Book review: The Spa Lover’s Guide to Europe

Time for another book review! This one’s The Spa Lover’s Guide to Europe by Sarah Woods. The author’s a well-established travel journalist who has written extensively about spas, so you’re in safe hands.

One thing I should definitely mention from the off is that the book focuses on natural spa destinations. By ‘natural’ I mean mineral water springs, thermal springs, clays and muds, salt caves and the like, rather than spa hotels that could have been built at any random location and had the facilities added afterwards. That’s why, for example, the two British choices are centred around Bath Spa and the Lake District. There are also a few additions that include local ingredients such as seaweed, grapes and chocolate (seriously, check out the Sacher spa, it’s real and everything).

There are plenty of photos of the spas and nearby towns and countryside, and I particularly like the way they’ve included a few sightseeing options for each destination. After all, once you’ve finished with the pampering it would be a shame to miss the landmarks.

The natural spa centres themselves range from the basic to the high tech; some are hippy heaven, others are luxurious and still others are quasi-medical. The reviews quickly give you a very good idea of what you’d be getting yourself into, and outline the treatments and therapies for which each spa is famous. A guideline price is also included for popular treatments, which is helpful if you’re watching the Euros.

If I had one small complaint, it would be that I’d like to have seen a few more pictures of treatment rooms in individual spas and clinics. However, you can get round this by looking at the spa websites which are mentioned along with their other contact details.

To sum up: an interesting, unique guide to natural spas with a wide range of styles and price brackets included. It’s an ideal jumping-off point if you’re about to start researching a European spa break, and it would make an attractive gift for any globetrotting beauty fan.

The Spa Lover’s Guide to Europe by Sarah Woods has an RRP of £14.99. It’s currently available on Amazon for £7.50.

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COMPETITION TIME: We have one copy of this rather attractive tome to give away. If you’d like to win yourself a copy of the Spa Lover’s Guide to Europe, just leave a message saying ‘Spa me!” in the comments below to go into the prize draw.

T&Cs: UK entrants only, winner picked using random.org. No cash alternative. Only one entry per person please – multiple entries will be disqualified. Competition closes at noon on Wednesday 23rd November 2011.