The hotels to heal your every ailment

In the 20th century, the lifestyles of the rich and famous were typically associated with hedonism and indulgence. Not so much in the 21st. Gone are the cigars and paunches. In their place: vitamin drips and six-packs. When material abundance is all around you, it makes sense to try and sustain the lifestyle you have created for yourself for as long as humanly possible. And as people become more expert in their long-term health needs, the trend began to lean toward highly personalised, science-based ‘cures’ – promising to upgrade everything from your biomarkers to your lifespan. High-net-worth travellers, too, are now willing to go to extremes to achieve their goals. Suddenly, returning with a simple post-holiday tan is no longer the status symbol it once was.

The good news, though, is you don’t have to be part of the one per cent to achieve such betterment. Intrigued? We sent four writers to specialised retreats to experience this new breed of wellness first-hand. Question is, did they return feeling healed?

For menopause

SHA, Alicante, Spain

By Rachael Ashley

I was smug. I thought I’d got away with it. But menopause creeps up on you. The brain fog and hot flushes had come as no surprise but, when loss of flexibility, cushioning and strength kicked in, I was floored. Was I ageing prematurely? Was my diet right for my changing body? Could exercise keep the aches and pains at bay?

My trip to SHA was timely. The ethos of this pioneering wellness retreat is “live a healthier life for longer”. Its integrated method means lifestyle, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, even sex, are all subject to scrutiny. Before arrival, I had to detox for three days – cutting out coffee, alcohol, meat, dairy, gluten, sugar and salt – and complete a questionnaire in the app, which was to become my bible.

SHA’s scale is surprising. Set over four floors, its glam rooftop pool features panoramic views of Altea, there’s a hydrotherapy complex on the ground floor and the magic happens in the vast underground clinic. My first morning was intense, to say the least. After a biometric body scan, I had a full MOT: weight, blood pressure, BMI, visceral fat and brain tests. The results were reassuring but, with a family history of dementia, I’d been quietly catastrophising about cognitive decline, so when a kindly psychotherapist said, “Congratulations! Your brain is normal”, I got a little teary.

My bespoke programme was an orchestrated series of probings and pummellings. Doctors, nurses, therapists and PTs passed the baton through the app, each session becoming more tailored. Some, like osteopathy and shiatsu, were familiar. Others, such as Emsella – a pulsating chair that does your Kegel exercises for you – and ozone therapy – where the blood is super-charged with oxygen intravenously – are more bizarre. With so many treatments, it was hard to know which were most beneficial, but the combined effect was compelling.

Clean eating is key to the experience, with nutritionist appointments, cooking classes and three menus to choose from: Kushi for full detox, anti-inflammatory Biolight and gourmet. While portions were small, dishes were so tasty that I barely missed biscuits (though seeing nothing but water bottles behind the bar came as a shock).

Before visiting SHA, I hadn’t acknowledged how much menopause had knocked the stuffing out of me, but I left feeling re-energised and full of hope. Even though I’ve since had a full retox, the strength-focused exercise plan and diet tweaks – plus a comprehensive supplement plan – have already helped ease those aches and pains. 

Of course, this medical attention doesn’t come cheap. But when you consider that the benefits will be with you for decades to come, all that hyper-personalised knowledge is priceless. 

Deluxe suite from €550pn. Four-day Rebalance programme from €2,300.

Fly to Alicante 

For burnout

Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, Qatar

By Nadia Taybi

My goal? To let go of the stress from a hectic London lifestyle. With a busy job as a video production manager, plus a sideline as a personal trainer, I wanted to shut myself off from the world and be present. Zulal gave me that opportunity in spades from the moment I arrived. Set on the outskirts of Doha, the water, the views, its architecture and even its aroma – everything was imbued with an atmosphere of calm. Its sustainability credentials are also top notch.

Split into two separate areas – Discovery, which is for families and children, and Serenity, which is adults-only – I checked in to Serenity. I had filled out a pre-trip questionnaire and now had a more in-depth health consultation with a practitioner, which comes as standard no matter how short or long your stay. 

The consultation informed the treatment recommendations for my four-day trip, and incorporated Zulal’s six-pillar approach to health and wellbeing: spa, physio, aesthetic, holistic, nutrition and fitness, with each treatment complementing the others. My focus was stress relief, for which I had a daily spa treatment, plus two holistic treatments, including a focused breathing session and two physio rounds. I was encouraged to confine tech to my room.

The stretching physio session with an experienced practitioner homed in on areas of mobility restriction – stress within the body. I’ve been a personal trainer for four years, training clients for nine to 12 hours a week, and this was very beneficial for me as I don’t often get time to focus on my own recovery. I saw an instant difference.

There’s also a focus on TAIM (traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine), which assigns you an element, helps you understand how your body functions and translates into foods you should avoid and include. As an earth sign who has trouble with broken sleep, I was prescribed rose buds to place in hot water and drink to support my hydration. Nutrition is also key. Four restaurants feature a variety of cuisine, but they all have the same ethos. It’s fresh, quality, unprocessed food, with calories and macro nutrients listed on the menu and a focus on portion control. It was all filling and delicious.

After four days, I felt clear-minded and refreshed, with my emotional battery fully recharged. But it’s easy to destress when your only focus is yourself. The real test was returning home. My main takeaway? Breathing techniques. Simple, but effective. When the pace of life speeds up, I remember my tutorial to slow things down. Being, not doing. Mission accomplished. 

Five-night Burnout Recovery retreat from £2,900

Fly to Doha 

For gut health

Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, Thailand

By Hannah Hopkins

Despite us knowing more than ever about poor gut health, it’s still one of the most common modern malaises, and I suffer from it. Sedentary Covid lockdowns eating too much junk, plus stress (from Covid and beyond) had left me with ongoing digestive discomfort and bloat, despite all my GP’s recommendations. Could a retreat in Thailand unlock the mystery of my sluggish system?

Layan Life – based at Anantara Layan Phuket – blends traditional Thai medicine with modern science to help you “achieve equilibrium and embrace a more balanced life”. Did this mean I’d be able to do yoga in the morning and drink a glass of Champagne in the evening, I wondered? Before arrival, I had an online consultation with a practitioner, who put together my personalised programme. 

Gorgeous natural surroundings are known for boosting wellness, and so it helps that the resort is a paradisiacal hilltop sanctuary on Phuket’s northwest coast. There are villas dotted amid the biophilic-designed grounds, views of the Andaman Sea and a beach with azure waters and powdery golden sand. 

My first day was a flurry of appointments. The key to solving my tummy woes, I was told, was to lower stress levels and improve gut function – and my wellness schedule reflected this. There was colon hydrotherapy (to flush the system), abdominal massage (to stimulate digestion), a herbal bath (to detoxify) and a head massage with spinal acupressure (to relax). Venus Legacy – which uses radio frequency and magnetic fields to slim the body and smooth cellulite (sign me up!) – was added in for good measure. My favourite, though, was Ya-Pao, during which herbal oil was applied to my abdomen, topped with digestion-boosting herbs and then set on fire to release tension. 

If you want to try clean eating, the Layan Life menu of gluten- and dairy-free dishes makes it a breeze – but you can also go à la carte if you fancy a burger and a glass of wine instead. The joy of choice extends to activities, too. Book in reiki, stargazing or Muay Thai boxing, whizz down a zipline or simply swim, sunbathe or sweat out last night’s cocktails in the steam room (tip: the IV drip also helps). 

The beauty of Layan Life is that you get personalised insight and actionable advice. On the retreat, I learned that, much like your muscles, your gut can become tense and that had likely led to my digestive issues. Since returning, I’ve incorporated abdominal massage, mindfulness, a specific strain of probiotics and a nutrition plan into my routine. The result? A much less reactive gut and reduced bloating. If you want to give your tummy some TLC and enjoy a luxury beach holiday, book into this blissed-out retreat. Your mind, body (and gut) will thank you.

Three-night retreats from £966. Deluxe Layan suite at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort from £304 per room per night. 

Fly to Bangkok 

For insomnia

Lefay Resort and Spa, Lake Garda, Italy

By Caroline Craig

As someone who gets less sleep than Margaret Thatcher did, the insomnia programme at Italy’s five-star Lefay Resort and Spa was on my dream (pun intended) to-do list. Lefay is a 96-room, 11-hectare resort, vertiginously perched on a hill with panoramic views of Lake Garda and the surrounding mountains. Italian sports cars are dotted about and the landscaped gardens are planted with cypress and olive trees. Inside, we move into classic spa hotel territory: pale walls and furnishings, infinity and hydrotherapy pools, soothing surround music and softly spoken, attentive staff.

Underpinned by the fusion of Chinese medicine and Western scientific research, the Lefay SPA method isn’t founded on deprivation (admittedly, I am basing this on the fact that Miranda Hart came here for some R&R last year and shared a picture of herself eating chips on a sun-lounger). In the main restaurant, La Limonaia, guests can choose between the healthy ‘spa’ menu and a more classic Italian menu featuring the holy trinity of aperitivo, pasta and gelato. A second on-site restaurant, Gramen, offers gastro tasting menus if you like to dial up the luxe factor. 

To tailor my sleep programme, I have an hour’s consultation with Dr Andrea Armellini. I have no problem falling asleep. My problem is staying asleep. He says this is due to an energy blockage between the spleen, liver, gallbladder and lungs. The die is cast and my tailored treatments over the next few days are centred on restoring the natural flow of energy, or Qi, between these organs: acupuncture, reflexology, moxibustion (burning dried mugwort close to ‘Shu’ points on my back), a flotation pool and personalised massages. I go with the flow, keep an open mind and really do find myself getting more kip than usual during my stay.

Back home, my main takeaways from the Lefay SPA method are thus. One: wellness, aka paying attention to our bodies, dreams and breath, should be all of our full-time jobs. Two: a holistic approach to reestablishing equilibrium within ourselves is more likely to bring the results we want. Three: I probably should have ordered from the healthy menu more than once.

Full-board, five-night sleep programme from €3,450

Fly to Verona

Two more breaks for modern malaises

For bereavement

Designed by trauma specialist Annalie Howling, the grief retreat at StolenTime in St Lucia aims to help attendees process loss with the use of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), calming and social activities and tailored spa treatments.

Jet off to St Lucia

For anxiety and resilience

Chatter about the benefits of cold-water therapy isn’t going away. The cold-water programme at Three Mile Beach in St Ives Bay, Cornwall, focuses on balancing both body and mind: soothing an overactive nervous system via the Wim Hof Method, coasteering, surf lessons and sound baths.

Head to Newquay