World Spa Awards – the global initiative to celebrate and reward excellence in the spa and wellness sector – has announced the winners of its 2021 programme.

Brands to lift top honours include Six Senses (‘World’s Best Wellness Retreat Brand’), Iridium Spas at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts (‘World’s Best Hotel Spa Brand’) and Croatia’s Hotel Bellevue (‘World’s Best Hotel Spa’).

With its unrivalled pampering facilities, Zürich’s the Dolder Grand was voted ‘World’s Best Day Spa’ and Chenot Palace Weggis, on the shores of Lake Lucerne, collected ‘World’s Best Detox Programme’.

Destination winners include Dubai, with its array of both traditional and leading-edge treatments, named ‘World’s Best Spa Destination,’ and Italy, crowned ‘World’s Best Wellness Destination’.

Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach claimed ‘World’s Best Resort Spa’ and Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi was declared ‘World’s Best Private Island Spa’.

In the newcomer categories, Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid picked up the coveted ‘World’s Best New Hotel Spa’ title; Chenot Spa at One&Only Desaru Coast, Malaysia was acknowledged as ‘World’s Best New Resort Spa’; and Italy gained further honours with Palazzo Fiuggi winning ‘World’s Best New Wellness Retreat’.

The announcement follows a year-long search for the world’s top spa and wellness brands.

Votes were cast by industry professionals, the media and the general public.

Rebecca Cohen, managing director, World Spa Awards, said: “Our industry is enjoying a significant increase in bookings, driven by guests seeking out authentic wellness experiences to match their lifestyle choices.

“Our World Spa Awards 2021 winners represent the brands breaking new ground through innovation and their incredible drive to do things better. My congratulations to each of them.”

In the country categories, Spa Diane Barrière in Alsace’s delightful Resort Barrière Ribeauvillé emerged victorious as ‘France’s Best Resort Spa’.

Other winners included GoldenEye (‘Jamaica’s Best Resort Spa’); Clinique La Prairie Aesthetics & Medical Spa at the St. Regis Bangkok (‘Asia’s Best Day Spa’); the Londolozi Healing House, South Africa (‘Africa’s Best Safari Spa’); Hotel Post Bezau by Susanne Kaufmann (‘Austria’s Best Wellness Retreat’); Zulal Wellness Resort (‘Qatar’s Best Wellness Retreat’); Miraval Arizona (‘Arizona’s Best Wellness Retreat’).

More Information

Launched in 2015 as the sister event to World Travel Awards, World Spa Awards aims to drive up standards in spa and wellness tourism and foster growth by rewarding the leading organisations in their respective fields.

World Spa Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence in spa and wellness tourism through an annual awards programme.

Find out more on the official website, and see a full list of winners here.