A destination spa or health resort is a

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...

centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s or mineral springs. In the era before modern

biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

and pharmacotherapy, "taking the waters" was often believed to have great medicinal powers. Even without such mystic powers, the stress relief and health education of spas also often has some degree of positive effect on

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

. Destination spas offer day spa facilities, but what sets them apart is that they also offer hotel facilities so that people can stay multiple nights. Typically, over a seven-day stay, they provide a comprehensive program that includes spa services, physical fitness activities, wellness education, healthy cuisine, and special interest programming. A special subgroup are the medical spas who offer treatments that are paid back by the national health insurance program.

All-inclusive program

Some destination spas offer an all-inclusive program that includes facilitated fitness classes, healthy cuisine, educational classes and seminars, as well as similar to a

beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, and Day spa#Medical spa, medical spas. Beauty treatme ...

or a day spa. Guests reside and participate in the program at a destination spa instead of just visiting for a treatment or pure vacation. Some destination spas are in tropical locations or in

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

s. Destination spas have been in use for a considerable time, and some are no longer used but are rather preserved as elements of earlier history; for example, Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

is such a historically used spa whose peak patronage occurred in the late 19th and early 20th century. Resort spas are generally located in

s, and offer similar services via rooms with services, meals, body treatments, and fitness a la carte.

Types of medical services

Typical medical services offered at destination spas include: * Balneotherapy * Electrology * Facial *

Physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations, and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, modera ...

* Ionithermie *

Massage Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pa ...

* Manicure * Pedicure

Medical spas

Medical spas provide treatments and revalidation therapies paid back by the national health insurance, have to comply to the ISO 21426:2018 standard on tourism and related service requirements for medical spas and have a medical doctor on site who supervises all the treatments. The European Spas Association represents medical spas, health resorts, and regional spa associations in 19 European countries. It is common for elderly people to take every year a one-week treatment in medical public spas, which offer treatments for patients with syndrome diseases such as

fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a functional somatic syndrome with symptoms of widespread chronic pain, accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbance including awakening unrefreshed, and Cognitive deficit, cognitive symptoms. Other symptoms can include he ...

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

, rheumatism, and arthritis. Treatment is also offered in Ministry of Ayush hospital revalidation centers, in the Middle Eastern Hammam steam bath facilities, as well as Asian or "Traditional Chinese Hot Spring" centers, and Japanese shinrin-yoku centres.

External links

International Spa Association

The European Federation of Medical Spas

References

. {{Authority control Skin care Massage Resorts by type *Destination