Beach Resort Spa venues

A beach resort spa is the spa section of a resort or seaside hotel set right on the sea or with a private beach. What sets it apart from other types of spa is that the spa is not the purpose of the holiday but a complement to it: guests spend most of the day on the beach and by the pool, and use the spa in the late afternoon, on windy or cool days, and at the start or end of the season.

What beach resort spas offer

The facilities most often found at the beach resort spas in the guide are a Turkish bath, a sauna and an indoor pool. The indoor pool means you can keep swimming on days when the outdoor pool and the sea cannot be used. Steam rooms, jacuzzis and skin and body treatment rooms are found at some properties; at one example in Fethiye, yoga activities accompany the spa services. Massage options vary from property to property; on the list, relaxing treatments such as aromatherapy and Balinese massage stand out, along with hammam rituals.

Who a beach resort spa suits

A beach resort spa suits those who want to break up a seaside holiday with a few spa visits, those on a family holiday who want an hour or two to themselves, and those who travel at the start or end of the season, when the sea is cool. If you are planning a spa-focused week, it is worth asking in advance about the number of treatment rooms and how appointments work; in the summer months, late-afternoon slots can fill up quickly.

Points to watch after sun and sea

Using the spa on a beach holiday has its own particular order. Treatments such as kese (exfoliating scrub), body peeling and hot stone should not be applied to reddened or sunburnt skin and should be postponed until the skin has calmed down. If you have been in the sun all day, you should drink water and wait for your body to cool down before going into the sauna or hammam. Keep away from the hot areas on days when you have drunk alcohol; people who are pregnant or have cardiovascular disease or blood pressure problems should consult a doctor first.

How it differs from other resort types

The beach resort spa is the largest subgroup in the guide within the resort spa parent category. The resort subtypes are distinguished by the holiday activity around the spa:

Where beach resort spas are

The beach resort spas in the guide are spread along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. The group is made up of properties in Serik, Manavgat and Aksu in Antalya, hotels in the bays of Milas and Fethiye in Muğla, and the Menderes and Çeşme coasts in İzmir; there is also one example in the Kuşadası district of Aydın.

Booking and use

Whether beach resort spas admit non-residents varies by venue; some resorts open their spa to hotel guests only. On all-inclusive stays, use of wet areas such as the sauna and hammam is often included in the package, while massages and treatments may be charged separately; you should ask at check-in which is included. A peshtemal is used in the hammam and swimwear in the pool; robes and towels are usually provided by the property. The order in which to use the hammam, sauna, steam room and pool is explained in a separate guide.