The 12 Best Summer Spa Resorts

Relax at a Southern spa where pampering is an art form.

Everyone needs a little pampering, and sometimes a manicure at the salon down the street just doesn't cut it. When you're really in need of some serious TLC, it's time for a spa day—or weekend getaway.

The Southern spa resorts on the following list offer fully immersive, totally indulgent experiences tailored to your needs and desires. Whether you're looking for luxurious, five-star surroundings (like a real castle in Kentucky), a fancy resort near the beach, or a spa day that's more in tune with nature, we have something for everyone. Each spa has loads of facial and body treatment options, plus other amenities like saunas, pools, nature trails, and hair salons.

Bring your partner, make it a girls' trip, or soak in all that serenity by yourself. Whatever you choose, you're guaranteed to leave the spa feeling like a brand new person.

How We Picked This List

This list was compiled by the writer and the editors of Southern Living. These unique spas include a wide range of treatment options, luxurious settings, and other special offerings and are located in cities and towns across the South.

Related: The South's Best Beach Resorts For A Relaxing Getaway

The Spa At The Omni Grove Park Inn

Asheville, North Carolina

The healing powers of water are central to The Spa at The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville’s century-old resort that has long welcomed distinguished guests—including 10 American Presidents, dating all the way back to William Howard Taft. The sprawling subterranean spa is home to two waterfall pools, a lap pool that plays calming music underwater, a eucalyptus-scented steam room, and an oversize hot tub with scenic views. (And don’t underestimate those vistas. They’re astounding.) The mountainside property is an area favorite and includes hiking trails, tennis courts, and a Donald Ross-designed golf course.

290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804; omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park

The Windsor Court Spa

New Orleans, Louisiana

The Windsor Court hotel, located in New Orleans’ Central Business District, is known for its fine attributes, one of which is having some of the most spacious rooms in town. Many people book here for that reason alone, while others come for the spa, which is as incredible as the rest of the New Orleans mainstay. Infused with a sense of old-world elegance, it celebrates the city’s past while also embracing the present. Services may include boutique products from brands like Augustinus Bader, Vintner’s Daughter, 111Skin, Diptyque, and Davines. Spa patrons can also enjoy the hotel’s saunas, steam rooms, and rooftop pool.

300 Gravier St, New Orleans, LA 70130; thewindsorcourt.com

Spa At Perry Cabin

St. Michaels, Maryland

Set within a grande dame hotel on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the spa at the Inn at Perry Cabin is as much of a draw as the property’s famous golf course and restaurant. The inn is known for being the backdrop of the cult-classic movie Wedding Crashers as well as for its reputation as a sophisticated escape within easy driving distance of the nation’s capital. The waterfront location has been welcoming visitors since the early 1800s—first as a private home and then through several gracious iterations of the hotel. The spa, which opened in 2007, offers natural experiences using botanicals grown on-site and on local farms to provide both a sense of place and purpose. It features seven treatment spaces plus a steam room and a seasonal outdoor pool, ensuring that you can find a moment of relaxation any time of the year.

308 Watkins Ln, St Michaels, MD 21663; innatperrycabin.com

Spa At Château Élan

Braselton, Georgia

A sanctuary in the North Georgia foothills that’s known for its vineyards and spa, Château Élan has a uniquely Southern take on a French-countryside estate. The winery makes several of its own varietals, a sip of which might be as exhale-inducing as a trip to the spa, where you won’t find any reds or whites on the menu but rather a full range of pedicure options, cupping treatments, Thai table massage, and custom facials. For an additional indulgence, Château Élan’s Spa Suites give you several luxurious variations on their traditional guest rooms, with added amenities including extra-plush bathrooms and elevated selections of toiletries. If you’re hungry, the spa has a snack-and-tea bar and its restaurant, Fleur de Lis, serves breakfast and lunch with lakefront views.

100 Rue Charlemagne Braselton, GA 30517; spa.chateauelan.com

Keswick Hall Spa

Keswick, Virginia

The Spa at Keswick Hall, a hotel just outside Charlottesville in Virginia’s wine region, was the last component of the resort to take shape—and it was worth the wait. The stand-alone facility has eight modern and airy treatment rooms plus a relaxation area with floor-to-ceiling windows providing beautiful wooded views, massages that utilize aromatic oils, warm herbal teas, and all-marble changing rooms. The Nurture with Nature Pedicure features botanical elements that moisturize and exfoliate. Guests can take a dip in an infinity pool, which is perched high on the property overlooking the golf course and is adjacent to Marigold by Jean-Georges (Keswick Hall’s Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant). Many of the menu items are made with local ingredients, and you can sit indoors or out. The fare changes seasonally, so each time you reserve a table at Marigold, you just might discover a new favorite dish to savor—whether that is the Honeynut Squash Potstickers or the Mushroom Bolognese.

701 Club Dr, Keswick, VA 22947; keswick.com

Calluna Spa at The Equestrian Hotel

Ocala, Florida

Horses and their devoted riders reign at this luxe spot at The Equestrian Hotel, which is located in the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. The Rider’s Recovery massage—perhaps one of the most unique and specific treatments you’ll find in the area—targets muscles that are tired and sore from time in the saddle. If you’d rather watch the World Equestrian Center’s events from the arena’s sidelines, there is a wide array of options for you too. After a day spent celebrating, cheering, and standing on your feet, request Calluna’s signature pedicure (which comes with your choice of a Champagne footbath or a vitamin C mask) or go all out with their Steamed Lavender Milk Pedicure.

8510 NW 17th Ln Suite# 200, Ocala, FL 34482; callunaspaocala.com

The Alluvian Spa

Greenwood, Mississippi

Rooted in the fertile Mississippi Delta, The Alluvian Spa has been able to win over guests who have a variety of interests and hobbies. Indeed, an entire section of their menu is dedicated to “Field & Stream,” which comprises options tailored to an outdoorsy clientele. These include everything from the Gentlemen’s Hot Towel Facial to the Sportsman’s Special. The latter is an indulgent two-and-a-half-hour combination of massage, facial, and nail care specifically designed with male skin and musculature in mind. Not to mention, all of The Alluvian’s services are accompanied by their signature sweet tea, which is in itself a refreshing reason to book an afternoon at the inviting Greenwood haven.

325D Howard St, Greenwood, MS 38930; thealluvian.com

The Kentucky Castle Spa

Versailles, Kentucky

You would be forgiven for any measure of surprise you might feel at finding a castle in Central Kentucky—in a town called Versailles, no less. But this gem, which is located right outside Lexington, has stood the test of time since its construction began more than five decades ago. This is a place that prides itself on being a well-kept secret where both overnight guests and day visitors can enjoy the amenities. It’s set within 110 acres of working farmland and embraces its bucolic locale: The on-site restaurant serves a variety of dishes that highlight ingredients produced on the grounds. To have a massage or facial in such an environment (a stately castle on a farm in the South) is a distinctive experience, and with this destination’s memorable mix of warm hospitality and European-style architecture, it’s hard to go wrong here.

230 Pisgah Pike, Versailles, KY 40383; thekentuckycastle.com

Life In Balance Spa

Austin, Texas

High in the Texas hills, the Life in Balance Spa at the Miraval Austin resort has a well-earned reputation as a place of holistic wellness and abundant natural beauty. You’re as likely to take a class on chicken keeping as you are to get a facial here, and that’s the point—to slow down and look inward as well as out. In addition to (or in place of) typical spa experiences, you can enjoy a guided mindfulness walk through the grounds’ labyrinth; receive treatments that utilize breath work, oils, and techniques inspired by Chinese medicine; or face internal fears in an obstacle course in the trees. Day packages provide access to the entire property, including the restaurant.

13500 Farm to Market Rd 2769, Austin, TX 78726; miravalresorts.com/austin

The Spa At The Grand Hotel

Point Clear, Alabama

Overlooking the Gulf inlet of Mobile Bay, the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa has been attracting visitors for more than 175 years. Over the decades, this place has welcomed its fair share of Presidents, celebrities, and dignitaries, and it even served as a hospital during the Civil War and a training-operations site during World War II. Today, things are a bit more low-key, and a major renovation has put this treasure back on the radars of both locals and out-of-towners. A significant amount of that refresh has been at The Spa, the Grand Hotel’s expansive space that includes an indoor pool, fitness center, whirlpool, dry sauna, and steam room, plus a menu of treatments and salon services. For those not staying the night, day passes for the spa are available from Monday through Thursday.

One Grand Blvd, Point Clear, AL 36564; grand1847.com

Copper Well Retreat

Little Rock, Arkansas

A destination day spa in Arkansas’ capital city, Copper Well takes a truly holistic approach to wellness. They aim to address a full range of internal and external health concerns by offering everything from bodywork and private yoga to classic facials and chakra body balancing. The customizable couples packages give guests the chance to unwind and rekindle their connections through sessions that blend traditional services like massage therapy with alternative and experimental ones such as tarot reading, chakra cleansing, and sound baths. Set on a picturesque 9-acre oasis and spread across four separate buildings, Copper Well is leading the way in outside-the-box spa concepts.

12418 Cantrell Rd, Little Rock, AR 72223; copperwellretreat.com

Spa Montage

Bluffton, South Carolina

Heralded for its exquisite location on the May River in South Carolina’s beautiful Lowcountry, Spa Montage incorporates elements of the landscape into its treatments. Found within the incredible Montage Palmetto Bluff resort, which includes a nature preserve and riverfront marina, the spa has a variety of options geared for men, women, and teens. The Carolina Kur Experience (a 120-minute pamper session that features exfoliation, a body wrap, a tub soak, and shea body butter) takes its cues from the rivers and tributaries of the surrounding region. While you’re there, check out their fitness classes and hair-care services.

477 Mt Pelia Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910; montage.com/palmettobluff/spa

Related: 17 Best All-Inclusive Resorts In Florida

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