20 GRAND PARK HOTEL ROVINJ Rovinj, Croatia

‘Teeny portions of fermented plants are not my idea of fun, neither are loooong and frustrating lessons in mindfulness. My love of fitness is matched only by my love of food and drink, so I was thrilled when my capable-looking therapist handed me a shot of sweet hemp liquor to knock back before my full-body massage, and promised to sort out my heavy legs, aching from a run the day before. She worked up and down my spine, with elbows that seemed pointier than most, but lest you get the idea this was some kind of spartan ordeal, it all took place by flickering candlelight in a room painted in a similar shade to Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe. The spa here is one of a kind, inspired by a Croatian tradition of healing with herbs, and set within the glass-fronted Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, surrounded by pine trees. I donned Lycra for a run in the high-spec gym, which has panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea, and rewarded my efforts with a memorable dinner in the Cap Aureo Signature Restaurant. My highlight was a multisensory treatment that left me feeling all the good feels: revived and energised, but also in a state of total calm – a rare feat for a caffeine-addicted mum-of-one. I lay on a rippling waterbed while soft lights changed in hue and a therapist applied pressure to various points on my body before banging gongs in different pitches. The combination of colour, motion, sound and touch was enveloping, and the aches and pains (physical and mental) I walked in with seemed to melt away. A weekend well spent.’ Alice Manning

RED NOTE Use the instant camera you’ll find in your room to take an old-school selfie in front of a sunset, though the minibar will charge you for the film. Accommodation from €202. Olive Oil Signature Treatment, €174. Sound & Energy Treatment, €62 (maistra.com/grand-park-hotel-rovinj)