Escaping to a rooftop allows you to leave the crowds and stresses behind as you enjoy a great open space and views to match. While rooftop bars are popular for socialising in the summer, there's no better way to relax than with a massage or soak in a hot tub at a rooftop spa.
SEE ALSO: Britain's hottest rooftop pools
SEE ALSO: Amazing hotel hot tubs
We've picked some of the highest spas around the world, which include the UK's first-ever rooftop spa garden made for lovers of nature, a steaming hot series of pools with panoramic views of the snowy mountains in Aspen and a beautiful collection of cabanas on a rooftop terrace in Cadiz that offers alfresco massages and uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Whether you're looking to get away from it all on a far-flung spa escape, or enjoy a day to yourself or mini-break closer to home, these rooftops offer a unique spa experience....
- Famous for its naturally warm mineral-rich thermal waters and the glorious views of Bath Abbey and the skyline from its six storey-rooftop pool, Thermae Bath Spa is the ultimate place to unwind on a rooftop in the UK. Spa visitors can experience the iconic rooftop pool by day or night. A Twilight package allows you to observe the changing colours of the sky while you relax in the warm waters of the rooftop pool as evening falls and includes a meal in the restaurant. The package costs £47. Standard entry for the rooftop pool starts from £35.
- Offering a contemporary take on an art deco building, COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach is a cool wellness hotel, located in the heart of the Miami Beach historic district. The stunning rooftop spa experience, with its expansive beach views from the beautiful hydro-therapy pool, also offers a gym and yoga terrace. The hotel overlooks its own private patch on iconic South Miami Beach, making the rooftop the ultimate spot for beachside relaxation. Health and Fitness Travel offers seven-night holidays at COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach from £2,400 per person including flights.
Set among 35,000 square metres of tropical gardens in the exclusive Novo Sancti Petri area of Costa de la Luz, Royal Hideaway Sancti Petri is home to the largest spa in Andalucía, featuring a Sky Wellness Terrace where guests can experience an outdoor rooftop space with an alfresco massage and treatment centre offering uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean. The terrace has four private cabins which are available for relaxation and spa treatments. Rates at Royal Hideaway Sancti Petri start from €144 (£128) per room, per night.
- Residences at The Little Nell’s rooftop pool and water garden is both aesthetic and functional. With its amazing 360-degree panoramic views of Aspen and the surrounding mountains, this elevated space with pools and hot tubs provides both privacy and a spectacular space to unwind as you soak up the setting. It was designed with curving stone walls and multiple seating areas, featuring a garden that feeds bees and butterflies, as well as trees that act as oxygenators. Rates at Residences at The Little Nell start from $360 (£274) per night.
Rudding Park boasts the UK’s first combined rooftop spa and garden. The Roof Top Spa Garden was designed by renowned horticulturalist Matthew Wilson and allows guests to enjoy the south-facing Sun Deck, warm open-air Spa Bath and Garden Sauna Cabin among swathes of ornamental grasses, flowering dogwood and mature trees. A spa for nature lovers, there is a Hydrotherapy Infinity Pool overlooking the landscaped gardens and wonderful spaces including the Herbal Bath Steam Room emitting lavender and euka-menthol, heated Evo loungers and a panoramic sauna infused with birch blossom in spring and rose petal in summer. Spa breaks start from £177 per person, per night.
- If you like your spa with 360-degree views of sparkling blue sea and white sands, then ME Ibiza's Skin Inc Spa is the place for you. This rooftop spa offers revitalising treatments against the spectacular seafront, along with a VIP infinity pool and Balinese beds for true relaxation. Skin Inc Spa guests can enjoy a heavenly escape thanks to cutting-edge technology and contemporary treatments from Japan, with an extensive range of massages, facials and beauty rituals on offer. Rooms start from €310 (£277) per night.
- Located in one of Europe's most stylish cities, Kameha Grand Zurich Hotel is home to a peaceful rooftop sanctuary that provides lavish treatments and therapies in a gorgeous setting overlooking Zurich. The Spa invites guests to relax in four treatment rooms, saunas and steam rooms, before soaking up the serenity on the relaxation beds in the Spa Lounge. A Detox Yoga Experience takes place on the roof terrace for those who like to make the most of this unforgettable wellness setting. Rooms start from £127 per night and spa treatments are available from £16.
Home to a tenth floor rooftop spa overlooking Miami’s South Beach, The Confidante Miami Beach is a wonderful place to while away the hours. The open-air spa and salon and two outdoor heated swimming pools make the Miami hotel a favourite for travellers seeking a beachside spa break. Treatments, which take place in air-conditioned cabanas on the rooftop, include hot stone massages, deep detox therapies and an extensive selection of enhancements, rituals and quick fixes. Rooftop yoga classes are led by celebrity training duo V Art of Wellness. Double rooms at The Confidante start at $149 (£117) per night.
- Set on a headland overlooking Saundersfoot Harbour with spectacular elevated views of Carmarthen Bay, St Brides Spa Hotel boasts the only infinity edge pool in the UK with a sea view at its rooftop spa. The outdoor pool is heated to body temperature for the perfect year-round retreat and when the tide is in, it blends seamlessly with the ocean. The adjacent thermal suite offers a unique marine spa experience, with its double treatment room and wet relaxation lounge that feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking Carmarthen Bay. Rooms start from £170 per night.