Blueprint for a happier, healthier new year

Want to banish the blues of 2020? Suzanne Duckett suggests 30 transformational spa escapes

EUPHORIA RETREAT

Greece

After a cancer diagnosis, Marina Efraimoglou, the former chairman of a Greek bank, embarked on a personal healing journey that resulted in her retraining in traditional Chinese medicine. She opened Euphoria Retreat, built into a mountainside on the edge of the 13th-century town of Mystras in the Peloponnese. It has fast become one of the hottest new wellness havens in the world. Staff there fuse Greek and Taoist philosophies and three new programmes focus on supporting immunity as well as emotional and mental well-being. The design is all Byzantine domes and elegant curves, including a womblike indoor pool. Three-day Balance and Restart programme from £1,243pp full-board (two sharing). euphoriaretreat.com

ORIGINAL FX MAYR

Austria

The Mayr cure is one of the most effective digestive cleansing programmes available, built on the belief that good health starts in the gut. Seven days is the minimum stay, but many book in for the full Mayr monty, a 21-day purge to clear body and mind of toxins (think massages, lymph drainage, vitamin drips, acupuncture and more time on the loo than you could imagine). The Immunity Boost programme works alongside your cure, and includes therapies such as nasal reflexology. One-week Immunity Boost programme from £3,270pp, including the basic cure. original-mayr.com

LANSERHOF TEGERNSEE

Germany

In the foothills of the Bavarian Alps above Lake Tegern is this striking silo to state-of-the-art detoxing. The woodand-glass architecture will declutter manic minds on arrival. The Lans concept combines results-driven traditional naturopathy, advanced medicine and diagnostic tests (and the Mayr cure, see above). Intestinal cleansing and flushing toxins from the stomach is key to well-being here, which is based on the three pillars of rest, detoxification and training (such as chewing thoroughly to help your body process food better). Programmes focusing on Covid-19 include the full artillery of modern diagnostic tests. Seven-night Lans Med concept from approximately £5,279pp. lanserhof.com

THE ALPINA GSTAAD

Switzerland

This family-owned Alpine hideaway focuses on sustainability, charity and social impact as much as wellness and luxury. The Six Senses Spa is vast for a hotel this size (56 rooms and suites), and combines world-class Asian traditions with Swiss swish (local salts and milks in beauty treatments, for example). The choice of treatments is astonishing. A new retreat, called Detox and Boost Your Immune System, is a softer approach to cleansing your system and boosting natural immunity. It combines customised face and body treatments and nutritional supplements using special biomarker analyses.

Double rooms from CHF950 (£796), B&B. thealpinagstaad.ch

SHA WELLNESS CLINIC

Spain

This cutting-edge clinic near Alicante merges ancient philosophies with the latest advances in Western medicine, offering every health check-up under the sun. Preventive medicine and genetic screening plot personalised programmes (some of which are developed in partnership with Nasa and Harvard) to help with all manner of problems from weight gain to depression, cancer and addictions. The clinic’s new immunology booster can now be added to the Rebalance programme. It stimulates the body’s natural immunity with an arsenal of treatments from immunotherapy and lymph and viral analysis to stem cell therapy, vitamin C megadoses, and stress management. Seven-day Rebalance programme, with immunology booster, from €4,000pp (£3,630). shawellnessclinic.com

The Alpina Gstaad in Switzerland has a Six Senses Spa with treatments to boost immunity