These top spas by luxury skincare and make-up brands promise to rejuvenate your body and soul in style

Craving that extra dose of indulgence? What better way to recuperate than by getting away from the bustle, and treating yourself to a weekend of relaxation and pure bliss—we’re talking ultra-luxe treatments offered by the cult-favourite beauty brands. From Estée Lauder-owned La Mer to LVMH’s Dior, some of the world’s biggest luxury brands are leaning hard on hospitality. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a luxurious family gathering, or a solo retreat, these top spas offer a wide range of treatments, state-of-the-art services, and breathtaking surroundings, to help you relax and rejuvenate.

Dior Spa Plaza Athénéé, Paris

 

Welcome to the ultimate sanctuary of well-being—the iconic Dior Spa, located at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, is the luxe private haven of peace you’re looking for. Sharing the brand’s timeless vision of luxury and elegance, this Parisian wellness retreat promises each guest a holistic and lasting transformation of the skin and senses. Taking wellness to the next level, the new spa features everything—from an exceptional Dior Light Suite, a treatment room inspired by light therapy and tailor-made skincare collections, to cutting-edge technologies that combine electrostimulation, cryotherapy, and hydra dermabrasion for a customised experience. Offering a refuge to travellers and locals seeking restoration, the Dior Spa is your ultimate invitation to unwind.

Spa De La Mer At Baccarat Hotel, New York

Located in the heart of New York City is the first dedicated spa by heritage skincare brand La Mer. Offering custom treatments with formulas based on bio-fermentation, the decadent Spa de La Mer engulfs every visitor with tranquility and relaxation. Designed with a whimsical contemporary sense that is emblematic of the classic French Baccarat aesthetic, the spa doors open up to a majestic-looking, black-and-white, marble-tiled pool, and luxurious daybeds awash with ambient light and sounds inspired by the sea. Indulge in a bespoke 90-minute multi-sensorial facial treatment using La Mer products, followed by a facial massage using Baccarat crystals that leaves you feeling soothed and hydrated.

Clinique La Prairie, Switzerland

Serving up science-backed, holistic solutions since 1931, Clinique La Prairie has the reputation of being the grande dame of medispas for its scenic views, state-of-the-art medical screenings, high-performance beauty treatments revitalisation, and detox programmes. The wellness hotel has built an international reputation for promoting longevity as a true art of living. The retreat has four foundational pillars: medical care, nutrition, movement and well-being. It offers more than 50 spa treatments and therapies, including cryotherapy, advanced infrared therapy, facials and knot-melting massages. Clinique La Prairie is known for its cellular skincare treatments that is said to stimulate cellular metabolism and encourage collagen production. No wonder it garnered a star following that included Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and Greta Garbo.

Sulwhasoo Spa, Gangnam, Seoul 

Boasting over 50 years of experience in herbal medicine, cult Korean brand Sulwhasoo’s super-Zen spa blends the magic of ginseng-based traditional Korean formulas and healing philosophies to create a holistic beauty experience for its customers. Each treatment begins with a meridian point massage using aromatic fragrances of the customer’s choice, followed by an energising red ginseng foot bath. Furthermore, their skincare treatments, enriched with high-end Sulwhasoo products, use the cooling power of traditional applicators like jade, the warm energy of amber, and the complete purification of white porcelain to rejuvenate both body and soul.

Aesop Harbour City Facial Treatment Space, Hong Kong 

Who doesn’t love a sophisticated minimalist aesthetic when it comes to enjoying an enriching facial? Aesop’s Facial Suite, with its custom-blended products and soul-cleansing experience, offers just that and more. The brand boasts of meticulous attention to detail, an ambiance fine-tuned via sound, high-tech treatments, intense nourishment, and exquisite touch along with textures and aromas to ensure effortless relaxation. The unique sanctuary of wellness is unmarred by stress and embossed with the Aesop seal of excellence. 

Spa Vinothérapie Caudalie, Bordeaux

Classic French design meets Zen minimalism—a Caudalie treatment ritual at the Spa Vinothérapie is a unique experience inspired by the brand’s wine-growing roots and its history of vinotherapy skin care. The ‘vinotherapists’ may use fresh grapes, grape seeds and vine leaves in their signature scrubs, wraps, massages and facials. But the ritual, anchored in research and innovation, hydrates the skin, tightens the pores, boosts radiance and uplifts both, the spirit and skin, quite literally. If this is the art of French living, we highly recommend it.

This piece originally appeared in the April-May 2024 print edition of Harper's Bazaar India. 

Image Courtesy: The brands

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