What is a spa hotel?

A hotel spa is a spa that is attached to a hotel, either within the hotel building itself, or in a separate building in the hotel grounds. A hotel spa can offer everything from a simple set of treatment rooms to a full-blown epic spa adventure featuring all sorts of lovely thermal and wet facilities.

You'll find hotel spas wherever you'll find hotels -- in the countryside, urban areas, big cities and smaller towns and villages. What distinguishes a hotel spa from a day spa or treatment rooms is that you have the option of staying where you spa. Most hotel spas accept non-residents as day guests too, though, and in that situation they behave more like a day spa or treatment rooms.

If you're staying at the hotel, you'll be able to use the facilities and book in for a treatment or two at your leisure, then retreat back to your room to catch up with some work, or just have a nice private nap! If you're travelling, hotel spas can be the perfect retreat for a little me-time that is often so hard to get on a business trip. If you're local then the draw of luxurious facilities and treatments have undoubted appeal.

Family-friendly hotel spas have both benefits and drawbacks. If you're a family looking for a blend of relaxation and time together, a family-friendly spa hotel can be the perfect balance. However, if you're looking for some child-free time, a busy pool full of energetic children may put the kibosh on your alone time.

To get the most out of your hotel spa experience, call ahead to check when family pool sessions are running, and find out if there will be robes and slippers available if you're not stopping over (some hotel spas don't provide these as there's an assumption you'll be able to use the robes from your room).

Here are some of the Good Spa Spies' favourite hotel spas.

Hotel spas for celebrating a special occasion:

Armathwaite Hall Hotel, Keswick

Cliveden, Berkshire

Lucknam Park, Wiltshire

Rookery Hall Hotel, Cheshire

Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

Sofitel So SPA, London

Family hotel spas:

runnymede-on-thames, Egham

Woolley Grange, Wiltshire

Hotel spas good for golf: