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.

One&Only Kea Island Resort.

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.

The spa and indoor-outdoor pool.

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.

Light-filled guest room.

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.

Add in tennis courts, e-bicycles, beach volleyball, football or badminton, kayaking, snorkelling and stand-up paddle boarding, and guests will likely leave One&Only Kea Island feeling brand new – though just lying by your private plunge pool admiring that view with a good book and a cocktail or two might well produce the same result.

Atria Restaurant.

See oneandonlyresorts.com/kea-island