Spa

The term SPA, derived from latin 'sanitas per aquas' means health through water and is associated with spring water treatment, spa hotels or resorts offering such a treatment or the medication or equipment for such treatment.

Discover all our destinations for spa.

Spa in Spain

Spa in France

Spa in Switzerland

Spa and thalassotherapy in Ireland

Spa in Greece

Spa in Mauritius

Spa in Bali

Spa in Seychelles

Commonly known as balneotherapy treatment, it is also said that spa took its origins from the name of the town of Spa, in Belgium where illnesses caused by iron deficiency at that time, were treated by drinking iron bearing spring water. Since then, spa has been exported to other countries like England and France where people began to use the word spa as a generic description rather than as the place name of the Belgian town. Thus, the term spa was at first referred specifically to resorts for water drinking rather than bathing but this distinction was gradually lost as many spas offer external remedies.

It was much later that Spa has been defined by the International Spa Association (ISPA) as an 'entity devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit'. It is also true to say that Spa is nowadays associated to wellness and beauty and is also to be found almost everywhere in every luxury hotels and resorts around the world.

Should you decide to have a spa stay on your next luxury holidays, then many options are available: whether you stay in France or in any other European countries or should you decide to travel to exotic lands in the Indian Ocean or to indulge in the oriental atmosphere of the North African countries, you shall be most delighted to discover how spa has evolved since its origins.

Discover spa in all its splendour...

Although all types of spa have in common wellness and relaxation, there exists however different types of spa in the world:

A spa destination is a facility with the primary purpose of guiding individual spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically a seven-day spa stay, this lifestyle transformation can be accomplished by providing a comprehensive programme that includes luxury spa services, physical fitness activities, wellness education, healthy cuisine and other special interest programmes. France, is indeed a perfect example of a spa destination where luxury spa hotels are scattered throughout the country and providing all the amenities required for a successful relaxing and most exciting spa stay.

Spa hotel or resort is a spa owned by and located within a hotel or resort providing professionally administered spa services, fitness and wellness components and even spa cuisine menu choices. In addition to the leisure guest, a spa hotel or resort is a great place for business travelers who wish to take advantage of the spa experience while away from home. As such, spa hotels and resorts are located almost anywhere in the world: the Indian Ocean islands, such as Mauritius with its luxury The Residence hotel, the Seychelles's Lémuria Spa Resort and the Indonesia's Oberoi Lombok, all these luxury spa resorts have been conceived for spa holidays thanks to their magnificent spa centres and their ideal location.

Mineral Springs Spa, on the other hand, is spa offering an on-site source of natural mineral, thermal or seawater used in hydrotherapy treatments. For instance, Evian-les-Bains in the East of France is a famous region which makes use of thermal water in all its spa treatments.

Thus, spa treatments include a diversity of luxury treatments ranging from jet and underwater showers to beauty spa treatments and spa treatments derived from Asian techniques, aromatherapy, body wraps with algae and mud and massages of all kind.

It is however worth highlighting that these spa treatments use soft water as compared to thalassotherapy (use of seawater exclusively) and as such spa centres can be located anywhere, be it by the sea, in the countryside, in cities or even at the foot of the mountains. Just to mention a few, the Shiseido spa centre available in some of the most luxury spa resorts in the world such as Belle Mare Plage the Resort in Mauritius or Le Mas Candille spa hotel in South France, uses the 'Qi' method, developed exclusively by Shiseido and focussing on the balance of energies between the body and mind for an overall well-being.

Moreover, across the globe, in almost all luxury hotels and resorts, spa treatments have been conceived for specific purposes including: slimness, anti-stress, mother-and-child deals, 'vinotherapy' spa treatment with wine, quit smoking spa treats amongst a variety of other innovative spa treatments. Even if spa is often called as balneotherapy, both with healing properties, spa remains however a more luxury concept as it is also associated with esthetic care, thus providing further wide spectrum of spa treatments which can meet everyone's expectation from a simple relaxation treatment to a facial beauty spa treatment...

Spa or balneotherapy, whatever the choice of your next spa holidays' destination, rest assured that the wide range of luxury spa resorts and hotels suggested and chosen for you by Thalassoline, shall definitely help you to experience the most exciting yet relaxing spa holidays ever!