"Clients don’t just come for a treatment, but for a final result." by Catherine Beattie pain – like most of Europe is currently enjoying a spa boom. Spanish sun plus a spate of stunning new spas is proving an irresistible draw to visitors. The luxury spa break concept is the latest trend with thermal cabins, spa pools and thalassotherapy treatments in great demand and becoming more widely available. Catherine Beattie visits an assortment of Spanish coastal spas, starting on the Costa Del Sol. The Polly Mar Beauty Spa at the Kempinsky Resort Hotel, Estepona, Spain www.kempinski-spain.com Located on a sandy beach on the Costa del Sol, the five star Kempinsky Resort Hotel Estepona enjoys panoramic views of Gibralter, Marbella and the North African coast. Built in typical Andalusian style, all the spacious guestrooms and suites have balconies overlooking the sea and inviting outdoor pools, which meander through the resort’s luxuriant tropical gardens. Besides a choice of restaurants serving international and authentic Mediterranean cuisine, the hotel offers tennis, nearby golf and horseback riding and, most importantly, easy access to the renowned Polly Mar Beauty and Health Spa, supervised by spa legend Polly Hillbrunner, inventor of the body wrap. Hillbrunner teaches her therapists to first recognize a client’s problem or needs. An individual treatment program is then created, followed by lifestyle tips and home care. As she says, "Clients don’t just come for a treatment, but for a final result." Hillbrunner’s own products are used in the spa, which has an indoor relaxation pool, sauna and steam rooms, hair salon, Rasul chamber and 13 treatment rooms. Experienced therapists offer an extensive choice of specialist beauty, massage, slimming, and health treatments - many unique to the spa. One such treatment is Polly’s Saunawrap Cure Original, which effectively reduces cellulite and fat cells (a course of six 90 minute treatments gives lasting results). It includes a medical check up, body analysis, diet and exercise advice and six body wraps using bandages with special herbal extracts, oils, sauna, cold-warm immersion and purifying massage. Other signature treatments include the Non-Surgical Face Lift, an intense facial treatment created to firm and tone the skin as well as the muscles on the face, neck and décolleté area giving them a lifting effect. Couples can share an invigorating Rasul de Luxe (therapeutic mud, flowing water and aromatic steam) which finishes with a relaxing body massage. Rates From 272 Euros in September for special double room package that includes tax and buffet breakfast. Single Polly Sauna Wrap (90 min) from 80Euros; Non-Surgical Face Lift (90 min) 150 Euros; Rasul de Luxe with massage 110 Euros. Nearest international airport Gibralter or Malaga. Tel: +34 952809500; North America (800) 426-3135 www.kempinski-spain.com Denia Marriott La Sella Golf Resort & Spa www.marriott.com/alcmc A new five-star resort set amidst orange groves a few miles from the Costa Blanca with lovely views of the Montgo mountain and surrounding countryside. The 186-room resort offers guests a choice of bars and restaurants plus an 18-hole golf course, complimentary beach transfers, an outdoor swimming pool and best of all - the Alanya Spa, at 13,000 square feet, the largest and most exclusive spa on the Costa Blanca. The spa is designed and managed by UK spa gurus Alan and Tanya Wheway, former owners of Champneys and The Sanctuary day spa. Everything has been carefully chosen to make the spa experience as pleasurable as possible - from the spacious changing rooms and state-of-the-art Technogym to the grooming studio and quiet treatment rooms offering a fantastic choice of spa therapies including floatation, body scrubs, VichyTherm and hydrotherapy. The extensive spa menu offers just about every treatment and grooming service imaginable using products by Thalgo, Decleor and Ytsara. Whether you opt for just one treatment or a full day’s pampering, the spa’s totally holistic approach will leave you feeling revitalized and nurtured. Try The Spa Experience by yourself or with a partner. You begin in the gentle warmth of the Laconium where the atmosphere is diffused with eucalyptus; then move into the steamy Caldarium, before relaxing in the hot, dry heat of the Crystal Thermarium. You can move freely in and out of the cabins and use the unique temperatures and pressures of the Experience Showers. Finish with sunbathing in the Spa Garden or having a dip in the hydrotherapy pool. Rates From 139 Euros per room (for two) includes tax and breakfast. Floatarium from 29 Euros (25 min); VichyTherm 20 Euros (15 min); Rejevenating Body Scrub, Wrap and Herbal Hydrotherapy Bath 79 Euros (85 min). Nearest international airport Alicante or Valencia. Tel: +34 96 645 40 54; North America (888) 236-2427 www.marriott.com/alcmc. Hotel Termas Marinas El Palasiet, Benicassim, Costa del Azahar, Castellon www.termasmarinas.com Seawater is similar in composition to blood, and can restore the body’s state of balance through osmosis Occasionally you discover a gem of a hotel and vow to return another time. The charming Hotel Termas Marinas El Palasiet is such a place. Situated at Benicassim on Spain’s “orange blossom” coast, it nestles on a hillside surrounded by gardens and sunny terraces planted with geraniums and graceful palms. Authentically Spanish, with a friendly and comfortable ambiance, it boasts a state-of-the-art thalassotherapy center and an extensive choice of therapeutic, beauty and wellness treatments. Thalassotherapy (the therapeutic use of sea water and other marine components) was first used by French doctors in the mid 19th century, and according to the International Federation Mer et Santé "… must be practised on a privileged coastal site and under medical supervision with a view to prevention or “cure". Seawater is similar in composition to blood, and can restore the body’s state of balance through osmosis. The marine environment is exceptionally rich in nutrients and minerals salts, so what the body lacks can be replenished by immersion and treatments. Used therapeutically, thalassotherapy effectively reduces pain and greatly improves certain health conditions, notably circulatory and painful musculo-articular disorders. It also slows down the degenerative ageing process and is an integral part of slimming and beauty treatments. Hotel Termas Marinas El Palasiet is owned and personally managed by brothers, Pablo and Joaquin Farnos de los Santos. They have recently refurbished all the rooms and facilities to appeal to a new generation of tourists looking for relaxation and wellness facilities, as well as traditional “cures”. The many spa facilities include a superb thalasso pool fitted with special underwater exercise devices, small sea water pools for relaxation and hydromassage, sauna, Turkish hamman, steam room and high pressure hot and cold jets of sea water. Treatments include seawater and algae baths, body wraps, Vichy showers, relaxation and beauty massages, beauty treatments, and physiotherapy. Guests can sunbathe and relax in two outdoor swimming pools, take a dip in the Med or play a round of golf on a nearby course. Good food is an important part of any holiday and the Hotel Termas Marinas El Palasiet serves some of the healthiest, freshest and most delicious food on the entire Costa del Azahar. Rates Spa packages cost from 260 Euros to 316 Euros per person for a 2-night weekend including tax, breakfast, lunch and dinner (but not wine), use of thalassotherapy center, optional exercises with a personal trainer, tai chi and yoga sessions and some treatments. Longer stays include medical consultations and prescribed treatments. Facials from 55 Euros, body treatments from 47 Euros. Nearest international airport Valencia. Tel: +34 964 300 250 www.termasmarinas.com Marina D’Or Holiday Resort & Spa, Oropesa del Mar, Castellon, Costa del Azahar www.marindor.com Situated a few miles north of Benicassim, the Marina D’Or is a purpose built holiday village overlooking a sandy beach, with three hotels, holiday apartments, shops, gardens, sports facilities, restaurants and Europe’s largest scientific seawater spa – an amazing 430,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor pools and treatment areas. The most spectacular feature is the vast Amusement Zone - an extra large seawater swimming pool surrounded fountains, waterfalls, Jacuzzis and baths. Invariably busy and noisy, especially at weekends, it is still a pleasure to swim in this oversized warm pool and relax afterwards on the hot marble seats in the Roman baths or in the Turkish hamman. An extra 35 Euros buys you entrance to the VIP Zone’s quieter spa environment, where you can unwind in the relaxation areas, bathe in milk and mud or soak in rose and ylang-ylang scented Jacuzzis. Sun worshippers will find the outdoor solarium and whirlpool bath to their liking. Spa and medical treatments are carried out in the Treatment Zone – a huge area offering an enormous number of procedures and therapies from thalassotherapy and massage to podiatry treatments and dentistry. A modern gym and treatment pool are available for patients having physiotherapy while recovering from strokes and mobility problems. The Marina D’Or will shortly offer cosmetic medical treatments. Two new operating theaters, treatment areas and scientific laboratories are due to open later this year, staffed by highly skilled local surgeons and doctors. Patients will recuperate from their surgery in specially designed luxury accommodation on one of the floors of the five star hotel. Guest rooms and suites in both the four and five star properties are modern and spacious, if a little soulless – and have all the usual comforts. Ask about full and half board packages, as the food served in the hotel restaurants is of excellent quality with a great choice of dishes to suit all tastes. Rates From 105 Euros per person per night in the five star hotel, or 71 Euros in the four star - includes tax and breakfast. Entry to spa amusement area is free for five star guests, otherwise it costs 25 Euros for adults. Entry to VIP area is 35 Euros. Two-day spa beauty programs from 370 Euros, Biological medicine programs from 320 Euros. Nearest international airport Valencia. Tel: +34 902 90 30 90  www.marindor.com Last but not least – a super new spa on the sunshine island of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. While the therapy and beauty treatments may have been inspired in Asia, most of treatments use authentic Canary products - papaya, mango, avocado and volcanic stones from Tenerife, aloe vera from Fuerteventura and marine salts from Lanzarote. The Oriental Spa Garden, Hotel Botanico, Puerto De La Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands www.hotelbotanico.com Overlooked by Mount Teide and surrounded by tropical gardens and banana plantations, the five star Hotel Botanico enjoys an idyllic setting on Tenerife’s north west coast. Unusually furnished in the style of a gracious Thai palace, Hotel Botanico is one of the island’s most prestigious addresses (its VIP guest list includes royalty, sports and movie stars).  Guests return every year to stay in its luxurious rooms and suites and to enjoy the delicious Thai and Mediterranean cuisine served in its four restaurants. Now, there is another reason to visit: The Oriental Spa Garden, a fabulous new spa with over 35,000 square feet of gardens, pools, treatment and relaxation areas. The elaborate décor and antique furnishings are from Thailand, as are many of the charming therapists who carry out oriental-style massages and exotic body wraps. However, while the therapy and beauty treatments may have been inspired in Asia, most of treatments use authentic Canary products - papaya, mango, avocado and volcanic stones from Tenerife, aloe vera from Fuerteventura and marine salts from Lanzarote. Hotel guests (over the age of 16) have free access to the spa facilities including the thermal circuit with indoor and outdoor pools with jet streams and underwater massage. There is a cardiovascular fitness room, couples treatment rooms, yoga/exercise studio, two open air Jacuzzis and 20 candlelit spa cabins for massages and beauty treatments.  Medical staff are on hand for general health check ups, acupuncture, stop smoking, weight loss and other programs. A hairdresser and grooming salon are also available. With its year-round sunshine and friendly service, this must be one of Spain’s loveliest spa destinations. Rates: Rooms from 142.50 Euros (two persons) per night inclusive of tax and buffet breakfast. Spa treatments: Body Wraps from 30.45 Euros; Oriental massages (Ayurvedic, Traditional Thai, Shiatsu and Reiki) 68.25 Euros for 55 minutes; Specialist facials from 71.40 Euros; Medical consultation 39.90 Euros; Spa Programs start from 182.75 Euros for two days. Nearest international airports Tenerife North and Tenerife South. Tel: +34 922 38 14 00 www.hotelbotanico.com Catherine Beattie is a UK-based health and travel writer/publisher with a lifelong interest in spas. Her credentials include writing and publishing several consumer guides including Healthy Breaks in Britain & Ireland (the UK's first spa guide) and The Really Useful Guides. Beattie was founding editor of Spa Health & Beauty magazine and contributes to many UK national newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Express, Here's Health and Harpers & Queen. She is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Guild of Health Writers and Spa Business Association.