Spa bubbles: How we rate spas
Our criteria for judging spas are strict, so that we can be sure we're judging spas on the same elements each time, including:
- customer care
- cleanliness
- quality of treatments
- value for money.
We rate each spa according to what you should expect from a spa in that category.
Spa types and categories
We put every spa into one of four categories:
- Spa retreat: a place offering a complete spa-lifestyle, where you sleep, eat, drink, treat and breathe spa and everyone wanders around in robes
- Day spa: somewhere with water facilities such as pools and steam rooms, that provides a spa experience, where you can spend the whole day - and wear a robe, as well
- Hotel spa: a hotel that has a day spa or treatment rooms; we don't list hotels that just have swimming pools
- Treatment rooms: Treatment rooms specialise in beauty, well-being and holistic treatments, and have no water facilities
Bubble ratings
The bubbles indicate our overall impression, and give a general guide:
- 1 bubble = shocking ("Let me out!")
- 2 bubbles = poor ("Not doing that again")
- 3 bubbles = fine ("Nice, might go there again")
- 4 bubbles = great ("Mmm, take me back")
- 5 bubbles = fantastic ("Shut the door, I'm not leaving")
It's all about expectation and promise-fulfilment.
For example, we don't hold it against KuBu that it isn't Pennyhill Park. KuBu has no grounds or facilities but offers very high-quality treatments in a great atmosphere; Pennyhill Park is a hotel retreat with a newly built spa set in lush grounds with all the luxurious facilities and treatment you'd expect. But they both rate 5 bubbles because they do what they do so well.
Our detailed spa reviews give you full, detailed and unbiased information about our spa experiences. In every one of our reviews you'll find a heading Why did you give the spa this rating? so that you can see specifically what we thought.
See all our 5-bubble spas
What is a spa?
Different types of spa
Frequently asked questions
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