Top spa hotels in Wales for an invigorating weekend break

The Vale Resort feels like a true country escape, with 650 acres of private grounds. Take some gentle exercise on the two PGA championship golf courses, or practise another type of swing in the tennis and squash courts.

The hotel has the largest spa in Wales, complete with a 20 metre indoor pool and five blissful themed relaxation zones. Take a soak in the whirlpool bath and recline in the sauna and steam room. Treatments include body therapies, facials, holistic massages and the Vale Autograph collection of exclusive age-defying therapies. Special packages are also available for men and pregnant women.

Later on, toast your day with a chilled glass of Laurent Perrier in the Salamanza Bar, or admire the landscaped grounds from your room’s private balcony.

As soon as you arrive, it’s clear that there’s something magical about Chateau Rhianfa. It might be the Grade II listed building with its storybook turrets and elaborate spires, inspired by the 16th century castles nestled in the Loire Valley. Or perhaps it’s the views of craggy, mist-shrouded Snowdonia National Park, its fabled peaks rolling out to the horizon.

Step inside to discover decadent interiors: rich jewel colours, opulent light fittings and traditional fireplaces. Make the spa your first stop, with a session in the hot tub or sauna. Next, head to Le Dragon Rouge, a Welsh and French fusion restaurant. Enjoy buttery lobster freshly fished from the Menai Strait, accompanied by a cold, dry white from the castle’s wine caves.

The Principal St David’s is Cardiff’s only AA-rated 5-star hotel. The instantly recognisable glass and metal building on the waterfront features floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views across Cardiff Bay.

Hotel guests use the private lift to reach the Marine Spa, so you can slip into your robe in the comfort of your bedroom. Tone your muscles in the gym before giving them a treat in the sauna and relaxation pools. Finish off in the treatment rooms with a facial, massage, body wrap, or aromatherapy ritual. Beauty treatments like waxing, permanent makeup, manicures and pedicures will have you looking your best.

Finish the day with dinner at chef Martyn Watkin’s eclectic on-site restaurant, The Admiral St David, which fuses local and Asian-Pacific flavours.

Perched on a headland, this spa hotel in South Wales has captivating views across Cardigan Bay. The interior decor takes its cues from the seafront location with driftwood lamps, sculptures made from pebbles and coastal scenes painted by local artist Helen Elliot.

Delve underground to the hotel’s Cliff Spa for body wraps, scrubs and massages. Soak in the Roman-inspired hydrotherapy pool while admiring the star-painted ceiling before making your way to the fitness room, hot tub, sauna and steam room circuit.

After a long day practising your putt on the nine hole golf course and rambling along the rocky coastline at Poppet Sands, watch the sun go down from the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Or, if you’re staying in the luxury sea view suite, from your private outdoor hot tub.

With 2,000 acres of private landscaped parkland, The Celtic Manor Resort feels like its own little world. It has three championship golf courses, so start your day there with tea and bacon rolls in the clubhouse before teeing off.

Float in the relaxation pool overlooking the rooftop garden or practise your backstroke in The Forum Spa’s swimming pool while admiring the trompe l’oeil ceiling. Carry on your workout with a fitness class before unwinding in the saunas, steam rooms, plunge pools and spa baths. The Forum has a range of facials, massage, scrubs and wraps, pregnancy treatments, treatments for men and St Tropez tanning.

Alternatively, head to the Ocius rooms. Their spa menu includes indulgent facials, body scrubs and massages, as well as beautifying treatments like organic waxing, eyebrow and lash enhancement plus manicures and pedicures.

Modern meets historic in the Stradey Park Hotel & Spa, set inside a revamped Edwardian building on a leafy hillside. Enjoy the view of the coast from the rooftop restaurant or head straight for the main attraction: Parc Spa.

Unwind with your partner in the hot tub, sauna and tropical rain room before retiring to the silent relaxation area and sleep room. The exclusive Copper Tub Bathing Ritual includes a rejuvenating scrub, an aromatherapeutic soak in the tub and a massage. Alternatively, sample a few treatments from their extensive massage collection, indulge in a facial or treat yourself to Gelish manicure and pedicure.

The Luxury Suite will make your stay extra special, with a king-size bed to bask on and MP3 docking station so you can play your favourite tunes.

Set amongst 400 acres of private parkland on the doorstep of the Wye Valley, this 14th Century manor home makes a wonderful base for walkers. There’s also the small matter of the two championship golf courses.

At the Beauty Rooms spa, take a dip in the heated swimming pool or meditate in the sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi bath. Indulgent massages, body wraps and scrubs will leave you feeling rejuvenated. Work up an appetite in the gym and outdoor tennis courts before your dinner at the on-site steakhouse.

Upgrade to a superior room and you can gaze out over the manor’s tranquil lake from your own private balcony.

Step inside this 18th Century manor house in the shadow of the Black Mountains and you’ll find a modern hotel with cosy rooms in warm wood and plush furnishings. Sip your morning coffee while enjoying views across the rolling countryside or over to Cribyn and Pen Y Fan.

The on-site spa, hidden inside the vaulted caverns in the cellar of the house, is equally atmospheric. Natural and organic products from award-winning brands Dermalogica and Circaroma are used in the treatments, giving you something else to feel good about while sipping tea in the Moroccan-inspired relaxation room. Massages, facials, exfoliation treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, tinting and tanning are all available.

During summer, make a splash in the heated outdoor pool. The gym, Jacuzzi bath, sauna and steam room are open year-round.

Having won several Wales in Bloom awards, the landscaped gardens at Miskin Manor are almost as relaxing as the on-site spa. Take a morning stroll through the Edwardian terrace, ornamental kitchen garden and past the yew topiaries before heading indoors for a traditional breakfast.

Work on your form in the indoor swimming pool or enjoy a cleansing sauna and steam room session. At the Miskin Manor Health Club it’s easy to keep up with your gym routine, with personal trainers on hand to help.

Afterwards, drop into the Mi:Skin beauty centre for a spot of pampering. Try a holistic treatment, body scrub, wrap or massage, or a glamorous beauty treatment: manicures, pedicures, waxing, and a range of eyebrow and lash treatments are all available.

Each room at this boutique hotel has a view over the lush marshlands, where you can spot coastal birds like hen harriers soaring through the sky. Exposed beams and brightly coloured furniture bring character to each room.

Visit the hotel’s state-of-the-art gym and indoor swimming pool for some light exercise, or go straight to the spa. Choose a skin-nourishing Pevonia Botanica treatment or an OPI manicure and pedicure. The full offer spans facials, eye treatments, massages, mud treatments, body scrubs, waxing, brow and eyelash treatments.

Once you’ve cleansed your skin in the sauna and steam room, head upstairs for a cooking masterclass with celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. You’ll learn to recreate his favourite seasonal dishes, pastries or sweet treats.

Situated on the outskirts of Cardiff with its own private lake, the Copthorne Hotel is an escape from the bustle of the city. You wouldn’t guess from the peaceful atmosphere, but Cardiff Airport is just 20 minutes’ drive away.

After shopping in the local boutiques, visit the on-site health club with its swimming pool and gym for a rejuvenating afternoon. Sink into the whirlpool bath and let the bubbles work their magic before gently detoxing your skin in the sauna and steam room.

Treat yourself by upgrading to a Club Room for tranquil views across the hotel’s private lake.

Those who’ve always dreamed of being a Lord or Lady will feel right at home in this Grade I listed building. Centuries of care have gone into the 200 acre grounds, with rose gardens, herbs and box hedges for you to stroll around.

The spa is in a separate building, a short stroll from the manor itself. Inside you’ll find an indoor swimming pool, steam room, sauna and spa bath. Drift off in the relaxation room or step out onto the sun terrace, green tea in hand, and look out towards the ruins of Deganwy Castle.

Spa treatments on offer span a range of wellbeing massages, purifying facials, wraps and scrubs. For a true feast for the senses try a massage with products from Aromatherapy Associates. Beauty treatments include Jessica manicures and pedicures and Xen-tan tanning.

Explore Cardiff’s highlights, from the striking terracotta Pierhead Building to the gothic Cardiff Castle, from your base at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa.

Begin your day with a visit to the hotel’s health club and sauna. Wake up with some light exercise in the fitness centre before taking a dip in the large indoor heated pool, Jacuzzi and hydrotherapy pool. Pamper yourself with a massage, eye treatment, facial, aromatherapy scrub, tanning, waxing, body wrap, manicure or pedicure.

Sink into a plush armchair in the laid-back Urban Bar and Kitchen. Satiate your appetite with satisfying British classics, such as a succulent gourmet burger.

Nestled between the striking limestone Great Orme and Little Orme headlands, the Imperial Hotel gazes out over the Llandudno Seafront Promenade. A traditional Victorian style underpins the interiors, from the elegant, white-accented façade to the traditional bedrooms with their freestanding baths and rich colour palette.

Discover the hotel’s spa, which features a gym and UV-treated, 45 foot heated pool in which to while away the afternoon. Let the warm bubbling waters of the spa bath work their magic on your muscles, or detoxify in the sauna and steam room. In the beauty lounge, allow yourself to be pampered with a manicure, pedicure, facial, body wrap, microdermabrasion or massage. The Fiji Ritual uses coconut oil to moisturise and leave you feeling fresh. Tanning, tinting, waxing and lash lifting are also available.

With its peaceful rural location in Bridgend, the Heronston Hotel & Spa provides the atmosphere of a country retreat close to the lively cities of Swansea and Cardiff.

The Herons Leisure Club & Spa envelops you in serenity, with its mood-lit indoor pool and treatment rooms decorated with rustic natural touches. You’ll also find a sauna, spa pool, steam room and a spacious gym. Revitalise with a facial, massage or body scrub. Manicures, pedicures, lash and brow treatments, tanning, waxing and makeup sessions will have you feeling and looking your best – just in time for dinner.

Enjoy a seasonal three-course meal at the Crane Restaurant, which has authentic stone walls and low arches for an intimate and traditional feel. Ewenny’s Bar and Grill offers light bites such as fresh and zingy mint, halloumi and pomegranate salad.