Spas: Five Resort Spas in Asia Combining Bliss and Innovation


Above: Massage bed with a view at Amanpulo.

By Angela Leenhouts

Coqoon Spa, Phuket
Indigo Pearl takes Thailand’s designer spa offerings to new heights with The Nest at Coqoon, a treatment room suspended from the branches of a banyan tree. More earthbound options are just as seductive: a range of aromatic body treatments is offered in rooms with an industrial-chic design inspired by the raw-planked dwellings that once housed Phuket’s tin miners. For even greater luxury, the Coqoon Suite–featuring a private pool, steam room, sauna, and Vichy shower–can be rented by couples or families, with spa therapists on hand to organize bespoke treatment programs (66-76/327-006; indigo-pearl.com).

Aman Spa, Pamalican
Set high in the treetops overlooking the turquoise waters of the Sulu Sea, the new Aman Spa at Amanpulo in the Philippines offers a blend of Asian, Western, and local Cuyonon treatments. Three casita-style spa pavilions are built from native wood, with ceilings layered in lustrous capiz shells and picture windows framing views of the private island below. Each of the six spacious treatment rooms features a dressing area, a steam shower, and a deep soaking tub for total relaxation. Complete your experience with a pedicure, manicure, or hair treatment at the aptly named Finishing Salon (63-2/976-5200; amanresorts.com).

V Integrated Wellness, Langkawi
In keeping with V Integrated Wellness’s holistic approach to health and well-being, the Botanical Spa makes the most of its stunning natural setting in the coastal rain forest of Malaysia’s Langkawi Island. Airy, open spa pavilions let in cooling breezes and the gentle sounds of the waves below, and are perfectly positioned to watch the sun set over the Andaman Sea. Double massage beds make this the perfect place to indulge in romantic couples’ treatments like the Tranquility Ritual, a four-hour-long combination of Polynesian kahuna wave massage, an Arabian rhassoul wrap, and a purifying Javanese lulur massage and bath (60-4/959-1088; vintegratedwellness.com).

AWAY Spa, Bali
This recently opened facility at Bali’s W Retreat offers guests a multitude of ways to relax or re-energize, 24 hours a day. Need to detox and decompress? No problem. AWAY Spa’s funky treatment menu, with options like Serene & Soulful, Glamour & Glitz, or Fit & Fabulous, is dedicated to jet-setters wishing to recharge or gear up for wherever the day or night takes them. The facility includes two spa suites with wet and dry treatment areas, five treatment rooms with either floating meditation platforms or vitality baths, and an oxygen lounge. For the truly adventurous, the “Shhhhhh…” menu promises “rare, exotic” Balinese treatments (62-36/ 738-106; whotels.com).

Spa at Conrad Sanya
Haitang Bay, Hainan Set on the southern coast of Hainan Island, this sun-kissed sanctuary at the Conrad Sanya bills itself as China’s most luxurious spa–a bold claim, but with top-notch therapists and spacious private treatment pavilions arrayed around an inviting pool, it certainly seems to be in the running. The emphasis is on customized service; treatments like the Essential Body Ritual and Essential Face Ritual begin with a consultation to determine the products and techniques best suited to the guest (86-898/8820-8888; conradhotels1.hilton.com).

Originally appeared in the June/July 2011 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Treats You Right”)

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