Top 10 Spectacular Spas on the Great West Way

Journeying along the Great West Way is all about slow travel... exploring at your own pace, taking time to uncover local gems, and savouring the journey. Slow travel might mean watching the sun set over tranquil English countryside, taking time to linger over a meal, or settling into some serious spa pampering. So why not inject a little luxury into your Great West Way experience by stopping off at a spa (or two, or three) on route? There are lots of options to choose from along the Great West Way including rooftop pools, family-friendly stays, open-air swimming, decadent hotels, naturally heated spring waters, and even a spa on a boat!

The Langley
Be amongst the first to sample the delights on offer at the newly opened Langley in Buckinghamshire. This hotel and spa sits in a former royal hunting ground surrounded by formal gardens and landscaped parklands, offering guests a truly luxurious stay. At the opulent spa you can enjoy the plunge pools, steam room and a whole host of sumptuous treatments. Idyllic!

Thermae Bath Spa
For thousands of years, the natural spring waters at Bath have been used for locals to bathe in. And Thermae Bath Spa allows you to bathe in Britain's only naturally warm, mineral-rich waters as the Celts and Romans once did. Spa treatments on offer include traditional massages and facials. And if all that wasn't enough, there's an open-air rooftop pool with spectacular views over the city of Bath. 

Thames Lido
With a fascinating history dating back to the Edwardian era, the Thames Lido is situated in a Grade II listed builing which was painstakingly renovated before the lido reopened in 2017. Today you can swim year-round in the open-air swimming pool at this unique urban retreat in the heart of Reading. Spa packages at Thames Lido combine access to the pool and spa facilities with holistic massage, as well as a delicious meal at the restaurant, overlooking the open-air pool. 

Woolley Grange
The ELEMIS Spa at Woolley Grange Hotel just outside Bradford on Avon is the perfect option for travellers with children, welcoming the whole family and even offering spa treatments sutiable for younger skin. The spa has a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and offers an indoor pool as well as an outdoor pool with breathtaking views across the Wiltshire countryside. At Woolley Grange you can enjoy a family splash in the pool, or get away from it all and indulge in a pampering spa treatment and some me-time.

The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
Located within Bath's truly iconic Royal Crescent, this Georgian gem offers understated luxury to the Great West Way traveller. Winner of the World’s Best Country House Hotel Spa at the World Spa Awards, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa offers a choice of indulgent treatments alongside the relaxation pool, vitality pool, Himalayan salt-infused sauna, and blossom steam inhalation room. Relax in the pretty gardens after your spa treatment and feel yourself truly unwind. 

Monkey Island Floating Spa
The Floating Spa at Monkey Island Estate is an utterly unique option - giving visitors the opportunity to indulge in a luxury massage or treatment aboard a converted boat. This unique spa is moored at Monkey Island's private island in the River Thames at the beautiful Berkshire village of Bray; a seculed and tranquil location to relax with a sumptuous spa treatment. 

Spa 15 at No.15 Great Pulteney 
No.15 Great Pulteney is a sophisticated and charming boutique townhouse hotel in Bath with a haven-like Spa where you can get away from it all and rediscover your balance. The spa's perfectly considered decour includes a large cedar wood hot tub within historic, exposed stone vaults - perfect for lazy afternoons. Treatments on offer include glowing radiance facials, energising and nourishing scrubs and hot and cold stone massages. Bliss!

Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa 
Immerse yourself in tranquillity at Aquarias Spa at Whatley Manor Hotel near Malmesbury in Wiltshire. Here you can enjoy the indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools, stretch out on a heated stone recliner, and indulge in the therapeutic benefits of the salt scrub showers and thermal suite. There are an extensive array of facials, massages, spa rituals, manicures and pedicures on offer for you to choose from. 

The Lido
If you're heading to Bristol as part of your Great West Way adventure, stop in at urban oasis The Lido. Tucked away amongst a courtyard of Georgian Terraces in the heart of historic Clifton, the Lido features a spa, restaurant, outdoor heated pool, sauna, hot tub and steam room within a characterful Victorian building. Here you can enjoy a tailor-made massage using bespoke own-brand Lido oils or take a refreshing dip in the open-air pool before enjoying lunch in the building's historic viewing gallery.

Gainsborough Bath Spa
The stunning five-star Gainsborough Bath Spa in the centre of Bath is home to a lovely Spa set beneath a glass atrium where you can "take the waters" in real luxury. Here you will find three thermal baths, traditional and infrared Saunas, a steam room and eleven treatment rooms. Treatments on offer include massages, facial treatments and body treatments.

And if all that isn't enough to relax you, have a look at our Wellness Guide.