Italy was named the world’s best spa destination for 2026 at the World Spa Awards, with several Italian resorts also taking home major international titles at the annual awards.
The 12th edition of the World Spa Awards recognised spas, wellness retreats, brands and experiences across the global wellness industry. Italy emerged as one of the main winners, beating destinations including Australia, Hawaii, the Maldives and Japan to take the World’s Best Spa Destination award.
Italian properties also performed strongly in the individual categories. Palazzo Fiuggi, in the historic spa town of Fiuggi, was named the World’s Best Wellness Retreat.
The retreat has built its approach around what it calls the “Fiuggi method”, combining the natural mineral waters of the area with medical and holistic treatments. Its programme is organised around four themes: purify, nourish, energise and connect.
Palazzo Fiuggi combines traditional Western medicine with long-established holistic practices. Guests begin their stay with an evaluation and diagnostic consultation involving doctors, scientists and other specialists. The information is then used to develop a personalised wellness programme.
Another Italian property, Lefay SPA World at Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti, received the World’s Best Resort Spa award. Set in the Dolomites, the spa covers more than 5,000 square metres and combines Eastern and Western wellness traditions.
Its treatment programme includes lymphatic drainage, detoxifying massages, cupping and mud therapies. The spa is designed as a large wellness environment rather than simply a collection of treatment rooms, with the surrounding Dolomite landscape forming part of the experience.
Italy also claimed the award for World’s Best Thermal Grotto Spa, with Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort in Tuscany taking the title.
The resort is built around a natural cave that extends for more than 200 metres beneath the property. The cave is described by the resort as Europe’s largest natural thermal grotto, with temperatures inside ranging from 28C to 34C.
Visitors can experience steam baths within the grotto and take part in treatments and activities designed around the thermal environment. The resort also offers “pil-oga”, a combination of Pilates and yoga, as well as scuba diving in the cave’s thermal waters.
Italy’s success was part of a wider showing by European destinations at the 2026 World Spa Awards. Switzerland was named the World’s Best Wellness Destination, while Austria’s Geinberg5 Villas won the World’s Best Private Spa category.
France also collected a major award, with Spa L’Occitane en Provence at Le Couvent des Minimes named the World’s Best Eco Spa. In Portugal, Vila Vita Spa by Sisley at Vila Vita Parc received the World’s Best Spa Service Excellence award.
Air France by Sisley was recognised as the World’s Best Airline Lounge Spa. Located at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the facility provides spa treatments and relaxation services for passengers travelling in Air France La Premiere.
The European winners also included Six Senses in London, which was named the World’s Best New Wellness Retreat, while Guerlain Spa at One&Only Aesthesis in Greece received the World’s Best City Resort Spa award.
Spain’s SHA Spain was recognised as the World’s Best Wellness Clinic, adding another European destination to a list that was heavily represented by properties and wellness brands from across the region.
The results show how broad the modern spa industry has become. The winning properties range from thermal caves and destination resorts to airport lounges, private villas, wellness clinics and retreats that combine medical services with traditional treatments. For Italy in particular, the 2026 awards put its historic thermal traditions and newer luxury wellness concepts at the centre of the international spa market.
