The World Spa Awards has revealed its 2026 winners, and this year's list reads like a global wishlist for anyone who plans holidays around treatments. Now in its twelfth year, the programme spans hotel spas, retreats, brands and even in-flight and at-sea wellness.

New York City comes out on top of the hotel category: the Guerlain Wellness Spa at the Waldorf Astoria picked up both 'World's Best Hotel Spa' and 'World's Best New Hotel Spa'. It's the largest Guerlain spa anywhere at 22,000 square feet, the result of a much-anticipated transformation that pairs the French beauty house's heritage with a modern wellbeing focus. Across the Atlantic, Italy had a strong year — Lefay SPA World at Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti took 'World's Best Resort Spa', and Palazzo Fiuggi held onto its 'World's Best Wellness Retreat' crown. Back in New York, WORLD SPA won 'World's Best Day Spa', handy if you want a taste of the winning formula without an overnight stay.

The brand awards give travellers a shortcut to quality wherever they roam. Natura Bissé was named 'World's Best Spa Brand', Aromatherapy Associates took the aromatherapy title, Sense, A Rosewood Spa, won the hotel spa brand category for the first time, and Six Senses reclaimed 'World's Best Wellness Retreat Brand' for a third time. On the new openings front, Asaya Spa at Rosewood Mandarina in Mexico won best new resort spa, while Six Senses London was named best new wellness retreat.

There are some genuinely intriguing entries further down the list. The signature treatment award went to Ibu Ketut Mursi, an intuitive blind healer at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Indonesia — proof that the industry is still valuing traditional healing alongside high-tech luxury. Guerlain Spa at One&Only Aesthesis in Greece won best city resort spa, while wellness is clearly moving beyond the spa building itself: Air France by Sisley took the airline lounge spa title, Ocean Wellness at Explora Journeys won the cruise spa category, and The Spa at Desert Rock in Saudi Arabia earned the design award for its striking architecture.

Why does this matter if you're booking a trip? Awards lists like this double as a vetted shortlist. If a destination spa or a retreat brand has taken a global title, you can reasonably expect standards — therapists, facilities, service — to match the hype. It's also a nudge to look beyond the obvious: a wellness-focused stay in the Dolomites, a healing ritual in Bali or a design-led desert spa might deliver more than another generic hotel treatment room.

For the full rundown of 2026 winners, the complete list lives at worldspaawards.com, which sits alongside the World Travel Awards as a sister event.

Original source: Breaking Travel News