From treatments inspired by local ingredients to those which can be best described as bizarre, the hottest spa treatments for 2024 bring a fresh approach to wellness and beauty.
Collective wellness is one of the top trends tipped for 2024, with people seeking more ‘we time’ than ‘me time’. But alongside the consumer thirst for social wellbeing, there remains a drive for localised and unique experiences, ones that spark a lifelong memory and can be recalled to friends and family for years to come.
We’ve looked beyond the headline trends in wellness to identify treatments guaranteed to tick those boxes. Some will hopefully inspire creative additions to existing spa menus, while others may be ones to try on your next trip.
Harnessing the local environment and traditions
Not every spa has access to stunning outdoor facilities such as hot springs or volcanos, but by using products in your treatments that are sourced from local areas or traditions, you can promote your location and provide a sense of place to your spa guests.
Vanagupe spa in Lithuania offers an amber spa ritual, highlighting the Baltic legend of a mermaid queen who had her amber palace destroyed, while the Apuane Spa at Four Seasons Punta Mita in Mexico uses the nopal cactus plant in a massage, removing the plant’s spikes to form a paddle to relax muscles and ease sunburn.
If you don’t have a local natural ingredient to draw on, consider local traditions to create a unique and memorable spa experience. A knife massage using meat cleavers in Taiwan; golf ball massage at Dromoland Castle in Ireland; or drums and chanting in a VooDoo ritual in New Orleans – each plays on popular local activities of the past and present.
Find your grounding through sound
Referred to as ‘sound baths’, this is actually a clothes-on, dry experience where different frequencies created by gongs, crystals, Tibetan bowls and even synthesisers stimulate your brainwaves to lead you into total relaxation and boost your nervous system. Used by hotel spas such as The Mandrake (London) and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (London), it is thought to improve your mood, reduce stress and induce better sleep.
A culinary experience
Spas are increasingly taking the ‘menu’ part of their treatment list literally, with food and drink inspired treatments appealing to guests. This is also a great opportunity to tap into local flavours, promoting a sense of connection with your local community and national heritage. Our favourites include:
- Beer Spa in Czechia – immerse yourself in a wooden hot tub loaded with malts and hops, as you imbibe local brews
- Sake bathing in Japan – believed to prevent age spots from forming, some hotels provide a bottle of sake to add to your bedroom’s bath tub
- Port-infused vinotherapie spa in Portugal – a wine barrel soak in warm water and concentrated red wine extract to condition your skin
- Hershey’s chocolate treatments in USA – In Pennsylvania, home to the well-known chocolate brand, try a Chocolate dipped strawberry infusion signature treatment – a strawberry parfait scrub with a cocoa butter and chocolate hydrating body wrap.
Fortune favours the brave
For guests seeking to smooth out wrinkles, tackle signs of ageing, or refresh their body, there’s a world of wacky choices available. Snail facials are popular in Japan (apparently, the slimy trail contains moisturising properties); Bee venom is also used in facials to heal acne and reduce wrinkles; the Nightingale or Geisha facial – inspired by Japanese geishas – includes bird poo, with treatments available at London’s Hilton Park Lane; relax to the rhythmic movements of a snake massage (just don’t scream or scare your reptilian therapists as they work your back, neck and scalp), and leech detoxification is used to treat arthritis as well as refresh tired skin (originating in ancient Egypt, a leech’s saliva is thought to contain anaesthetic and anti-clotting properties).
Claiming a more medically researched approach, the scarily named Dracula Therapy (drawing your blood, separating your platelets in a centrifuge, before injecting your blood back into your face; also known as a Vampire or PRP facial) and Blood Type therapies (popular in Thailand, tailoring the products, massage technique and room temperature based on your blood type) work to slow and reverse the ageing process.
Vitamin drips are also growing in popularity, particularly in party destinations such as Las Vegas as they are easy to administer, don’t require much space, and offer a quick refresh for those spending late nights in the clubs or simply jet lagged.
Hot and cold
Fire walking once formed the basis of many retreats, but today’s fire therapy looks different than walking over hot coals. Based on Chinese therapy, treatments involve a herbal paste being applied to your body, before a wet towel soaked in alcohol is laid on your skin and set on fire. It’s thought to stimulate your acupuncture points and can aid recovering from lumbar disc hernia or joint sprains.
If that seems too hot to handle, cryotherapy is the other extreme. Scandinavia is the ideal destination for these short, sharp bursts of freezing, with treatment temperatures as low as -120 degrees celsius. Finland’s Haikko Spa offers up to three-minutes in the chill chamber to aid pain relief and create glowing skin. Cryotherapy pods are also found on high street areas around the UK, helping treat injuries and addressing general fatigue and sleep issues.
Appealing to spa guests seeking a memorable experience that also delivers relaxation and rejuvenation doesn’t need to involve costly refurbishments or extension of your facilities. Identifying products that can be used in small spaces or crafted into a local-flavoured treatment is an ideal way to tailor to guest demand in 2024 and beyond.
