Top 5 Luxury Spa Hotels in Europe

By Tom Ingrams

If you're looking for a relaxing weekend break, a few nights at a spa hotel can really recharge your batteries. Discover a world of relaxation and indulgence at Europe's top luxury spa hotels, from award-winning afternoon teas to exotic treatments.

Here's the low-down on the best spots for a massage that the continent has to offer...

1. Berkeley Hotel, London, UK

Contemporary elegance is the best way to describe the beautiful Berkeley in Knightsbridge. Escape the pressures (and pollution) of the big smoke with a relaxing rooftop swim beneath the stars or one of the infamous Pret-a-Portea afternoon teas. What could be more relaxing than haute-design treats, such as Chanel lime cakes and Christian Dior pink chocolate biscuits? The legendary hotel is also top of the list for treatments; soothe yourself with a delicious LaStone massage or traditional Balinese therapies.

2. Canbonastre Wine Resort Hotel, Masquefa, Spain

This divine wine resort in Spain is a masterpiece of indulgence - great Mediterranean food, fine wines, luxurious Lanvin accessories and the excellent Acuba Spa. Alongside the myriad treatments, there's a pool, sauna and steam room to enjoy. There's also a 'wine therapy' programme to ensure your total relaxation.

3. Capri Palace Hotel and Spa, Capri, Italy

Capri is the destination for glitz and glamour. A firm favourite with the stars, it's easy to see why this island pulls in the crowds year after year. The hotel takes uber-chic to a new level, but the spa is still the real gem here. It's the kind of place where you can book a vascular stimulation treatment and a simple mud wrap all in one day. The pool scene is fabulous, too - enjoy the views of celebs sunning themselves, and the cliffs and sparkling seas beyond.

4. Lucknam Park Hotel, Colerne, UK

Another exceptional spa in England, the Lucknam Park near Bath lies in the Wiltshire countryside. It's a romantic hideaway of serenity and calm and the spa is a brand new multi-million pound extension to the manor house. Enjoy the hydrotherapy pools, long list of treatments and body-moulded heated beds - and if you get hungry, there's a smart, contemporary brasserie on hand for a snack or two.

5. Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa, Prague, Czech Republic

Further afield in the Czech Republic, this gorgeous neo-Baroque boutique hotel is located in the centre of Prague. The Alchymist has certainly never heard of minimalism; downstairs in the spa, the style switches to neo-Bali for the extensive health club facilities. Top of the list is the Jacuzzi lit by chandeliers.

Tom Ingrams is a travel writer who specialises in the higher end of the market, paying particular attention to boutique and luxury spa hotels. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Ingrams

The Most Expensive Hotels in the World

Hotel business is sure a profitable one. Moreover, there are hoteliers who managed to create such rooms, which are sometimes beyond the means of even very rich people. Today we would like to bring to your attention the list of top 5 the most expensive hotels in the world.

The leader of this offhand hotel-parade is President Wilson hotel in Switzerland. The fashionable President Wilson hotel, the rooms of which have breathtaking outlooks on Lake of Geneva and Mont Blanc, is situated in the prestigious part of Geneva, not far from parks, shops and old town. The room rate in this hotel is, in principle, comparable to the other hotels, and its rooms are even mentioned in national booklets for tourists. However, a night in this royal penthouse is estimated by its owner in a truly record price of 54 000 dollars. Though, the service here is also at the royal level: the guests get to their numbers on a private elevator, and a cozy drawing room which can house about 40 guests is always ready for parties. And of course, the owners have taken care about the security of their guests: there are bullet-resistant glasses in the room with the outlook on the Lake of Geneva.

The traditional fans of glitter and spangle - Americans - are on the second place. Palms Casino hotel is situated in Las Vegas and his owner is Hugh Hefner. Hefner's property is worth about 265 million dollars. This is a 40-story high rise building with spacious rooms and luxes, the majority of which have unique viewing conditions. The eclectic mix of 7 different restaurants and bars, spa-services, fabulous swimming pool, cinemas, possibilities of organizing banquets and conferences. The casino, which occupies the territory of 95.000 square feet, will meet the requirements of all its clients. Here is the second most expensive room in the world - Hugh Hefner Sky Villa. The room is situated on the 34th floor and offers everything that is needed for the vacation in Playboy style - the items of furniture with the famous logo on them (selected personally by the owner), Jacuzzi in the open air and rotating bed. The drawing room, dining hall and bar are enclosed.

Technological, but faithful to the traditions Japanese are closing the triumvirate in this nomination. The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, situated in Japan has become the bronze prizewinner of this honorable list. In this hotel Carlton suite room is situated which costs 20 000 dollars for a night. Its giant area of 1 292 square feet allows to fit in lots of luxurious conveniences, but its main decoration - are the views of Fuji mountain. This hotel is continually attracting the attention of press. Besides the fact, that the hotel with 248 rooms is situated in the highest building of Tokyo, the decoration of the hotel represents the mixture of European school and modern elements such as colored frescoes of the American artist Sam Francis. It is unusual for Japan. Besides everything else, there is a Diamonds-Are-Forever cocktail, with the cost of $16 000 itemized on the menu. At the bottom of the glass there is a one carat Bvlgary diamond. When ordering such a drink, one can absolutely free choose a ring passing to this diamond in any jewelry store of this company.

Martinez hotel in Cannes is on the fourth place. Here, the prices for presidential suits vary from 13 700 to 43 800 dollars. Cannes - is the place where stars like to show up, that is why the furnishings here are extravagant and impressive. There are 2 drawing rooms, 2 dining halls, four bedrooms, a Turkish bath and a sauna in the room. The rooms have outlook on the bay. As to the hotel itself, soon after its opening in 1929 it entered the number of best hotels in France. Show business stars like to stop here, at different times Gerard Depardieu, Ray Charles, Sean Connery, Laetitia Casta, Mariah Carey, Judy Foster and many other celebrities were the guests of the hotel.

And finally, the traditional addition to any list of the most expensive and most fashionable - is the hotel from Dubai hoteliers. The price of 12 250 dollars for a night gives the Emirate Palace hotel the right of being considered the most expensive one in the Middle East. With truly Arabic luxury, the best room here is covered with gold and marble and decorated with the ceiling lamps made of Swarovski crystals. Far and by, it is a real palace from the fairy tales of "1001 Nights". The Emirates Palace 5* hotel can impress with its 302 rooms of the Superior category, and 92 numbers of luxury category, combining the endless splendor of decorations and of 22 century's technologies.

There are also other hotels that offer the most unusual and crazy services. Well, if the client pays, almost anything is possible.

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His travel locations site ishttp://www.tripspirit.com