Industry expert Ruby Hammer MBE discusses a holistic approach to beauty and well-being
When I’m busy at work and at home, I can find it difficult to set aside ‘me’ time to focus on myself, so booking into a spa gives me undistracted time. Over the years I have visited numerous spas, both at home and abroad, with the majority focusing on relaxation and pampering. This year I opted for a luxurious escape that combines health and wellbeing on a deeper level with history and culture. The Palazzo Fiuggi spa is a stunning resort offering everything you could possibly want from a luxury retreat, from stunning architecture to world-class dining to a range of treatments and experiences designed to help you look and feel your best. Located 50 minutes outside of Rome, it fuses holistic therapies and western medicine in a 16th-century palace.
My stay included a series of diagnostic tests – an ECG and vascular ultrasound to determine my cardiovascular health, blood analysis and a full body scan, all under the supervision of the clinic’s expert medical team. The data is then used to tailor your program to you, focusing on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle alongside relaxing therapies to help you achieve long-term results.
Partaking in thalassotherapy and hydrotherapy, lymphatic drainage and aromatherapy massage, cryotherapy as well as skin-boosting facials I left the resort after seven days feeling completely rejuvenated.
In addition to the spa, the resort offers a range of activities and experiences designed to help you feel your best. You can start your day with a yoga class in the stunning courtyard, take a hike through the nearby hills, or join a cooking class to learn about traditional Italian cuisine.
Of course, no luxury resort would be complete without exquisite dining options, and Palazzo Fiuggi spa certainly doesn’t disappoint in this regard. The on-site restaurant serves up delicious dishes made with the freshest local ingredients all packed with immune-boosting nutrients.
A seven-day programme starts from £6,600, a significant investment, but the benefits are more than worth it.
Thalassotherapy
Palazzo Fiuggi owes its success to the unique properties of its water whose source lies in the region’s natural springs. Celebrated for its healing powers for over 600 years, Fiuggi water – ‘the water of wellbeing’ – is at the heart of many wellness programs. Not only is the water used as a detoxifier at the start of every program but it can also be found in the Thalasso pools.
Cryotherapy
A cutting-edge treatment, that utilises cold temperatures to promote healing and wellness. This innovative therapy involves exposing the body to extremely cold temperatures, typically between -100°C to -140°C, for a short period of time. The purported benefits include the release of endorphins, which can help to reduce pain and improve mood, as well as reduction in inflammation, improved circulation, and a boost to the immune system.
Fine Dining
Whilst you enjoy your own personalized menu, expertly designed and prepared to precisely match your nutritional requirements, you are invited to the Heinz Beck Cookery School where you’ll learn to pick and use fresh and nutritious ingredients to create nutritious, healthy and utterly delicious meals at home.
Ruby recommends…
MAGNETIC BRUSH SET DUO
Define, refine line, groom and blend. Containing both of the award-winning Magnetic Brush sets, combining six interchangeable magnetic brush heads designed to give you the control to perfect your makeup.
£45 at Ruby Hammer UK
