THE GUIDE WINTER BREAKS 2019/20


French spas come in all shapes and sizes, from the bijou and cosy to the labyrinthine and cavernous


from Paris to Cannes, but it’s the magical retreat at Arc 1950 that tickles our fancy this season. The Alps are always going to be a pretty spectacular stage for unplugging and reconnecting with nature, but it’s only helped along by this spa’s themed caves, comprising a 30°C relaxation pool, ice fountain and 45°C sauna. The sensory journey unfolds further into treatment rooms with incomparable views of Mont-Blanc and a ‘Signature Treatment’ pairing a massage using local precious minerals with a soothing facial. www.deepnature.fr


Le Refuge de Solaise Opening for the first time this December, Refuge de Solaise in Val d’Isère is setting tongues a-wagging – and a glance at its checklist gives us a good idea as to why. Poised at a lofty altitude of 2,500m, its views of snow and sky are breathtaking; and with a broad choice of bedrooms and apartments there’s something for


150 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Oct/Nov 2019


everyone. Plus its restaurants and bar mean you’ll be watered and fed in the cosiest of Alpine


settings. But the crème de la crème is its prospective spa, in collaboration with Exertier cosmetics, which is open both to hotel patrons and outdoor guests. In the Refuge’s own poetic words: “Exertier is above all a family story, of women in love with the Alps who pass on the secrets of traditional Savoyard herbalism from mother to daughter…” And now to starry-eyed travellers. www.lerefuge-valdisere.com


Les Sources de Caudalie What could possibly be more French than basting oneself in wine? The term ‘Vinothérapie’ was coined by luxury brand Caudalie and it can be enjoyed at its hotel Les Sources de Caudalie in vineyard-smothered Martillac. As you might imagine, this approach to therapy blends spa treatments with the hallowed grape juice for ultimate


refreshment – or, in the company’s own words, “combines the virtues of natural hot spring water drawn from 540m beneath the earth with the most recent scientific discoveries of the benefits of the grape and the grapevine”. If you say so! www.sources-caudalie.com


Salins-les-Bains Two hundred million years ago, what is now the town of Salins- les-Bains was completely submerged by water. As the water levels gradually fell, layers of rock salt were formed, which mixed with the water to create saline springs. Today, Salins-les-Bains in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region is famed for its spa drawing on this natural water source. Its most recent spa, opened in 2017, offers hydrotherapy, a 29°C saltwater swimming pool, two Nordic-style saunas, a hammam steam bath and deckchairs for a truly relaxing break. There is also a choice of beauty treatments on offer,


including scrubs with Dead Sea salt, facials, essential oil baths, hand care, and wonderful things like cocoa, honey and marine algae wraps. www.thermes-salins.com


Vichy


Arguably the most famous spa town in France, Vichy has been providing soothing thermal waters since the Roman era but was brought to the fore when Napoleon III invested in its development during the 19th century. Beauty, health and wellbeing are the main focuses in the many spas punctuating the cityscape, each providing a range of therapies from facials and anti-cellulite treatments to hammams and sought-after thermal cures. The five-star Vichy Célestins Spa Hôtel is perhaps the most renowned of them all, and certainly lives up to the town’s stellar reputation, incorporating a grand 7,500m2 spa on the premises. www.vichy-spa-hotel.com


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IMAGE © PIERRE ET VACANCES


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