The Ultimate Guide to the Best Spas in Italy

If you’re looking for Europe’s ultimate wellness hub, this might be it. The best spas in Italy are strewn across the country’s high-heeled boot, from thermal waters near Rome to rejuvenating facials in Ischia. These are the best spas and wellness-focused hotels for indulgent relaxation in Italy.

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• Six Senses Rome

  Best spa in Italy for: urban wellness

  The new Patricia Urquiola-designed Six Senses Rome sits under the gaze of centuries-old ruins in the city’s heart. The brand’s first urban resort – set in a former bank and cinema – is already drawing site-weary travellers to its impressive Roman Baths, hidden in its marble depths. At 834sqm, it’s not the hugest spa around. Still, it packs a punch with the milky limestone thermal baths channelling the aqueous luxuries of ancient Rome, from its 40-degree tepidarium to its wince-inducing 10-degree frigidarium, surrounded by mythological mosaics and artfully lit amphora.

  A private Hamman lures couples with a 60-minute Sicilian sea salt, sweet fennel, and rosemary treatment. Like their Ibizan property, there’s an alchemy room where herbal unguents and dried wildflower facemasks can be melded, all part of the brand’s rootsy reach. This is more aimed at the pleasure-seeking modern visitor than the self-flagellating ascetic – after all, who goes to Rome to diet? Earthenware jugs of sweet pear juice greet guests, and the snack bar includes fudgy brownies, almond butter biscuits, and candied ginger. They have also introduced biohacking recovery tools such as an LED mask to train cells and compression boots to combat travel-swell.

  Address: P.za S. Marcello, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

• Forestis Dolomites

  Best spa in Italy for: adults only

  When owners Stefan and Teresa Hinteregger thought about opening their adults-only bosky nature-focused refuge atop the Plose mountain in the high Dolomites, they knew what they didn’t want. “Everyone goes for Asian spas in luxury hotels. We wanted to celebrate the locality,” explains Stefan over deft plates of marjoram and chanterelle-topped polenta. Here, this means wellness based on its dense forests of larch and spruce, natural springs, forest herbs, and wildflowers such as sweet woodruff and lady’s bedstraw.

  Mornings are kickstarted with Wyda Celtic yoga – a gentle form of the ancient art. The spa list isn’t huge, but you won’t find it elsewhere – treatments such as the body scrub and bespoke massage are based around wood and stone. In the Tree Circle ceremony, clients are invited to pick a wood which most matches their mood; each wood contains its own “vibrations” and is used in massage to ease aches and pains.

  The most popular treatment is the three-hour-long Private Spa for couples, rejuvenating with a mountain pine body scrub, salt bath, and steam. The pin-drop calm pool area is where lounging is surrounded by smooth cement walls and taupe day beds. Brush up on sauna etiquette – there is a textile (clothed) sauna and no-textile (naked) area, adorned with a moody candlelit relaxation room for post-Finnish sauna slumber.

  Address: Palmschoß 22, 39042 Bressanone BZ, Italy

• Palazzo Fiuggi

  Best spa in Italy for: feeling fitter

  The thermal waters at Fiuggi are legendary; their curative powers are said to restore the kidneys and balance the immune system. They have been famously imbibed by Popes, princesses, and even Michelangelo. Today, both sipping the water and soaking in the thalasso pools are still encouraged at this marble-clad medi-spa, just 50 minutes drive from Rome. The comprehensive week-long programmes cover most modern malaises: Complete Life Rewind (ageing), Optimal Weight (bloating), Deep Detox (living to excess), and Immuno Boost (stress).

  A new seven-day retreat, Ageing Naturally, aims to help women understand and manage the natural effects of menopause. The curative therapies range from sound healing to virtual reality workouts that supercharge core strength. The gym, set in the former ballroom, is a space of beauty overseen by an extraordinary sports and postural trainer who may uncover that niggling back pain is a stomach problem.

  Address: Palazzo Fiuggi, Via dei Villini, 34, 03014 Fiuggi FR, Italy

• Palace Merano

  Best spa in Italy for: recovering from long Covid

  The late dietician Dr Henri Chenot is often described as the founding father of the wellness movement. His fairytale palace retreat has lost none of its magic. The first European health spa to mix up eastern and western medicine, the loyal medical director can intuitively read people’s problems in their pulses. Guests are also analysed with high-tech diagnostic tests, assessing everything from vascular health to posture, forming a blueprint for wellness programmes based on clean diet, lymphatic drainage, and exercise.

  Post-Covid, there is a focus on longevity, and new Revital treatments have been added to improve emotional and physical strength. Ultimately, Palace Merano is about better health rather than a short-lived cosmetic experience.

  Address: Palace Merano, Via Cavour, 2, 39012 Merano BZ, Italy

• Lefay Lake Garda

  Best spa in Italy for: an energy kick

  Mist-covered forests, mountains, and a sweeping view of Lake Garda will captivate even the most jaded spa-goer’s attention. The hotel took full advantage of the last lockdown to completely renovate the interiors: clean, comfortable white bedrooms and a lobby inviting relaxation. Although this is Italy, there is a strong Asian influence evident, with authentic Moxibustion and Tai Qi classes that help guests release physical and mental blockages.

  The recently launched immune system programme aims to rebalance the body, while the five-night longevity programme blends osteopathy, acupuncture, and massages. Guests can also enjoy five wellness trails featuring al-fresco massage and Zazen Meditation, as well as a new adults-only pool complete with Finnish sauna and whirlpool.

  Address: Lefay Lake Garda, Lago Di Garda, Via Angelo Feltrinelli, 136, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italy

• Preidlhof

  Best spa in Italy for: better sleep

  Set amidst the enchanting mountains of South Tyrol, Preidlhof is the place to come to find the best version of yourself. Frazzled souls are reborn through nine spa “journeys” that blend purpose with pampering. Days revolve around an immersive six-floor sauna tower where the sauna master doses hot stones with essential oils for deep breathing exercises.

  Revered “Sicilian Shaman” reduces patients to tears with powerful hands-on massage-based trauma therapies. Moreover, whether glancing at the stars in rooftop infinity pools or hiking in the woods, guests find no better place to unplug and unwind.

  Address: Preidlhof, Via S. Zeno, 13, 39025 Naturno BZ, Italy

• L’Albereta

  Best spa in Italy for: toning up

  Far removed from the bustle of Milan, L’Albereta lies amid vine-covered hills and glorious manicured grounds. Guests can check into the Chenot Espace Health Wellness SPA for a robust reboot, focused on fusing western medicine with alternative healing. Programmes range from refreshing spa weekends to life-changing week-long detoxes designed to enhance mental and physical health.

  The Chenot Diet promises to cleanse the body at a cellular level, reducing calories without compromising taste. Days are filled with treatments from acupuncture to Chinese cupping, leaving guests lighter and brighter.

  Address: L’Albereta, Via Vittorio Emanuele, 23, 25030 Erbusco BS, Italy