America's 8 Best Spa Resorts For The Ultimate Relaxation Experience, According To Reviews

There was a time when wellness resorts were thought to ease pain and improve certain conditions. From Bath, England, to Germany's Baden-Baden, where wellness seekers still flock for spas and wineries, travelers sought out these historic destinations, hoping to cure their ailments. Today's resorts don't follow that same philosophy, but they do promise to relax shoulders and relieve stress when life gets complicated. Whether reeling from a recent loss or seeking relief from the stress of everyday work and family responsibilities, these resorts combine modern advances with practices older civilizations once employed to deliver the ultimate rejuvenation.

From a Japanese-style onsen destination to a resort built on one of the U.S.'s energy vortexes, we've found some of America's best spa resorts. These resorts were selected through extensive research, including reviews and recommendations from previous guests, so travelers seeking relaxation can be confident they deliver a sense of renewal. We also ensured they had all the other perks those seeking the ultimate vacation would desire. On-site restaurants, gyms, pools, and trails for either hiking or horseback riding are just some of the amenities they offer. There is even a resort known for an on-site farm where guests can meet animals and sample fresh bites.

In our research, Miraval, a luxury resort in the rolling hills of the Berkshires in Massachusetts, was highly recommended for all-inclusive wellness escapes as delicious as they are relaxing. Visitor after visitor highlighted the ever-changing menu on Reddit. "It's a no-brainer kind of getaway. Do as you please. Be as active as you want or be lazy or be both but you'll definitely be very well fed. Every day was a different menu. That was the most exciting part for me."

Another guest on Reddit was more detailed about Miraval's eateries: "Went to Miraval and thought it was a fantastic experience. all-inclusive, there was a coffee/smoothie/light snacks bar/all the meals were fantastic and varied. I highly recommend it just for the food alone." While Miraval's food is top-tier, the resort's focus on personalized wellness also gets high marks. The resort demonstrates its commitment to helping guests achieve their individual wellness goals well before they arrive. A planning advisor or a quiz designed to hone in on guests' intentions is the first step in planning a stay. Guests establish a goal for their stay, and an itinerary is created to achieve that aim.

Examples from the resort's website range from grief recovery to mental well-being, but guests can choose their own. After a focus is chosen, activities are tailored to that intent. For instance, a counseling session called Navigating Grief helps those navigating loss, and an equine experience called Horse Sense inspires mental wellness. Miraval's Life in Balance Spa also impresses with treatments like Naga, a Shiatsu-style massage using the feet of a masseuse dangling from silk. Spa treatments and some activities are extra. However, many activities, meals, nonalcoholic drinks, airport transportation, and gratuities are included in the nightly rate. Check cellphone usage rules before booking.

Visitors looking to integrate nature into their spa experience will enjoy a stay at Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort in Tucson, Arizona. Canyon Ranch takes advantage of its Sonoran Desert location, bringing the relaxation of nature to guests. Every morning, the resort provides ample opportunities for guests to take leisurely guided walks and hikes past canyons and springs in the soothing desert landscape.

Back at the resort, Canyon Ranch shows why it's the only American resort on the Michelin Guide's list of 2025's best wellness hotels in the world. Eateries, including Double-U Cafe, a plant-based poolside eatery, and Vaquero Canyon Ranch, which focuses on ingredients sourced close to home, serve delicious meals to power days of rejuvenation. At the spa, relaxation comes via treatments in the Eastern traditions; body services incorporating ingredients like CBD and an ultra-moisturizing cream made from goat butter; and lots more. In addition, 35 daily activities, ranging from yoga to hiking, are included in the nightly rate. The all-inclusive rates also include daily spa credits of $200, airport transfers, all meals, and four pools and hydrotherapy. Guests can enjoy more activities and services for additional fees.

This guest on Reddit raved about Canyon Ranch's whole program, including the desert walks: "I went to Canyon Ranch in Tucson! It was lovely. The food was great, the spa treatments were lovely. Multiple pools, lots of classes if you choose. The grounds were lovely to just walk around and enjoy." As the reviewer highlighted, Canyon Ranch in Tucson also has numerous pools, including three indoor, and options for hydrotherapy. When booking a stay, guests will find rooms and suites in soothing neutral tones, with sandy browns reminiscent of the desert outside.

Visitors who can't go a day without checking their horoscopes will find the Stars Align experience at Civana Wellness Resort and Spa exciting. Stars Align aligns wellness to guests' astrological signs, with special activities based on whether the element is earth, fire, water, or air. For example, the program for water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces), which, according to astrology, gain emotional grounding from being near water, includes a marine body wrap, Watsu hydrotherapy, and a water-based wellness activity.

Other guests will find numerous classes, spa treatments, and events. Favorites like yoga, pickleball, and numerology are offered from Civana's location in the town of Carefree, an Arizona wellness hub known for spas, shopping, and the outdoors. Paid activities include horseback riding ($150), paddleboarding ($160), a mala-making class ($125), and lots more. Spa treatments are also extensive, with a menu ranging from prenatal massages to a guided experience called Spirit of the Desert, which includes meditation to the rhythm of sound bowls. The wide range of experiences and food was the reason for this Reddit reviewer's praise: "Just got back from Civana ... 10/10 recommended for classes, wellness, spa treatments, and landscaping."

Reviewers also noted Civana's relatively accessible pricing. According to one Reddit reviewer: "You should check out Civana. It's similar to Miraval or Canyon Ranch but is a lot cheaper." Accommodations range from king-size rooms to suites with spa-like bathrooms. Rates include many of the wellness activities, complimentary bikes, and access to the spa and pool. There is also an all-inclusive rate of around $1,000 nightly for a double queen room in January of 2025, which also includes food and one spa treatment daily. By comparison, rates for a similar room and inclusions at Canyon Ranch are $1,600.

The onsen-style Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe, New Mexico, doesn't require nudity like onsens in Japan do. Instead, the rare Japanese facility asks that guests submerge themselves in the Grand Bath, their most public hydrotherapy pool, and wear bathing suits before experiencing ultimate relaxation. Like the great onsens in Japan, the Grand Bath is communal, but guests and day visitors wanting a private experience can book any of the private tubs for a supremely relaxing experience.

The eight private baths include Ichiban with its serene Japanese garden and hot water-filled ceramic tubs. The water is heated to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, but the separate sauna goes up to 185 degrees. For romance, New Wave has an underwater recliner for two, waterfalls, and a separate cold plunge. Throughout Ten Thousand Waves, the Japanese aesthetic is preserved with bamboo and wooden touches, complimentary kimonos and slippers, and an on-site spa where Japanese Shiatsu and facials can be booked.

Ten Thousand Waves doesn't perfectly fit the definition of a resort, as it doesn't have amenities like a gym or pool. But it was mentioned so often in our research that we had to include it — it also doesn't hurt that Ten Thousand Waves offers accommodations and has an on-site Japanese restaurant, Izanami, which has an almost five-star rating on Tripadvisor. One guest described Ten Thousand Waves on Reddit: "I go to Ten Thousand Waves normally twice a year. Why do I visit so frequently? The spa is jaw droppingly gorgeous and has private Japanese style onsen "hot tubs" you rent for 90 minutes for $74 a person. Yup you get a landscaped private outdoor hot tub, cool dip, sauna and bathroom for that price."

The luxurious touches around Rancho Valencia, coupled with an amazing selection of high-end sports, seal the resort as one of the most opulent spa resorts to relax in. Nestled in Rancho Santa Fe, California, just north of San Diego, everything from Rancho Valencia's standalone casitas to the spa whispers luxury. This extends to the sports the resort is known for. Renowned for its tennis courts and master coaches — recently, pickleball and padel were added — even the resort's sports are higher-end. However, the spa is likely to be the main draw for those seeking relaxation.

Hidden by a lush grove of olives, The Spa at Rancho Valencia has been rated five stars by Forbes for touches like fireplaces and soaking tubs in each of its 10 treatment rooms, and an expansive yoga pavilion with Balinese touches. On the menu, guests can enjoy a range of facials, including rejuvenating ones using organic honey and goji berries, along with a full lineup of massages and body treatments. Sound baths, yoga, Pilates, hydrotherapy, hiking, spinning, and experiences in the resort's garden further aid wellness. Sports lovers who relax through activity have tennis courts and golf in the resort's nearby partner courses to look forward to.

In addition to access to golf and the resort's spa, guests also loved Rancho Valencia's location for its beaches and other Southern California attractions. Here's how a guest put it on Reddit while agreeing with another Redditor who had recommended the resort: "I second Rancho Valencia. Huge spa and fitness facilities. The onsite restaurant is good and you can order directly to your room. Plus they can get you tee times at the country club nearby. Plenty of good beaches and great hikes nearby."

Imagine a resort with over 4,000 acres, including a farm, and almost a million acres of surrounding forests at its disposal. This unparalleled setting is what makes a stay at the charming Blackberry Farm on the edge of Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains so soothing. Horseback riding on trails around the resort's property and the Great Smoky Mountains' foothills provides equine-aided relaxation. Hiking, biking, fly fishing, and boating from the resort's boathouse provide even more chances to inhale the mountains' rejuvenating air. The resort's farmstead tours immerse guests in a working farm, where experiences with cattle, Lagotto Romagnolo dogs, and vegetable and herb gardens bring the land's bounty closer. Cheese and meat tastings are also included.

Off the farm, guests can forage in wildflower-filled forests or follow bird-watching guides to observe native bird species. Inside the resort, Blackberry Farm's spa focuses on naturally sourced ingredients in its treatments. Among its extensive list of massages, there is one using herbs and flowers, and body treatments and pedicures using CBD. There is also yoga in the woods, cardio activities, meditation, and additional wellness programming.

Blackberry Farm was one of the first practitioners of farm-to-table dining and remains one of the best destinations to indulge in meals created from ingredients sourced nearby. Guests dining at one of its three restaurants can expect ingredients sourced from the resort's farm and from farms in the foothills of the Smokies. Luxurious rooms and cottages aid relaxation with sophisticated touches that add comfort. One visitor left this review on Tripadvisor: "The farm-to-table resort is an experience of daytime activity such as horseback riding, fishing, gun sports, biking, kayaking, archery and a bounty of spa treatments. The dining is superb."

Seekers of rejuvenation who subscribe to the healing attributed to energy vortex sites around the world may want to head to the award-winning Mii amo resort in Sedona, Arizona. Nestled among the red rocks of Boynton Canyon, Mii amo is perfectly situated at one of the four areas of concentrated vortex power in Sedona.  Metaphysicists believe these areas are links between the unseen world and the physical, with power swirling from below the earth into the atmosphere. Travelers from all over the world visit to meditate, pray, and seek reconnection.

Those looking to take their rejuvenation a step further will find the treatments at Mii amo sublime. With body treatments like the Desert Mist Body Renewal, High Desert Enzyme Wrap, and Prickly Pear Wrap, the spa incorporates the desert into the experience. Exclusive to Mii amo, practices focused on healing the inner self also feature prominently. There is a Connection Ceremony for those needing inner fortitude to face a major transition and 'Soul Consciousness' for the inner work needed to reconnect with the true self. Mii Amo shares its "mystical energy vortex" with a luxury resort called Enchantment, where an additional spa offers double the relaxation.

The treatments were a particular highlight for guests like this Redditor: "Mii amo is amazing, I've gone a handful of times and the treatments are the best (and I don't say that lightly)." With only 23 accommodations, guests can be certain of personal attention. Accommodations include casitas and suites, each with a private outdoor area overlooking breathtaking rock formations in Boynton Canyon. Luxury suites have their own fireplaces, private massage rooms, and outdoor showers. And when it's time to eat, Mii amo has plenty of eateries.

Sensei Porcupine Creek, in the Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Springs, California, offers a whole-person approach to relaxation that emphasizes the importance of mindset along with body treatments and sports. The resort itself is mindful of guests. Before arrival, guests fill out a questionnaire and are delighted with personalized touches on arrival. A favorite treat indicated in the questionnaire may await by the bed. Along with it comes a handwritten welcome letter from the manager, personalized with a suggested itinerary based on questionnaire responses.

Although Sensei sits in the desert, the landscape has been transformed into an oasis of tropical greenery that mentally relaxes visitors as they drive in. Mindset coaches and other guides start off the experience by helping design an individualized plan. In the spa, guests are encouraged to align mind and body when selecting facials, massages, and bodywork.  And among the roster of daily activities are a slew of meditations to align the mind. In the morning, there are meditations coupled with yoga or sunrise hikes. Throughout the day, meditations like the Loving Kindness Meditation, Heartful Gratitude Meditation, and Meditation on the Elements, focus the mind.

On-site, there is a golf course with a dedicated program combining golf and wellness, and tennis courts for guests who find rejuvenation in the sport. Accommodations are on the upscale end and include rooms in a main house, casitas with private patios, and individual villas. Dining includes a sushi restaurant and Sensei by Nobu, the renowned chef. Sensei was beloved on Reddit for being the best in the area: "Friends who have stayed at Sensei Porcupine Creek tell me it's now the one to beat in this general locale. And by a desert mile.

We searched through Reddit and other travel forums for the most highly reviewed spa resorts to include in this list. After selecting those that were most highly recommended or positively reviewed, we reviewed their websites to ensure they offered the amenities today's discerning travelers expect.

This final list has only the most highly recommended spa resorts that should meet every need. The only exception is Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ten Thousand Waves consistently popped up during research, with many recommending it for travelers seeking relaxation. When reviewing the website, we found it offered a novel, Japanese onsen-style spa environment; however, it lacked some amenities that travelers may expect. We decided to include it anyway because of its consistent popularity and novel approach to wellness.