The Wellness Retreats To Book In 2024
FOR HOLISTIC THERAPIES:
Reconnect at Heckfield Place
What To Expect: This month, luxury Hampshire hotel Heckfield Place launched two wellness retreats designed to restore balance and offer an escape from everyday life. Reconnect is a bespoke programme in which guests connect with nature and learn various techniques to cope with the stresses of busy life – for both body and mind. Prior to arrival, you’ll have a one-to-one assessment with Heckfield’s resident psychologist before the team create an itinerary for a four-day stay. Each experience is unique, and you’ll be fully immersed in nature – the hotel is surrounded by over 400 acres of forests, meadows, walled gardens and lakes.
Treatments & Activities: Most treatments take place at The Bothy, the hotel’s impressive spa. Each part has been designed for total relaxation – from the birdsong that plays by the pool to the design, with its neutral colours and relaxation areas built from natural materials. Once you’ve left your mobile in a locker at the entrance, an afternoon might include acupuncture, naturopathic health assessments (an alternative treatment that encourages healing through natural remedies and lifestyle changes), cold water therapy at the lake, a realignment session with the resident osteopath, or facials and massages using the hotel’s luxury skincare line Wildsmith Skin. We recommend the forest bathing walk around the estate (inspired by the ancient Japanese ritual) and nature therapy – imagine taking in the sights and smells of the forest while having a session with eco-psychologist Amy Steadman.
Facilities: The Bothy has raised the bar for UK hotel spas. Guests can use its natural pool and outdoor hydrotherapy tub (where you can watch birds circle above) as well as a sauna, yoga studio and fitness suite. Then you can cosy up by the fire or relax in the sitting room with a book. Back in the main house, relax in the living areas or borrow Hunter wellies and Barbour jackets to explore the grounds.
Food & Drink: Two restaurants are overseen by chef Skye Gyngell. Hearth serves simple seasonal dishes, while Marle has been awarded a Michelin Green Star. Light meals and healthy snacks are also available at the Sun Room in The Bothy – think bowls of grains, mushrooms and kimchi with a sage leaf tea followed by stuffed dates.
Our Verdict: A stay at Heckfield is always a treat (attention to detail and service are excellent) but its Reconnect programme really allows guests to swich off and immerse themselves in nature. You’ll also leave with a wealth of information from its experts, helping you implement long-term changes. The wellness team will guide you through the bespoke programme, which concludes with a farewell lunch to discuss your experience – trust us when we say you won't want to leave.
A four-day programme starts from £3,900, which includes a three-night stay from Sunday to Wednesday, all meals and refreshments, full spa access, and all treatments and therapies included in the Reconnect programme.
Visit HeckfieldPlace.com
FOR MINDFULNESS:
Lime Wood
What To Expect: Lime Wood has earned its reputation as one of the best spa hotels in the UK. Whether you’re looking for a health kick, a weekend of relaxation or the opportunity to connect with nature, retreats are inspired by its New Forest surroundings. The hotel has several options to choose from, including a mindfulness programme (available with a one or three-night stay) which blends ancient teachings, Eastern philosophy and modern science to help you learn the art of inner peace.
Treatments & Activities: Rajesh Ramani and Smitha Jayakumar (former monks with over 50 years of combined experience) lead programmes that will give you the tools to practise mindfulness in your everyday life. After filling out a questionnaire to help you make the most of your experience, you’ll enjoy everything from group talks and breathwork classes to forest bathing and mindfulness workshops. You can also take part in evening workshops like walking meditation.
Facilities: Guests can enjoy treatments at the Herb House spa, which takes a holistic approach to wellbeing, incorporating products from botanical brands like Bamford and Sarah Chapman. Facilities include an indoor hydrotherapy pool, an ozone-treatment pool overlooking the garden, a mud house for masks and treatments, a fitness studio offering various classes, and a rooftop gym.
Food & Drink: Food is overseen by Hartnett Holder & Co (headed up by chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder). Count on seasonal Italian-inspired dishes cooked with local and organic produce. The menus change regularly, and there’s no diet culture here. Instead, guests can expect delicious and nutritious food to help boost cognitive function.
Our Verdict: Learn the art of mindfulness and its techniques will help you in every corner of your life, from stress to sleep. Our senior health & wellness editor Tor visited last year and was particularly impressed with the offering for pregnant women – think bespoke massages with pregnancy pillows and tension-relieving lymphatic drainage.
One-night retreats start from £878pp and three-night retreats start from £2,699pp, both based on two people sharing.
Visit LimewoodHotel.co.uk
FOR RELAXATION BY THE SEA:
Ground & Grow at The Pig at Harlyn Bay
What To Expect: The Pig at Harlyn Bay has teamed up with the experts at Cabilla Cornwall to create a new series of wellness retreats that make the most of its location on the coast of north Cornwall. Just a short walk from the beach, the hotel offers two or three-night weekend retreats. These are a first for the hotel, which hopes to encourage guests to slow down and appreciate the Cornish countryside.
Treatments & Activities: Activities take place at the hotel and the nearby Cabilla, with its light-filled studio spaces for yoga and sound bathing sessions. Enjoy a gentle meditation and yoga class to live classical music followed by a guided tour of its forest and tree planting project. Then, it’s onto wild swimming at Harlyn Bay before warming up at the beachside sauna and sitting down to shared dinners with guest speakers. You’ll also be encouraged to journal throughout your stay and meditate before bed.
Facilities: Adjusting to a slower pace of life at Cabilla is easy. With its fitness studios and shared spaces, all with chic and calming interiors, it’s the perfect place to relax before hitting the beach. Over at The Pig, you can enjoy signature treatments at the Potting Shed (the spa is adults-only so you won’t be disturbed) from facials and sugar scrubs to bespoke massages with Voya and Bamford products. Elsewhere, there’s a cosy bar for botanical cocktails and inventive mocktails.
Food & Drink: The hotel group is famous for its food and drink, and Harlyn Bay is no exception. On the first night, there’s a three-course ‘25 mile’ menu created for the retreat (using ingredients that boost relaxation), followed by informal group suppers and garden cocktails during the rest of the programme. Breakfast is a hearty affair, and you can count on mint tea and freshly baked cakes in between sessions.
Our Verdict: Regular SL readers will know we rate The Pig hotels – and Cabilla’s retreats come highly recommended, so we loved the sound of this collab. The team at the hotel go the extra mile to make you feel at home, so guests will feel truly refreshed after a stay. It’s a great chance for a digital detox and meeting likeminded people in a beautiful location.
March’s three-night retreat starts from £1,125pp for double occupancy and £1,695pp for single occupancy. This includes accommodation, all meals, talks, tours, meditation, swimming and sauna access. Potting Shed treatments are offered to retreaters with a 20% discount.
Visit ThePigHotel.com
Plus, here are four European retreats to consider…
Los. Retiros
Ibiza
Los. Retiros offers wellness retreats across the Balearic Islands. This year, there are two to choose from: Ibiza (10th-14th April) and Menorca (date TBC). Led by founder Lizi Taylor, guests will stay at the rustic-chic Aguamadera for four days of workshops, hiking and farm-to-table dining. You can also look forward to lemon preserving sessions, ceramic workshops, and plenty of time to restore and connect.
From €1,380pp.
Visit LosRetiros.com
Wylder Retreats
Menorca
Wylder is the retreat those in the know book for a few days of R&R. In addition to Ibiza and Formentera, the team is hosting a trip to Menorca that’s new this year. Hosted by yogi Charlotte Townend, Wylder combines yoga with mindful practices, outdoor activities and workshops with local artisans and restaurants. Guests will stay at the luxury Amagatay hotel and can enjoy coastal walks, visits to a local bay, stone sculpting workshops, boat trips and meals at the hotel.
From 10th-14th May; prices start from £1,700pp (shared occupancy).
Visit WylderRetreats.net
The Peligoni Club Pace Wellness Week
Zakynthos
The Peligoni Club has teamed up with a string of experts for two four-day retreats. Think Olympic swimmer Keri Anne Payne, ex-pro ballet dancer Ruben De Monte and pro tennis player James Auckland. Guests can dip into activities like breathwork, gong baths, acupuncture sessions, lunar workshops, and feasts cooked by top chefs. For £400pp, guests will receive a week’s membership to the club, as well as paddleboarding, kayaking, all fitness and yoga classes, meditation, and wellness workshops. A water sports upgrade, which includes sailing, costs a further £60pp. You’ll need to book accommodation separately – choose to stay in Peligoni’s luxury villas or boho-chic farmhouses.
20th-24th May & 5th-13th October
Visit Peligoni.com
Marnie Rays
Portugal
Founder Lindsey Holland has built a seriously cool community of surfers. The team organises surfing retreats around the world, in places like the Algarve, Greece and Indonesia. There are various dates and locations this year, but we like the sound of the Portugal trip which includes daily surf lessons, hiking and evening yoga sessions, all hosted by experts. Trips include accommodation in hand-picked hotels or farmhouses, activities and various meals.
From £2,199pp.
Visit MarnieRays.com
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