From the latest alfresco offerings from some of our top UK spas, it seems today’s spa-goers want to feel alive, ignite their senses, plunge into cold waters and bask in the elements (rather than pass out smothered in oils to whale music). Stylish Spy finds 10 thrilling outdoor spa experiences good enough to make you stay at home this summer.
The £4m garden at Eden Hall
On the verge of quiet quitting? Say goodbye to some of that work-related tension and burnout with a visit to Eden. Extending from its generous day spa, Eden Park’s impressive outdoor space includes a 20-metre hydrotherapy pool with 14 (yes 14) experiences. Plant yourself at one of the four standing stations and let the water jet pummel your achy bits. Or recline on a massaging air-lounger with headrests and experience utter bliss. Sixteen benches offer jets aimed at aching calves and sore lower backs. The garden also includes a Reflect and Relax Room, bistro-style dining, outdoor sauna and a firepit for all-day enjoyment.
Summer events at Low Wood Bay
Not many spas can say they’re located in a World Heritage Site with ‘where-did-I-put-that-camera’ views, but Low Wood Bay can. During the day, heated infinity pools, hot tubs and alfresco fellside saunas await. The new outdoor Upper Deck is the place to be at sundown, with its 18-metre infinity relaxation pool, loungers and fire pits in front of Lake Windermere and the Langdale Fells. Special events this summer include Sunset Sessions, an Ibiza-style event with ear candy to accompany your cocktail, shaken (and possibly stirred) at the open-air bar. Or perhaps Spa and Strings is more your speed, with music from the Lakeland String Quartet?
The £16m upgrade at The Woodland Spa
A cool £16 million has been spent at The Woodland Spa to ensure spa-goers remain balmy this summer. The Outdoor Infinity Pool is a 12-metre heated thing of beauty - swim out from inside and take in the fresh air, then saunter over to one of two sunken outdoor hot tubs or one of two toasty spa pools, each seating 16. The Outdoor Terrace has enough loungers to go round with a retractable roof for inclement weather. Chilly? Warm up with the Saunarium, an alfresco thermal room with views. When the sun goes down, head to The Rooftop for a cocktail in front of a firepit.
The Spa Terrace at Hoar Cross Hall
The all-singing spa terrace at Hoar Cross Hall opened to much acclaim last year with all the Med feels you can muster. Three balmy spa pools, stylish cabanas for shade, an outdoor bar lounge with estate views (of which there are 43 acres), a Juniper Log Sauna, cold ice water barrels and an outdoor relaxation room combine with ambient lighting and cedarwood scents to create an alfresco spa experience under the sky – and stars. Our very Sybaritic Spy was so impressed she nudged it from 5 Bubble to 5 Bubble Luxury. Now that’s kudos.
The huge spa garden at Carden Park
The Spa at Carden has one of the largest gardens in the UK, designed specifically to make the most of its leafy Cheshire location. Don’t take our word for it either: the awards just keep on rolling in, including several from the Good Spa Guide over the years. There’s a Bollinger Champagne bar for starters (that’ll do nicely) as well as an Outdoor Vitality Pool, three hot tubs, a garden lounge, outdoor heated pods and firepits for all-weather spa-ing. But it’s the design that really sells, with oodles of space for wandering around in your robe under the elements.
Alfresco treatments at Middleton Lodge
With all this talk of outdoor pools and fire pits, it’s easy to forget the main reason guests frequent spas: to allow therapists to work their muscle-easing magic. Treatments at Middleton Lodge involve walking across dewy grass, through flowery meadows and ancient woodlands to reach your treatment hut. So far, so outdoorsy… Limited numbers ensure guests aren’t lobbying for loungers around the heated outdoor pool either or jostling for space in the outdoor hot tub with its overhead cover. Lunch from the Forest Spa menu can also be taken poolside with its estate-to-plate ethos.
Pool cocktails at Breedon Priory
We’ll certainly drink to be able to sip cocktails in one of two large outdoor heated infinity pools at The Spa at Breedon Priory – surely this is what holidays are made of? The inside of this modern spa leads seamlessly out via glass doors, taking guests onto a sunny terrace with chairs to relax on after a wallow in the water, one with swan pipes for shoulder pummelling. From here, steps lead down to a glorious garden with lie-flat loungers set out on the grass amongst the summer blooms, facing a large lake. When hunger strikes, dine alfresco and en robe at The Terrace Restaurant.
Riverside spa-ing at Galgorm
With not one but three spa gardens to explore – Riverside, Alpine and Walled – as well as a gushing river, Galgorm is an Irish staple for outdoor spa-ing. This Spa Spy was blown away by the private Riverside Bathing Experience: wood-fired hot tubs on the riverbank with Champagne and chocolate-coated strawberries. The spa garden is vast with many things to experience including round hot tubs, a river-facing steam room and Galgorm’s take on a traditional Aufguss Ritual in the Celtic Sauna. The round Elements spa café serves up nutritious delights; the Alpine Bar drinks to sip in the Vitality pool.
Balearic vibes at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat
If your budget won’t stretch to the Balearics this summer, check into The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Northern Ireland for laid-back Ibiza vibes with a chilled party playlist. An iconic 2-metre glitter ball even hangs over the spacious outdoor Roman Bath. Potentially the only spa on the planet with a heated pebble beach overlooking a lake… or book a Botanical Bath experience, a fragrant hot tub at the water’s edge. When all the marvelling – and wallowing – is done (the spa is so big both inside and out, a spa map is a must), guests can dine in their robes at The Palm House.
Treetop spa-ing at The Old Inn
Treetop spas are always a draw for lovers of the outdoors; The Old Inn - Ireland’s second oldest hotel – is perched above the treetops of Crawfordsburn Country Park in Bangor. Facilities include an outdoor heated pool, sunken hot tub, raised hot tub, experience shower, relaxing Cabana, sauna, steam room and The Conservatory, a cosy space to relax on marble loungers in front of a warming stove. Scan the QR code to get cocktails delivered to the heated outdoor pool; tree-strewn solar lights twinkle above come twilight.
Good Spa Guide
7th August 2025
