The Sunday Times World’s 50 Best Spas
The Sunday Times World’s 50 Best Spas awards recognise the planet’s most outstanding spa and wellness destinations, chosen for excellence in treatments, design, service, and guest experience. The awards help travellers discover transformative wellbeing escapes across continents.
Award Overview
Recognising the world’s most exceptional wellness destinations
The Sunday Times World’s 50 Best Spas awards celebrate the world’s top spa destinations — the retreats, wellness resorts, and holistic sanctuaries that set the global standard for wellbeing, luxury, and restorative experiences. Curated by expert travel and wellness editors who visit hundreds of spas worldwide, this definitive list showcases properties that excel in treatment quality, design, ambience, and overall guest satisfaction.
From secluded mountain wellness retreats to urban havens of peace, the World’s 50 Best Spas highlights the destinations that deliver truly transformative experiences. Inclusion in this prestigious guide offers spas and wellness brands prominent visibility with global travellers and wellness enthusiasts, reinforcing their status as leaders in health, relaxation, and high-end hospitality.
Whether you specialise in holistic rituals, medical wellness, detox programmes, or sheer relaxation, the World’s 50 Best Spas Awards signal that your spa stands among the planet’s most celebrated wellbeing destinations — a beacon for discerning guests seeking exceptional care and serenity.
Benefits of Participation
Participation in The World’s 50 Best Spas awards offers significant advantages:
Global Prestige & Distinction
Being included among the World’s 50 Best Spas signals that your wellness destination stands at the pinnacle of international spa excellence.
Marketing & Brand Visibility
Featured spas gain exposure in The Times & The Sunday Times travel sections and wellness guides, helping attract global travellers and luxury clientele.
Inspiration & Industry Leadership
Celebration alongside the world’s finest spa brands underscores your role as a leader in wellbeing, innovation, and holistic guest experience.
Consumer Trust & Confidence
Recognition in a respected international ranking reassures guests of quality, service, and transformative experiences, encouraging bookings and loyalty.
Award Categories
The World’s 50 Best Spas Awards are structured around spa types and themes that reflect different guest needs and wellness experiences
- World’s Best Spa (Overall)
- Best Medi-Spa
- Best Detox Spa
- Best City Spa
- Best Coastal Spa
- Best Boutique Spa
- Best Spa for Solos
- Best Romantic Spa
- Best Spa with Unique Treatments
- Best Wellness Retreat
How to Enter
As with many editorially curated guides, The World’s 50 Best Spas awards are primarily based on expert research, reviewer visits, and editorial selection rather than a formal open entry process. Below is a structured description of how spas become eligible for inclusion:
- Be discovered or nominated: Spas may be nominated by industry partners, recommended by travel professionals, or identified through editorial research and reader interest.
- Editorial evaluation: Spa reviewers from The Times & The Sunday Times assess venues based on quality, design, guest reviews, treatment excellence, and overall experience.
- Reviewer visits: Many spas are visited in person by editors and wellness specialists to verify offerings and service standards.
- Curation & selection: Editors curate The World’s 50 Best Spas list based on accumulated insights and criteria, ensuring a global and diverse representation of leading wellness destinations.
- Publication & feature: Selected spas are featured in the awards guide, travel coverage, and interactive online platforms, connecting them with a global audience of wellness travellers.
Request access to this award
Congratulations on being listed in The Sunday Times World’s 50 Best Spas.
To celebrate and maximise your success, we are delighted to offer a special marketing package which consists of the official awards logo.
Please complete the form to request access to logo licence options. Your request will be reviewed by our team and if approved, you will receive a notification with access details via email. If you do not receive a notification within 24 hours, please call us on 020 7711 7888.