If you’re like most British skiers, you probably get away on a ski holiday once or twice a year. Unless you follow my advice given in my article “Getting fit for skiing WITHOUT gym membership”, then you are going to hurt after the first few days! Don’t worry, there is a remedy and it’s a very pleasant one too – almost an argument for NOT getting in shape before your ski holiday! Spa and wellness centres – either in your accommodation or ski resort – will put you back on track and leave you ready to tackle the steepest black run at 9am the next morning... Well maybe...
If the words "spa", "massage", "sauna", "steam room", "heated swimming pool" and “hot tub” sound in your ears like a gentle song, then read on! Below you’ll find our selection of the best places to go in ski resorts across the European mountains.
Skiing is, of course, the best sport ever invented BUT it does have its disadvantages! It can leave you feeling like you’ve been run over by a herd of charging elephants. If, like me, you get out of bed on the 2nd day only to discover your legs have been replaced by jelly, then maybe its time to spend a little “me time” after a hard day on the slopes to prevent this sort of discomfort recurring!
We all deserve a little pampering from time to time, so why not combine your ski holiday with a spa package – you deserve it after all that effort! Many holiday companies now offer ski and spa destinations offering tailor-made treatments with a wide choice of relaxation and beauty options.
If you’d like to benefit from the real therapeutic affects of natural thermal spas, there are a few ski resorts which are located on or near these natural sources – watch this space for a dedicated article on thermal spas.
Even though traditional thermal spas continue to be popular among winter sports fans, the more luxurious spa and wellness centres have taken the top spot. Many ski resorts now have spa and fitness facilities open to everyone which means that even if you are staying in low cost accommodation, you can still feel like you’re on a luxury holiday by ending your day in a hot tub or sauna. Many self-catering ski apartments and hotels have negotiated free access to wellbeing and fitness centres in the ski resort for their clients. Massages or beauty treatments and always at an extra cost.
France:
The After the Rain Spa and Beauty Centres, such as the one in
Samoens
at the Reine des Près Residence, offer après-ski massages and beauty treatments in wonderful luxurious surroundings. For a 30-minute massage you’ll pay around 60€.
Le Chabichou
in
Courchevel
1850 is a family-run, slope-side hotel in the heart of the ski resort which is renowned for its position, rustic-chic atmosphere and services, exceptional food (its restaurant has 2 Michelin stars) and for the personalised spa treatments on offer in its brand new wellness centre. Just before Christmas, the spa went through a complete makeover and is now known as Cha’Banya, a wellness centre completely constructed under the ski slope, with a beautiful pool and endless beauty treatments on offer. The new spa’s specialties include multi-sensory experiences such as a tropical rain trail, a Dead Sea pool, a Polar bath, an ice fountain, a saline cave, a musical pool and much more! If you really feel like treating yourself, they offer a six-day “intense skiing journey” involving two preparatory sessions, daily après-ski massages and four facials! The Chabiforme ski repair massage which lasts 1hour and 15 minutes will cost 160€. The good news is that non-residents are welcome here too.
Switzerland:
https://www.snowplaza.co.uk/switzerland/arosa/arosa/ The 5-star (superior) Tschuggen Grand Hotel in
Arosa
is a genuinely friendly place to stay. Here you will find the new four-storey subterranean Tschuggen Bergoase Spa, designed by Swiss architects Mario Botta (creator of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and Carlo Rampazzi. Indoor and outdoor pools, an open fire, a Kneipp trail (guests wade barefoot over stones in hot and ice-cold water), stunning saunas and a wide range of massages are just a few of the delights awaiting you here. For the wonderful Four Elements Massage which lasts 50 minutes, you’ll pay £110. Again, you don’t have to stay in this hotel to enjoy its unique spa (although reservation is required). If the weather closes in and you’re a fair weather skier, you could treat yourself to a one-day pass which includes a 25-minute massage and a light lunch at only £140 - which is quite reasonable considering the standing of this hotel.
Austria:
The indisputably chic, 5-star (superior) Hotel Aurelio, in the exclusive ski resort of
Lech am Alberg
is small enough to give the impression you are staying in a private chalet. However, it has its own fantastic spa centre offering services deemed comparable to those of a royal palace! Two beautiful indoor pools (one of which is used for light and sound therapy), a thermal suite with classic and herbal saunas, an aroma steam bath, a jacuzzi, a meditation room with an open fire, a multi-sensory shower, ice pools and a snow atrium are among the luxurious options on offer. The hotel also has a modern fitness centre complete with a personal coach to help you work out those aches and pains after a long day on the slopes. The spa and fitness centre are only open to hotel guests.
Children
– most centres will accept children and some even offer special facilities, activities and/or family tickets. However, check in advance to see if there are special times when the more boisterous members of the family are allowed in!
Valuables
– bring as little as possible with you. Watches, phones, etc are best off left back in your accommodation even if most spa centres supply lockers.
Clothing
– this is a special note for the male members of the family – in particular in France, regulations for public spa/pool areas means that no baggy short-style swim wear is allowed - only real swimming trunks! Check before, but in general spa centres supply towels, bathrobes and some kind of footwear.
We’d love to hear about your spa experiences – leave a comment or join us on
Facebook.
If you’re like most British skiers, you probably get away on a ski holiday once or twice a year. Unless you follow my advice given in my article “Getting fit for skiing WITHOUT gym membership”, then you are going to hurt after the first few days! Don’t worry, there is a remedy and it’s a very pleasant one too – almost an argument for NOT getting in shape before your ski holiday! Spa and wellness centres – either in your accommodation or ski resort – will put you back on track and leave you ready to tackle the steepest black run at 9am the next morning... Well maybe...
If the words "spa", "massage", "sauna", "steam room", "heated swimming pool" and “hot tub” sound in your ears like a gentle song, then read on! Below you’ll find our selection of the best places to go in ski resorts across the European mountains.
Skiing is, of course, the best sport ever invented BUT it does have its disadvantages! It can leave you feeling like you’ve been run over by a herd of charging elephants. If, like me, you get out of bed on the 2nd day only to discover your legs have been replaced by jelly, then maybe its time to spend a little “me time” after a hard day on the slopes to prevent this sort of discomfort recurring!
We all deserve a little pampering from time to time, so why not combine your ski holiday with a spa package – you deserve it after all that effort! Many holiday companies now offer ski and spa destinations offering tailor-made treatments with a wide choice of relaxation and beauty options.
If you’d like to benefit from the real therapeutic affects of natural thermal spas, there are a few ski resorts which are located on or near these natural sources – watch this space for a dedicated article on thermal spas.
Even though traditional thermal spas continue to be popular among winter sports fans, the more luxurious spa and wellness centres have taken the top spot. Many ski resorts now have spa and fitness facilities open to everyone which means that even if you are staying in low cost accommodation, you can still feel like you’re on a luxury holiday by ending your day in a hot tub or sauna. Many self-catering ski apartments and hotels have negotiated free access to wellbeing and fitness centres in the ski resort for their clients. Massages or beauty treatments and always at an extra cost.
France:
The After the Rain Spa and Beauty Centres, such as the one in
Samoens
at the Reine des Près Residence, offer après-ski massages and beauty treatments in wonderful luxurious surroundings. For a 30-minute massage you’ll pay around 60€.
Le Chabichou
in
Courchevel
1850 is a family-run, slope-side hotel in the heart of the ski resort which is renowned for its position, rustic-chic atmosphere and services, exceptional food (its restaurant has 2 Michelin stars) and for the personalised spa treatments on offer in its brand new wellness centre. Just before Christmas, the spa went through a complete makeover and is now known as Cha’Banya, a wellness centre completely constructed under the ski slope, with a beautiful pool and endless beauty treatments on offer. The new spa’s specialties include multi-sensory experiences such as a tropical rain trail, a Dead Sea pool, a Polar bath, an ice fountain, a saline cave, a musical pool and much more! If you really feel like treating yourself, they offer a six-day “intense skiing journey” involving two preparatory sessions, daily après-ski massages and four facials! The Chabiforme ski repair massage which lasts 1hour and 15 minutes will cost 160€. The good news is that non-residents are welcome here too.
Switzerland:
https://www.snowplaza.co.uk/switzerland/arosa/arosa/ The 5-star (superior) Tschuggen Grand Hotel in
Arosa
is a genuinely friendly place to stay. Here you will find the new four-storey subterranean Tschuggen Bergoase Spa, designed by Swiss architects Mario Botta (creator of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and Carlo Rampazzi. Indoor and outdoor pools, an open fire, a Kneipp trail (guests wade barefoot over stones in hot and ice-cold water), stunning saunas and a wide range of massages are just a few of the delights awaiting you here. For the wonderful Four Elements Massage which lasts 50 minutes, you’ll pay £110. Again, you don’t have to stay in this hotel to enjoy its unique spa (although reservation is required). If the weather closes in and you’re a fair weather skier, you could treat yourself to a one-day pass which includes a 25-minute massage and a light lunch at only £140 - which is quite reasonable considering the standing of this hotel.
Austria:
The indisputably chic, 5-star (superior) Hotel Aurelio, in the exclusive ski resort of
Lech am Alberg
is small enough to give the impression you are staying in a private chalet. However, it has its own fantastic spa centre offering services deemed comparable to those of a royal palace! Two beautiful indoor pools (one of which is used for light and sound therapy), a thermal suite with classic and herbal saunas, an aroma steam bath, a jacuzzi, a meditation room with an open fire, a multi-sensory shower, ice pools and a snow atrium are among the luxurious options on offer. The hotel also has a modern fitness centre complete with a personal coach to help you work out those aches and pains after a long day on the slopes. The spa and fitness centre are only open to hotel guests.
Children
– most centres will accept children and some even offer special facilities, activities and/or family tickets. However, check in advance to see if there are special times when the more boisterous members of the family are allowed in!
Valuables
– bring as little as possible with you. Watches, phones, etc are best off left back in your accommodation even if most spa centres supply lockers.
Clothing
– this is a special note for the male members of the family – in particular in France, regulations for public spa/pool areas means that no baggy short-style swim wear is allowed - only real swimming trunks! Check before, but in general spa centres supply towels, bathrobes and some kind of footwear.
We’d love to hear about your spa experiences – leave a comment or join us on
Facebook.
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
