This ‘ultra-luxury’ new spa is a three-level extravaganza

Hotel and resort spas used to be an afterthought – a boxed ticked with a pokey facility in the basement, often alongside a poor excuse for a gym.

But increasingly the spa (and by extension its pal, the gym) is rising, and not just as a sought-after accoutrement, but as an attraction equal in desirability to the hotel property itself.

One&Only, a resort group focused on luxury wellbeing, has taken that and raised it – several storeys, in fact – taking the spa from the basement to a three-level extravaganza at the new One&Only Kea Island Resort and Private Homes in Greece.

Set in the Cyclades, the resort, a 45-minute boat ride from Athens, is touted as “the first ultra-luxury offering on the island”. It has 63 villas, each with its own private infinity pool, sea views, elevated food and beverage offerings, an indoor-outdoor fitness centre (gym in the old language), a dedicated teens’ area and KidsOnly Club for younger guests.

And then there’s that spa. The 1700-square-metre beauty features a collection of watsu therapy (a form of hydrotherapy) pools and cold plunge pools, steam rooms, saunas, jacuzzis and a spectacular indoor-outdoor pool with its own sea views.

Its emphasis on all things aquatic is on trend. Hydrothermal wellness is becoming increasingly popular at resort and hotel spas, borrowing from the centuries-old bathing practices of many cultures, and driven by the proven health benefits of them, including improved circulation, as well as pain and stress reduction.

For land-based luxuriating, there are six treatment rooms, including two couple’s rooms where the spa’s partnership with Australian beauty brand Subtle Energies is behind a menu of treatment options using the Ayurvedic practices upon which the products are based, as well as Greek mythology, and modern wellness techniques.