A Spa of One's Own

Hotels are bringing the spa and wellness experience into the privacy of the guest bathrooms.

“We’ve had the mattress wars and the pillow wars,” says Don Genders, CEO of Design for Leisure, a company that builds spa and wellness facilities around the world. “Once they’ve given you a good night’s sleep, hotels are going to the wellness and relaxation elements.”

The Royal Monceau has jumped on the current Parisian rage for hammams and installed them in 20 larger rooms and suites. In the Park Hyatt Istanbul, the traditional Turkish bath, offered in 25 spa rooms and four terrace suites, provides an authentic local experience. General Manager Gözde Eren compares in-room spa treatments to “ordering room service.”

A private sauna can double as a piece of furniture or be built into the room, as at the Hotel Forsthofalm in Leogang, Austria. The 200-square-foot bathrooms at the Bardessono in Yountville, California, double as private spas. Massage tables are cleverly concealed in bathroom cabinetry, and the massage takes place in the bathroom. When the treatment ends, the guest is conveniently close to the steam shower or the adjacent outdoor shower. Very California.

Written by Beverly Stephen for Hotels Magazine

A private hammam at the Park Hyatt Istanbul