the sides of the boat to let the daylight into its moody treatment rooms, wood-clad saunas, and steam rooms.
Euphoria Retreat (Mystras, Greece)
Carved into the base of a cypress-covered mountain in UNESCO-designated Mystras is the first holistic destination spa in Greece. Euphoria Retreat was designed by DecaArchitecture with Natalia Efraimoglou & Partners with catacomb-like passages, sundrenched cylindrical stairwells, and spherical volumes of marble and concrete. Blending ancient Greek and traditional Chinese healing philosophies, the spa’s East-meets-West approach to wellness is rooted in the restoration of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual balance.
The Retreat at Blue Lagoon (Grindavik, Iceland)
Encircled by the steaming cerulean pools of the greater Blue Lagoon complex, the luxurious 62-room Retreat at Blue Lagoon features its own grand spa that takes advantage of the mineral-rich geothermal waters and therapeutic organic materials, such as blue-green algae and white silica, found inside the UNESCO Global Geopark. Led by BASALT Architects, the design of the indoor-outdoor spa takes cues from its natural surroundings through the use of dark terrazzo flooring, tactile lava walls, and soothing wooden textures.
Sense of Self Bathhouse (Collingwood, Australia)
Housed in a converted warehouse in Melbourne’s inner north, this immersive day spa came to life through a collaboration by design firms Setsquare Studio, Chamberlain Architects, and Hearth Studio. Together, the trio created an empathetic and inclusive space that eschews the demarcation of floor plans based on gender or physical ability. The layout draws from the flow of traditional bathhouse experiences from around the world, boasting a large mineral bath, hammam, Finnish sauna, cold plunge pool, and lush courtyard for lounging.
Yunomori Onsen and Spa (Bangkok, Thailand)
Bangkok-based studio Sexseven designed this oasis in the heart of the Thai capital to shield from the chaotic outside world. Inspired by Japanese minimalism and kintsugi—the art of repairing broken ceramics—Yunomori Onsen and Spa is filled with textured surfaces like marble mosaic floors, chiseled wooden walls, and a bamboo-formed concrete wall that spans the welcome atrium.
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