I Travel to Luxury Spas Around the World — Here Are 11 Treatments to Try in This Lifetime

Should you be so lucky to stay at Stanglwirt, the famous family-operated five-star wellness oasis and resort in charming Tyrol, Austria, you absolutely must book as many spa treatments and wellness experiences as your schedule allows. For starters, there is absolutely nowhere else in the world as tranquil and unique as this awe-inspiring wooden biohotel at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range, which has been impressively in operation since 1722. Encompassing over 12,000 square meters, the sprawling organic farm and luxury resort features saunas, steam baths, indoor and outdoor pools, natural swimming lakes, grottoes, and water features, all designed to immerse guests in relaxation and alpine vitality, which makes for the ideal once-in-a-lifetime spa experience you’ve always dreamt about.

I’ve enjoyed countless massages in my time, but the Wavebalance Massage at Stanglwirt is a treatment I still think about as a singular euphoric moment never to be replicated anywhere else. The treatment takes place on a special Wavebalance water lounger, a unique water bed of sorts, designed to mimic the spiral motions of natural waves to align with the human musculoskeletal system. Filled with around 500 liters of water, the lounger creates an enveloping sensation of weightlessness that cradles you like a baby.

Lying down, I immediately felt the water shift in soft, undulating waves beneath me, and I felt the gentle pressure and motion quickly melting away any and all tension from my tired joints and muscles. The massage also incorporated warm oil, so in what felt like seconds, I was ethereally calm and coaxed into a total state of bliss. I’ve never quite described a spa treatment as nurturing before, but if ever there was a time to do that, this was it.

While at the Green Spa, be sure to book The Good Conscious Effect Facial, which is another signature treatment using the in-house line of skincare created by cosmetic expert Michaela Stieber with spa director Maria Hauser. The line emphasizes high-quality, clean ingredients and is vegan, free from parabens, mineral oils, silicones, PEGs, GMOs, and common allergens, and in turn, leaves your skin in far better condition than you ever thought possible.

There’s nothing better than immersing yourself in a treatment that’s rich in native ingredients to the area, and that’s exactly what I found with the Intuitive Herbal Ritual treatment at the stunning 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Bamford Wellness Spa. After a busy few days of exploring the beautiful island of Kaua‘i (also popularly known as the Garden Island), I sank into a quiet sanctuary in the treatment room as the therapist got to work with a soothing 80-minute massage deeply rooted in Hawaiian botanical wisdom and organic luxury.

The full-body massage incorporated Kaua‘i Farmacy’s Comfrey Noni Serum, which is a tonic that’s infused with rich macadamia nut oil, as well as comfrey and noni, two plant remedies known to encourage circulation and detoxification, as well as cell structure health and regeneration. The aromatic blend instantly soothed my senses, and the additional application of real noni leaves on tender areas of my lower and upper back melted away tension I didn’t even know I had.

When it ended, I felt like I had been coaxed back into myself, truly renewed and relaxed. It was the perfect way to ease into the long flight back home, knowing that the mineral-rich botanicals were working their magic long after I left the treatment room.

If you’ve driven past the Yaamava Resort and Spa in Highland, California, without stopping, this is your sign to pull over and book a dreamy treatment or two at its impressive Serrano Spa. The glittering oasis in the desert serves up wellness in a thoughtful and generous way — with impressive relaxation areas and ample amenities to rejuvenate the body in a serene environment miles and miles away from the city.

Not to be missed is the Gharieni Augmented Massage, which features an out-of-this-world table that’s not just a massage bed, but an immersive instrument of audible relaxation resplendent with live musical patterns. The Serrano Spa is the first and only spa in the United States to offer the Gharieni Augmented Massage, which proved to be a truly mesmerizing treatment. My therapist used her hands and body to compose music — a symphony of sounds including wind, birdsong, and ocean waves —  from the speakers hidden within the bed. With each distinct movement, the table responded to each stroke and glide, which put my mind at ease, which is half the battle when it comes to enjoying any massage, if you ask me.

Next, I also indulged in the Valmont Waterfall Facial, which highlights the Swiss brand’s hallmark cellular science with a cascade of refined transformation: cleansers echoing alpine spring water; masks infused with collagen-rich marine extracts flowing over the skin like liquid silk. Each luxurious layer was masterfully applied with Valmont’s signature “butterfly” massage, which felt featherlight and deliberate, but also transformative. 

When it was all said and done, my skin was soaked in each phase and emerged hydrated, lifted, brightened, and renewed.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I booked the Organic Honey Detox treatment at Spa by JW at The JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, but I knew I couldn’t skip it when quite literally everyone I spoke to raved about its uniqueness. Now that I’ve experienced it, I can’t wait to come back repeatedly for the same satisfyingly goopy goodness. The modern minimalistic spa boasts extraordinary city views at all angles of the relaxation room, but inside the treatment room, you’ll be transported to another world just as soon as you’re smothered in raw honey that’s harvested from the garden honeybees on the property. Through a very unique application process, the healing honey detoxes, exfoliates, hydrates, and balances the skin from your head to your toes, and you’ll emerge feeling like a rejuvenated queen bee yourself.

As soon as I stepped into Laurea Spa—the largest spa in Portugal—I immediately knew this experience would be one for the books. The sprawling space is designed to replicate the soothing sense of a forest’s embrace and is inspired by Madeira’s lush Laurissilva Forest. There are vivid greens, beautiful florals, botanical scents, and cascading water features that echo the island’s waterfalls and streams. In short, it’s a picturesque and whimsical setting that still lives rent-free in my mind.

The hydrotherapy offerings are some of the best I’ve encountered; a mix of sensorial showers, ice fountains, a halotherapy room, a Himalayan salt grotto, and an indoor heated pool, to name a few. As for The Ultimate Aromatherapy Experience treatment, you’ll find yourself deeply relaxed since the massage ritual was inspired by a fusion of eastern and western techniques that engage the body, mind, and spirit with the added therapeutic benefits of natural plant and flower oils.

Madeira is easily one of the most magical destinations in the world, and The Laurea Spa in Funchal is not to be missed.

If you need a little refuge from the Bahamian sun, book a spa treatment at The ESPA at Baha Mar and thank me later. The stunning spa has 22 private rooms and plenty of dazzling retail offerings in the gift shop, and serves as a tranquil sanctuary in paradise with its aromatic scent of native herbs.  I was told that the Bahamian Influence treatment is a celebration of the island’s rich botanical heritage, so naturally, I had to book it.

The journey began with a cleansing body scrub, an invigorating yet gentle exfoliation that prepared my skin for the subsequent layers of treatment. A warm Bahamian bush herbal poultice was then applied, followed by a full-body massage, where skilled hands worked in harmony with the poultice, releasing tension and rejuvenating my muscles after the long cross-country flight to get there.

A light facial massage concluded the experience, leaving my skin refreshed and my mind at ease. There’s no better way to settle into the start of your sunny vacation than a relaxing moment at the gorgeous SLS Baha Mar.

When I turned a milestone age, I booked a week-long retreat at The Carillon Miami Wellness Resort and truly transformed into the best version of myself shortly thereafter.

As South Florida’s only fully dedicated wellness resort, The Carillon offers an elevated oasis of tranquility and relaxation just steps away from the ocean. Perfectly situated in North Beach, the property boasts state-of-the-art spa treatments, innovative touchless technology (including electric cryotherapy, halotherapy, prism light pods, and more), two sparkling pools, heart-pumping fitness classes (I loved Aqua Cycle) around the clock, and an expansive gym and rock climbing wall to boot.

On the spiritual side, there’s also energy healing, sound baths on the beach, guided meditation, traditional Chinese medicine, and one of the country’s most impressive hydrotherapy circuits all under one roof. Highlights of the anti-aging retreat include comprehensive bloodwork at The Biostation so you can get a comprehensive look at any and all ailments, plus IVs and supplements to address specific concerns.  Perhaps most impressively, The Biostation co-founder and COO Keith Foulis took the time to thoroughly explain each and every biomarker tested in the Total Wellness Evaluation long after I had checked out and answered all of my personal health questions.

If you’re looking for an all-around health and wellness sanctuary that holds up on its promises, The Carillon has you covered.

If you’re looking for a spiritual wellness awakening unlike anything else, check out the Akbal Series at Rosewood Mayakoba’s acclaimed Sense Spa. Here, guests can immerse themselves in nighttime rituals with the new moonlit spa program available nightly from 8 p.m. to midnight through the end of 2025. Named for the Mayan word for “night,” Akbal offers personalized, nature-immersive treatments inspired by Mayan traditions.

Guests can experience moonlit breathwork, yin and restorative yoga paired with quartz sound bowls, aligned with sunset or moonrise, vibrational massages, cacao ceremonies, a silent soak, and even a full moon celebration bar, to name a few.

Treatments are available à la carte or fully customized by the spa concierge, ensuring a tailored experience.

Mykonos is often known for its brazen nightlife scene, but over at Cali Mykonos, the vibes are anything but. The wellness-focused resort located in the tranquil Kalafati area offers a serene sanctuary that seamlessly blends ancient Greek wellness traditions with modern therapeutic practices and a modern, clean aesthetic throughout the property. There’s an outdoor gym complete with reformer pilates machines, the largest infinity pool on the island, and a subterranean spa that provides a peaceful retreat if you need a break from sunbathing at the Missoni Beach Club.

I kept it simple with 15 minutes of much-needed red light therapy, followed by time well spent in the pristine sauna area, before indulging in a classic 45-minute massage that impressively knocked me out into a deep sleep on the treatment table in no time. The spa uses a number of body products from Ariadne, an Athens-based bodycare brand rooted in ancient Greek rituals.

When it comes to lymphatic drainage massages, nobody does it better than Flavia Lanini in Los Angeles.

Beloved by celebrities including Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Hilton and many more, the signature Massage Effect treatment is the most sought-after of its kind and is globally recognized for its transformative results that blends a mix of modern, functional, and innovative aesthetic techniques with secrets that only Flavia, a Brazilian massage-trained expert, knows.

The moment Flavia lays her hands on you, you’re in for a full-body treat. Her method includes soft, rhythmic movements that more than move lymph, it also detoxifies, releases, and relaxes every fiber of the body and, in turn, gives a visibly contoured appearance. You may even have a lighter, lifted mood and enhanced sleep as an added bonus. If money were no object, I’d book one of these every week.