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Men love the spa, as much as the next guy.  Perhaps it dates back to all those sexy Romans, but whatever the reason, we can confirm the lust for men’s pampering means they now make up 49 percent (yep, half) of all global spa-goers according to the International Spa Association (ISPA). So where are they all heading and what’s on their must-have treatment list? Discover our guide to the best destination and resort spas for men to find out.

Golden Door, Southern California

Spa Vibe: Retreat-style. Tranquil. Life-changing. Set on 600 acres (including 30 miles of hiking trails) in San Marcos, California,  Golden Door is a soothing Japanese-inspired sanctuary set among oak trees, organic gardens, and citrus groves where the focus is on the transformation of mind, body, and spirit.

Treatment Menu for Men: The Golden Door has become famous for its popular – and perpetually sold out – “Men’s Weeks,” when 40 healthy, wealthy, and wellness-wise men come together to commune in nature (hike), shape up (one-on-one personal training), eat well (farm to table) and balance mind, body, spirit (spa treatments). The weeks are held six times throughout the year with lifelong friendships formed as they undergo restorative treatments like deep tissue massage, Thai massage, and Watsu (water therapy).

The Stay: Each guest stays in an ultra-private ryokan-style room with a sliding door leading to its own patio. And there’s no need to pack, the spa provides men with a complete wardrobe (T-shirts, shorts, sweats, jacket, sandals, and Japanese-style robe for dinner and lounging) along with signature Golden Door skincare products like its cult favorites Hinoki Pacific Salt Scrub (Shop here) and Face Oil with essential oils (Shop here).

Adler Thermae Spa, Tuscany

The Vibe:  Chic. Modern. Natural Healing Waters. Set in Tuscany’s idyllic Val d’Orcia countryside, amid sprawling vineyards and olive groves, Adler Thermae is just a short walk from the Unesco World Heritage site, Bagno Vignoni. While the village is rooted in history and awash with mineral-rich hot spring waters, this secluded hotel is undeniably sleek and modern. Expect to be greeted by impossibly chic men and women relaxing about in plush white robes eating fresh fruit and sipping sparkling thermal water. Unlike the region’s more traditional spa towns (Saturnia, Chianciano Terme), the crowd at Adler Thermae Spa and Wellness Resort is young and hip and the male to female ratio is solid.

Treatment Menu: Hydrotherapy is the most popular pastime here, guests literally spend their days in the aqua circuit moving from thermal pools to salt caves to the olive-wood and Finnish saunas; before chilling out in the glass relaxation room on a warm floatation bed. One of the spa’s most popular treatments for guys is “The Adler Rasage with Warm Towels,” which includes a relaxing shave and ‘face-lift’ massage. There’s also an exclusive “For Man Program” combining an energy facial, tension relief massage, water massage, and the signature Adler Tuscany (customized) massage.

The Stay: Adler Thermae sits on the source of the region’s hot springs, filling its indoor and outdoor pools with mineral-rich waters. Guest rooms are light, spacious with earthy neutral tones, natural timber, and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over rolling hills and Cyprus trees.  Included in your package all meals and aqua circuit access. The cuisine delightfully combines classic homemade Italian homemade pasta and bread with local and organic veggies and herbs. A fave here: plump ripe tomatoes and basil drizzled with local olive oil, aged sheep’s milk cheese, and yes even a delicious vino.

The Lodge at Woodloch, Pennsylvania

Spa Vibe: Retreat-style. Rustic. Nature. New Yorkers in need of ‘mountain-man’ adventure in the woods with inbuilt pampering head to The Lodge at Woodloch, in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Set on 150-acres, this easy escape from the city is home to some of the region’s most rejuvenating natural resources – towering oaks, maples, and a 150-acre lake. Guys can get their outdoor fix with archery, golfing, kayaking and fly fishing, and snow-shoeing in the winter months. The vibe is rustic, but The Lodge is impressive as is its water circuit featuring an outdoor infinity-edge hot tub and indoor hydromassage waterfall and pool.

Treatment Menu: Popular among dudes is the deep tissue massage, gentleman’s facial customized to skin type, and routine power napping. If major stress relief is in order, try “Float Therapy,” a salt-fuelled hydrotherapy experience that makes you float, induces a meditative state, relieves muscular tension, joint inflammation, and will help you sleep like a baby.

The Stay: Be the king of the mountain by booking the lodge’s one-bedroom veranda suite featuring a king-size bed, pillow menu, two private verandas (overlooking the lake or waterfalls), living room, and two marble baths. Including in your spa package are all meals and fear not, while they might be health-focused, there’s no calorie counting here.

The Spa at Carillon, Miami Beach

The Vibe: Beachy. Grand. Luxe. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, The Spa at Carillon, a grand, multi-story luxury hotel spa on Miami Beach is a health and wellness powerhouse. Despite being South Florida’s largest spa the vibe is warm, and persona, the interiors are a serene shade of blue and the soft lighting, Italian glass mosaic tile, and stone floorings evoke tranquility. The treatment menu encompasses everything from European-style hydrotherapy to western/eastern therapies, alternative/aesthetic medicine, and nutrition and relationship/intimacy therapies. Even the fitness center –with its breathtaking ocean views – will inspire you to get physical, as will the 40 plus daily fitness and yoga classes.

Treatment Menu: The list is extensive but of the most intriguing: touchless experiences such as the ‘Breathe + Detox Suite Halo Infrared Therapy,” combining halotherapy (salt therapy) and infrared sauna to naturally improve respiratory health, boost the immune system, and destress. And the “No Sweat Workout,” a 30-minute treatment that exercises cells in the body through sonic vibration which is the equivalent to a full hour of cardio exercise.

The Stay: The one and two-bedroom apartment-style rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows (go for the ocean view), a living room, fully equipped kitchen, and spa-like bath (well, naturally).

Spa Village Pangkor Laut, Malaysia

The Vibe: Exotic. Authentic. Eastern. This far-flung spa is actually a village built on its own private island, set along the Straits of Malacca, Malaysia Spa Village Pangkor Laut combines some of the oldest healing traditions in the eastern world: Malay, Chinese, and Ayurveda. Guests consult with a Chinese herbalist, Malay specialist, and Ayurvedic physician who ‘reads the body’s health’ then prescribes a personalized dietary, physical-fitness, and spa regimen based on the diagnosis.

Treatment Menu: Winner of The Asia Spa Award for Men’s Treatment of the year, Bukit Gantang Warrior Treatment is inspired by ancient Malay wedding ceremonies, where the couple is holistically joined by mind, body, spirit. The three-hour treatment begins with a deep-tissue massage and is followed by a hair wash, herbal body scrub using galangal and ground turmeric, herbal bath infused with lime and fenugreek, and steam bath designed to lift the spirit into complete relaxation. The blissed-out experience concludes with a herbal roots tonic, a concoction brewed in an earthen pot with pure jungle honey, that is renowned for its anti-aging properties.

The Stay: Book one of the dreamy spa villas – a bungalow built on stilts over the sea- to enjoy divine views of the straits of Malacca from your oversized balcony.

Feature image courtesy of Unsplash