India has had a long-standing tradition of massages and self-care, reaching back to Ayurveda. There are plenty of wellness retreats and spa resorts pan-India, offering not just traditional therapies but also international wellness treatments - all sanctuaries of relaxation and rejuvenation amid our stressful and sedentary lives. Against lush backdrops of mountains, beaches and palaces, these havens offer some of the most cutting-edge spa therapies, as well as rituals inspired by our roots.
The spa at the newly-opened Fairmont hotel near Mumbai's international airport boasts the Blu Xone, India's first luxury-integrated longevity hub. It offers everything from cryotherapy and red-light therapy to Ayurvedic rituals and immersive recovery suites, each experience tailored to not just soothe stress, but to nurture vitality as well. The spa itself is set out as a nod to the city's monsoon season with ripple designs on the ceilings, and raindrop-inspired art that glistens across corridors and treatment rooms.
This treatment helps deliver pure oxygen under pressure to accelerate tissue healing, promote recovery, and rejuvenate the skin, making it ideal for muscle recovery and revitalisation.
Founded by Mira Rajput Kapoor, this 6,000-square-foot wellness destination offers a quick escape from the bustle of the metropolis - a space designed to help city dwellers heal, recover, and rejuvenate without leaving Mumbai. With 13 treatment rooms, three private consultation suites, post-treatment recovery lounges, and thoughtfully-designed locker facilities, it is designed to be a sensory cocoon, with everything from grounding scents and soft textures to therapeutic lighting that mimics the circadian rhythm. You can also get Biologique Recherche facials, Japanese lymphatic massages, touch-led therapies such as the Ayurvedic Abhyangam, sound healing, and energy alignment to restore balance. Expect to find red-light therapy beds and infrared saunas.
Inspired by Mira's own pre-bridal rituals and perfect for brides-to-be, you're first exfoliated with a body scrub that she created - that features chironji seeds as a key ingredient. The 90-minute treatment promises to help promote lymphatic drainage, detoxify deeply, and gently exfoliate for a smoother, radiant glow. It is followed by a sculpting massage that nourishes and hydrates, leaving your skin soft, supple, and luminous.
The core focus of the spa at Andaz is chakra healing, harnessing the powerful elements of air, water and fire, as well as crystals, colour therapy, and apothecary. The spa customises unique blends based on your concerns to help you restore balance and activate your inner vitality.
This luxurious experience for lovers involves a signature massage, deep cleansing facial, and body exfoliation while focusing on your love chakras. Carefully-selected essential oils ensure a romantic experience.
Located at the foothills of Nandi Hills, the Ksema Spa is a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru. It features six treatment rooms, as well as a Turkish hammam, an open-air Jacuzzi, and sauna rooms. To alleviate stress, the spa also offers a range of movement classes such as tai chi, chakra healing, Ashtanga yoga and YinYoga. On the massages menu are prenatal and post-natal massages, Ayurvedic ones such as Abhyanga and Shirodhara, as well as the popular hot stone, deep tissue and lymphatic drainage therapies. A unique option is the So Somatic massage - a blend of Swedish and African spa techniques. If you're looking for something that can aid your digital detox, choose from a perfume-making workshop, sound healing, and a gua sha workshop too.
An ancient royal treatment that aims to rejuvenate the body, this involves entering a fragrant steam room to help open up the pores, followed by a deep exfoliation, and an invigorating scrub with a kessa (an exfoliating glove). You lie on a heated marble slab, which helps relieve stress and detoxify the body. Finally olive oil and foaming lather are applied, and a body massage is performed.
An appointment at Bamboo Luxury Spa offers an affordable yet impactful spa experience in Mumbai. With its nature-inspired interiors that blend bamboo accents, warm wood tones, and earthy textures, the spa captures the essence of biophilic design, a major global trend in wellness architecture. From the deeply-grounding Bamboo Ritual to the soul-stirring Kundalini Awakening, the spa's signature therapies go beyond easing muscle tension - they aim to restore balance to the body's energy pathways. You can indulge in Himalayan salt scrubs, crystal-infused facials, Tibetan ku nye massages, and nurturing prenatal treatments, each crafted to gently restore the body's natural rhythms.
Inspired by the solar plexus chakra, this treatment begins with a Himalayan crystal salt scrub to detox and stimulate the lymphatic system, followed by an energising massage using essential oils such as geranium, lemongrass, lavender, and patchouli.
The spa at The Lodhi works on the principle that everyone is unique. Here, traditional Indian therapies as well as modern rejuvenation treatments are offered with thoughtful amenities. You can also unwind at the hammam that is equipped with temperature-controlled chambers. If you're short on time, go for a quick foot massage or a head massage. If you're in the mood to indulge, get the hot stone massage, the sports massage, or the unique four-hand massage - where two therapists work simultaneously to ease out those knots and pains.
A combination of Asian-inspired techniques, this signature wellness experience starts with a holistic massage followed by a hot bundle poultice for the back and legs. The treatment promises to improve muscle endurance, relieve pain and aches, and increase body flexibility through stretching.
At JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort, Bengaluru
At the spa, treatments are broken down into four key benefits: Calm (centred around relaxing spa treatments such as the Sleep Deeply Massage, Swedish massage, and prenatal massage); Indulge (treatments range from the Stress Release Spa Treatment, and Stress Relief Massage to the Aroma Therapy Massage, Clear Your Mind Massage [a hot stone massage]); Invigorate (deep tissue massage or firm massage treatments such as the Hawaiian massage, traditional Balinese, and Abhyanga); and Renew (firm massages, deep tissue massages and sport massages as well as treatments for stress relief such as Intense Muscle Release, Traditional Balinese Massage, and Herbal Pouch [potli]). In addition, you can also get facials with Biologique Rechechere.
In this therapy crafted for those who live for the game, long, flowing strokes melt away every trace of muscle tension, while golf balls glide across your skin, serving as a grounding tool.