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Fancy a swim? Believe it or not, you can swim outside in London. Shoreditch House – owned by Nick Jones, the man who brought us Soho House – is situated in east London and has a heated rooftop pool.
It also has a fabulous set of places to drink inside, an onsite bowling alley and a Cowshed spa. Very possibly the best place to chill out in the capital.
If you go to Budapest, the baths are a must-do. Seven different temperature baths in the one building, mixed sex of all ages. Suitable for families.
If you’ve got a substantial budget, this is where you should be staying. The service is impeccable and they have a team of administrative assistants in the business centre that will take dictation, research things for you, organise your diary – in fact, anything you might need while in the city can be sorted out from this hotel. You also get to use their amazing spa facilities, which cover the top two floors of the building.
This is a beautifully restored Turkish bath dating back to the 14th century. The bath is reserved for women on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9.00 - 18.00 hours and for men at all other times.
When I was there, I shared the bath with two local families (from toddler to grandmother). They were all happily and noisily washing each other, feasting on the sumptuous food they had brought along and later dancing and singing to the beat of the upturned plastic wash bowls. Once they had realised that I was not interested in being left in peace I was made to participate in their merry-making. The bath also has a nice rest area, where one can recline on comfortable seats and order coffee/tea or a water pipe. A thoroughly wonderful experience.
About 200 metres south-east of the citadel, near the covered bazaar, everyone will be happy to point out directions
This was a nice quiet hotel in an area of Rome called Trastevere. Since this was our first trip to Rome I'll include lots of info that I wish I would have had.
The hotel is very clean... and classic European style. Nice room and the staff is excellent. Thanks! They know the city well and will try to accommodate anything you ask.
It's located in a cool area of Rome across the river that's less touristy but has some of the best restaurants. Prices are lower since it's not so touristy. A nice place to be for nightlife and there's a peaceful piazza, and St. Marie de Trastevere church. It's a cool place to get cappuccino and gelato (which we had every day). Also nice is a grocery store a couple of blocks down where you can get water and food instead of getting it in restaurants. Saves a lot of money (.50 euro compared to 2-3 euro).
Rome is relatively small compared to any US city. If you like walking you can pretty much walk anywhere - we walked a ton. But there is a tram that is right in front of the hotel. It's like an electric car on rails... that just goes down one street and takes you into the city area. From there you can walk anywhere. You can buy a transportation card but from what I noticed no one even checks tickets in Rome. So you could theoretically go through the city without having to pay a dime. But we bought the week pass to be legit.
Getting to the hotel is easy and cheap. 11 euro gets you two tickets using the FR1 train to Roma Trastevere stop. Then take the tram two stops and you're at the hotel. Directions on their website help.
Sightseeing:
The Vatican Museo was by far the best. Get a tour guide definitely. We chose Presto tours which was awesome. They guy knew everything and it made the Vatican more interesting. Plus you get to avoid the huge line. Although February had less tourists and since the euro was so high... there still was a TON of people. I would also recommend a tour for Foro Romona and Coliseum. We didn't get one but probably would have made it more intersting.
Food:
Pizza is good ANYWHERE. Just varies in price depending where you are. The house wines are excellent and cheap. They charge your for bread so sometime if you don't want it tell them. Otherwise it's like 2 euro's for bread. That's something we couldnt' get used to...since it comes with the meal in the U.S. There was an excellent restaurant called L'orange right next to the hotel so that was nice. Also a restuarant called Le Fate. The waiter could speak Enlgish so that helped. The seafood is not so good in Rome but maybe that's just us. They salt the fish and the shrimp is tiny. We just stuck with Pasta. Itialians eat multiple courses so on the menu the first course is the pasta dish and the second course is the meat dish. We normally just got appetizer and pasta...otherwise it would get too expensive. Also they eat SUPER late like 9-10 PM is when the restuarants start getting crowded.
Well that's it. Rome is an cool place! We loved it. Trilussa Palace hotel is a really cool place to stay if you like to be adventurous and be part of the culuture it's the place to be. You won't get lost with Sergio either! Thanks!
Piazza Ippolito Nievo 27
00153 Rome Italy
Tel +39065881963 Fax +390658331770
www.trilussapalacehotel.it
info@trilussapalacehotel.it
An open-air bath on Margitsziget on the Danube. In a very beautiful green park with many nice and fun pools and thermal water.
This is a new five-star hotel just in front of the cathedral and the Giralda. It's super-modern and it has some great stuff inside it, such as a Japanese restaurant, Spanish modern food, a cocktail bar, rooftop terrace with insane views, spa massage facilities, and great service.
Relax those feet and be pampered!
With tired feet and an afternoon plane to catch, we decided to spend our final day indulging ourselves at the local Spa, Bagni di Pisa. It is located in the sumptious converted residence of the (ex) Duke of Tuscany.
We took a taxi from Pisa to the Bagni di Pisa spa (€20), had a soak in their warm water thermal pool, followed by a 'Thai foot massage' for me and a facial treatment 'Silk Thermal' for my friend.
Upon arrival we were given bathrobes and plastic shoes to wear.
We found the place welcoming and atmospheric, the staff are professional and definitely know their stuff. We left feeling fantastic, soothed and relaxed. A nice way to end our holiday.
We then took the train back to Pisa (the train station is a five-minute walk from the spa - €1.60 each, 9 minutes' journey), changed trains in Pisa Centrale for the five-minute journey to the airport, Pisa Aeroporto, for our late afternoon flight home.
Note: Bagni di Pisa also is a four-star hotel.
Bagni di Pisa Natural Spa Resort
Largo Shelley 18
56017 San Giuliano Terme,
Pisa
www.bagnidipisa.com
Tel Spa: 0039 (0)50 8850432
Phone hotel switchboard: 0039 (0)50 88501
Nearest railway station:
San Giuliano Terme (on the web its: S. Giuliano Terme) - on the main Pisa - Lucca railway line
Note: there is no ticket office at S. Giuliano Terme - one buys the tickets from the ticket conductor on board.
Cold day in Nha Trang? Why not go and get completely covered in hot mud? We did and decided it was a very good plan indeed. Hot mud, hot pools and budget massages - perfect should you find yourself in Nha Trang in the rainy season!
www.thapbahotspring.com.vn/index.php?ha=home&site=en
It's the other side of town from the main hotels area, but its quite easy to organise a taxi + I think there are buses too.
www.vietnamtravels.org/nha-trang
Superb spa hotel in Saalbach Hinterglem valley. Offers great accommodation, wonderful food, great value and only 30m from the pistes.
www.hotel-sonnleiten.at/saalbach/Article/ID/85/Session/1-ftDBnyHM-1-IP/Hotel_Sonnleiten_Austria.htm
Fantastic range of "cures", massages and treatments at very reasonable prices. Also thermal baths. You can go à la carte or choose one of the many packages. Good quality hotels on site.
Buses from Luxembourg city/airport.
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa is a recently fitted-out hotel who are offering Grand National Accommodation packages for 2008. Many hotels in Liverpool are booked up but this one seems to have a number of packages still available.
The crown jewel of Austin. Check out this spring-fed pool that is 68F all year round.
In Zilker Park off Lamar in South Austin.
It's the newest spa heaven in Saaremaa Island. Every treatment is just perfect and every detail has been thought of.
Hotel and spa complex consists of a well-renovated medieval building and a brand new building something like the Guggenheim or a Star Wars starship.
My last trip was to Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is definitely one of my favorite cities now! Especially because of a place called Amaderm. It’s a kind of spa, and you have everything you need to get prettier! I had a session of Cooltouch there, and I must say it was amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone.
Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 433/501
Phone: 21 22879696
www.amaderm.com.br
This modern public spa is well worth the very reasonable entry fee - I'd advise you go for the maximum four-hour ticket. Downstairs there is a large indoor pool and two outside pools (both very warm) and lots of steam rooms and saunas to visit.
Up a spiral staircase is the sauna world where there are many different saunas and steam rooms, including two outside in log cabins. At the top of the stairs you must remove your costumes and place then in an open pigeon-hole, as this is a strictly nude-only area. Occasionally a visitor doesn't realise this and is usually quickly approached by a staff member and told to disrobe or leave! Good really I suppose as it stops any voyeur element being there. Although the nudity feels odd at first we got used to it incredibly quickly and it just felt right. However you must have a towel with you when you enter the saunas or use the loungers in the rest areas - this must be placed underneath you so that no part of your body is directly touching the seat - this includes your feet. Wandering around or sitting in the communal area it seems about half the people wrap themselves in a towel the other half go naked - either is perfectly acceptable. The whole place is a quiet area with people talking quietly, there is piped ambient music throughout, and combined with the nudity make this one of the most relaxing few hours anyone could spend. Went there a few times when we were in the Baden area and at all times in the sauna world area there was a fairly 'normal' mix of genders and ages, and all shapes and sizes - again helping make this a great place to be.
Baden Baden - near centre of town.
The ultimate day spa in the centre of Liverpool, the beauty secret of babes like Abi Clancey, Jennifer Ellison and the cast of Hollyoaks.
I love to visit APt when I am feeling in the need for a little pick-me-up, it's like a weekend break in a spa!
Hanover Street, Liverpool
www.ageperfectingtreatments.co.uk
0845 8693244
Amaderm is a estheticians' and dermatologists' centre in Rio. Despite the fact that Rio is the world capital of beauty, once I was there I never thought of having any aesthetic treatment. After all, vacations in a sunny paradise doesn't quite match with botox or peelings.
However, during my days in Rio I had a rash, so I needed professional advice, and to my surprise, AMADERM, the place I went in Ipanema, offered so many quick and efficient options of treatment, I couldn't believe. From diode laser for epilation from device for spider vein, you can find high quality services with a price you wont find back home. Definitely a must try for rainy days in Rio!
Rua Visconde de Pirajá 433 - 5th floor Ipanema
www.amaderm.com.br
luciana@amaderm.com.br
The greatest spa in Berlin in one of the most luxurious hotels the city has to offer. The swimming pool is magical.
My secret tip when visiting Paris is to base yourself in Enghien Les Bains, beautiful spa resort just eight miles from Paris. You'd be in good company: VIctor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Frédéric Chopin all did.
Centre piece is the scenic Lake Enghien, cool and resplendent. Picturesquely dotted around the lake are little shops, hotels, a casino, its theatre - all under a relaxed and charming atmosphere. What better start to the day than to wander leisurely around the glistening lake then select a café for coffee and croissants?
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