Leela Palace Kempinski, Udaipur, india
The palace is a maze of stunning arches, courtyards and gardens, all finely appointed with gold-leafed floral motifs, mother-of-pearl artefacts and handcrafted white marble with exquisite inlay work in typical Rajasthani style.
It's the sumptuous courtyard overlooking the lake waters that you'll be drawn to, however, as it's here that the ESPA spa, with its tented pamper rooms, gives hours of stress-busting treatments. By having specialists on hand to identify individual needs and tailor treatments accordingly, the experience is designed to offer guests full interaction in the spa process, from the music to the massage oils.
Go for the Royal Knights Of Rajasthan treatment - a four-hour MOT with a facial, scalp massage and aromatherapy massage. All this will leave you feeling immersed in the experience and post-treatment, dare we say it, a little closer to the Big Man.
The Royal Mansour, Marrakech
It's a vast, cool, calm space that offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of treatments you are likely to find anywhere. The highlight is the hammam, a traditional cleansing and massage therapy. A word of warning, though: do this on your first day. Part of the treatment involves a rather harsh once-over with a traditional scrubbing mitt. It hurts (in a good way), especially if you're a bit pink from the sun, but the skin-finishing results are incredible and your tan will last for weeks rather than days after you return. Trust us, in such a closed-off world, where the most taxing activity of the day is getting out of your monstrous bed, these are all-important considerations.
The Montage, Beverly Hills
a huge, 20,000 square feet spread over two lower- ground floors, it channels Andalusian design notes across a broad range of treatments and day-long retreats. Water, too, plays an important part in the procedures, including hydrotherapy baths and the Montage Affusion, a one-of-a-kind water experience featuring multiple shower heads and contrasting temperatures to pep up even the most jet-lagged and jaundiced body.
Make sure you leave time to experience the sauna and steam areas: rather than being hidden away in the changing rooms, these form a large part of the overall approach, and therefore feel, of the place - a pampering spa, certainly, but one that actively and swiftly sets your world to rights.
Four Seasons Provence
Behind the white robes and whale music is an MOT-style service centre that comes with all the scientific credentials of a bona fide dermatologist's clinic. And although the usual pampering treats are on the menu, most men sign up for an ogre-to-Adonis aesthetic overhaul - the kind often promised (but rarely delivered) by over-the-counter concoctions.
Unlike other spa packages, guests at Terre Blanche are subjected to a thorough seven- step screening process before a bespoke programme is devised. Blood tests determine food intolerances and toxicity levels (which are then observed by chefs) while personal trainers plan exercise routines and therapists hand-pick the perfect products.
Gleneagles, Scotland
Try its signature treatment, the Source, a massage therapy that incorporates locally sourced ingredients such as river-washed stones (a footbath) and lavender and oat herbal wrap. Two hours may seem like a protracted amount of time for any man to spend face down on a bed, but trust us, it's way more relaxing than spending four hours following a small white ball.
via GQUK
