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A top spa hotel means different things to different people. Some might want a quiet rural retreat with comfort food and gentle woodland walks. Others might prefer a rooftop sauna, cocktails around the pool and a hard-core gym. While others might be tempted by Michelin-starred dining and the very latest high-performance facials. Yorkshire’s best spa hotels have all these things – and plenty of other preferences – covered.
Some of the spas are seriously cutting-edge: at Rudding Park, for example, you can relax in a rooftop hydrotherapy pool, while at Grantley Hall you can opt for a personalised health and fitness programme including sessions in a cryotherapy chamber. City-based spa hotels, such as those in York, let you combine a pampering break with a fix of culture or a spot of shopping; arrive by train and you can leave the car at home. For true mind and body relaxation, look no further than a spa retreat in the Yorkshire Dales.
How we review
Every hotel in this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis. They stay for a minimum of one night, test at least one meal and trial other experiences that the hotel might have to offer.
At a glance, the best spa hotels in Yorkshire
The fabulous spa at this luxury Harrogate hotel has seriously raised the bar with its infinity hydrotherapy pool, panoramic saunas, spa bath and herbal steam rooms dotted amongst lounging areas, trees and shrubs. Elsewhere, most of the 90 rooms are light, sleek and understated, with soft carpets, creamy walls, clean-lined furnishings and contemporary art; but the spa suites have direct access to the facilities and some have their own saunas, steam rooms, and gold-tiled spa baths. A meal at Horto is an absolute must (if the budget can stretch), as is a glass of champagne in the outdoor pool.Read expert reviewFrom£358
This colossus of a building (formerly the Edwardian headquarters of the wealthy North Eastern Railway Company) has one of the best city spas in the north of England. It occupies the building’s original vaults which have been converted to include an indoor jet pool, aromatic steam room, Nordic dry sauna and mosaic-tiled whirlpool, plus fitness room. You'll find many of the latest signature ESPA treatments on offer here, including the Advanced Enzyme Facial with rose quartz and algae-based Detox Wrap.Read expert reviewFrom£164
You’ll need a full day to do justice to the multi-million-pound spa in this staggering country pile once owned by a Bradfordian mill owner. The dipping pond is fabulous on sunny days – though relaxation beds topped with heated canopies, and furnished with sheepskin rugs and slippers allow guests to enjoy these spaces in winter too. An 18-metre lap pool, smaller hydrotherapy pool, and nature-scented and salt steam rooms provide further pampering. Highly recommended is the Elemis Garden of England Rose Restore Wrap with poppy seeds; the deep tissue massages also hit the spot.Read expert reviewFrom£255
This sprawling Palladian-style hall (17th-century origins) set in parkland and formal gardens has a sweep of distractions, from a Japanese garden, wellies to borrow (walking routes are available) and 30 acres of parkland to a wine-tasting room and a choice of restaurants including that of Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin. The most impressive is perhaps the two-level spa with thermal experience and snow room, 18-metre pool, indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pools, outdoor terrace and hot tub area, treatments by Ila and Natura Bisse, two gyms plus altitude training facilities, and slumber-inducing relaxation areas including an outdoor terrace.Read expert reviewFrom£517
The setting of this traditional country house hotel is steeped in history and Yorkshire character. Arranged around a formal Italian garden, the hotel stands in landscaped grounds and has two wings – a stone-brick main house, built in 1610 as a coaching inn, and a second, rectangular block built in 1982. Inside, artwork from Chatsworth’s Devonshire Collection decorates the walls and there are antiques and elegant furnishings galore, a style which continues to the 40 rooms. The spa is housed in a barn conversion across the road and offers a small pool and a gym with treatments and products by ESPA.Read expert reviewFrom£190
The spa in this National Trust property occupies two Edwardian cottages which have been converted into three treatment rooms, a small Club Room on the ground floor serving drinks and light refreshments, plus a large indoor swimming pool, spa bath, steam room and sauna. For those who may be inclined to earn their downtime first. Treatments are by Aromatherapy Associates; signature offerings include The Yorkshire Rose Garden Ritual which begins with a stroll around the garden before a body brush exfoliation, moisturising massage and facial.Read expert reviewFrom£137
Surrounded by 100 acres of woods and fields, plus a stretch of the River Wharfe (fishing permit available), there's plenty of space to wander – printed walks available – as well as a terraced Italianate garden for warm-weather drinks and afternoon teas. Inside, there's an elegant but unstuffy drawing room with fire plus a clubby, wood-panelled bar. The hotel's spa has a pool, steam-room and gym plus full menu of ELEMIS treatments, from anti-ageing facials and full body wraps to Indian head massages and beauty treatments.Read expert reviewFrom£185
If you’ve been to any of the grand lodges in Yosemite or around the Grand Canyon, you’ll be familiar with the frontier feel of this log cabin resort. It’s centered around a main building made of logs that’s home to some of the hotel rooms, a lake-view restaurant, and a bar, all dimly lit and with exposed brick and real fireplaces dotted around the place – the general feel is that of a relaxing retreat. The woodland spa has an outdoor hot tub and indoor pool that are favourites of Olympic triathletes the Brownlee brothers, who live in neighbouring Bramhope. Walk around the grounds and feed koi carp in the lake, or loan out a bike for a cycle across the Chevin or into Otley (being wary of the steep climb back).Read expert reviewFrom£68
The Coniston Hotel showcases Yorkshire’s finest attributes across its lush 1,400-acre estate, with bluebell and cherry blossom walks, lake-facing heated infinity pools and locally sourced meals. The outdoor activities offering is comprehensive, while the newly redesigned Nadarra Spa is well worth a visit. A seven-part thermal experience encircles an indoor pool, while two hot, bubbly outdoor pools cocoon guests taking in the vista of soaring trees. An outdoor bath experience, one of many spa treatments, offers an element of total privacy particularly appealing in these times.Read expert reviewFrom£119A grand Georgian townhouse, 10 minutes from York Minster, brilliantly and sympathetically brought into the 21st century with bold colours, old-school charm, modern art and dollops of whimsy. The sitting room and bar, with grand sash windows, offer space to relax, plus there’s a small street-facing terrace for warmer days. The five-room spa in the cocooning brick-vaulted basement has a precise menu of bespoke facials and massages and is a welcoming hideaway.Read expert reviewFrom£124In one of North Yorkshire’s prettiest market towns, this former pub is now a smart yet relaxed hotel with a country-contemporary style. Bedrooms range from cosy to swanky, food is accomplished modern British cuisine, plus there’s a spa and – a rarity in North Yorkshire – a heated outdoor pool. With two fire-warmed lounges, a small library and a sun-trap pool terrace, there’s enough space for guests to always find a quiet corner. That pool, heated all year-round, is just big enough to do laps or you can relax in the nearby hot tub. Overlooking the terrace, the Verbena Spa has six treatment rooms as well as a thermal experience. Read expert reviewFrom£165
9Telegraph expert rating
In the city's premier location, between the Minster and the walls, with a history dating back to ...Read expert review
9Telegraph expert rating
A Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms with chocolate-box, thatched-pub looks and a bucolic far...Read expert reviewFrom£170
9Telegraph expert rating
Award-winning restaurant with rooms The Hare offers exceptional dining and a relaxed overnight st...Read expert reviewFrom£345
Jessica Cortez 
