It might not come as a surprise to learn I’m not really the spa-going type. Not because I fear wellness – I love running, hiking, and swimming.
I just tend to prefer being outside. But then, last year, I stayed at Forestis in the Dolomites – a minimalist Scandi-style retreat with a gorgeous spa that completely changed my mind. I swam inside and out, looking up at the peaks, and tried saunas of several different types. I plunged in ice-cold mountain streams, breathing the scent of clover and pine, and enjoyed the best massage of my life.
Before that memorable pummelling, I was served a stone carafe of the spa’s own stone pine cordial. It was pure, cool, and refreshing, and absolutely captured the sense of place. I resolved to make it my business to find out what other spa drinks would be trending in 2026.
Refreshments informed by the ancient Indian healing system of ayurveda are a big thing for this year.
At Eynsham Baths, the spa at Estelle Manor in the English Cotswolds, guests can choose from a range of bespoke ayurvedic teas hand-blended from homegrown herbs and specialist ingredients from India. They’re seasonal and matched to the treatment the guest is receiving, but a typical post-treatment tea might feature coriander, fennel, rose or vetiver, for cooling and hydrating.
Also on offer are elixirs and smoothies laced with adaptogenic ingredients including cordyceps, moringa, shatavari, and ashwagandha – plants favoured by many ancient schools of medicine for their potential mood-boosting and mind-balancing properties.
“We are seeing guests move away from champagne and alcohol towards drinks that help them feel better,” says the spa’s food and beverage manager Vipul Rana. “Our teas and elixirs are designed to aid the body and the moment – calm the nervous system, support digestion, balance hormones, and deeply hydrate – without stimulates, alcohol or additives.”
The drinks at the Amanbagh Spa in Rajasthan, also have ayurveda at their core; they’re considered “part of the overall wellness journey, rather than refreshments alone,” says spa manager Puneet Sharma.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with a seasonal traditional drink – it’s currently tamarind and jaggery, a time-honored preparation historically prized for its digestive, cleansing, and energising properties.
Following their treatment, guests are then offered a choice of infusions which includes moon tea, an esoteric tisane of lavender, brahmi (aka water hyssop), and ashwagandha that’s so-named because it’s traditionally prepared by moonlight, and known for promoting emotional balance, mental clarity, and calm.
“Today, guests coming to the spa are not only looking for relaxation. They want to feel better from inside, both physically and mentally,” says Dr Abby Krishnana, doctor of ayurveda at Six Senses Krabey Island in Cambodia. “Many guests ask about digestion, energy levels, hydration, immunity, joint pain, and overall balance. They are also interested in learning natural ways to take care of themselves, not just during the stay but also after they go home.”
Drinks have become “an important part of the spa experience,” says Krishnana. “Guests are no longer satisfied with sweet or decorative drinks. They are looking to support digestion, reduce fatigue, help with gut health, joint care, and general wellbeing. There is a clear shift towards functional and natural beverages.”
This spring, the Maybourne Riviera’s Surrenne spa is hosting a series of wellness retreats in collaboration with nutritionist and ‘Queen of the Reset,’ Rose Ferguson. Highlights from the tailormade drinks menu include ceremonial grade cacao by Maria Cacao and a liquid gold latte made with almond milk, turmeric, vanilla, ginger and energising MCT oil.
Guests can also pimp their smoothies or juices with a selection of nutrient ‘boosters’. Dirtea mushroom powders include performance-enhancing cordyceps and chaga, a powerful antioxidant. There’s also a choice of protein powders and the option of Willpowder’s Bovine Collagen, reputed to improve hair, skin, and nails.
Elsewhere, hotel spas are embracing CBD – at the Hotel Café Royal in London you can rehydrate with InTune’s all-natural sodas (my favourite is the grapefruit and mint) while at Gleneagles in Scotland they serve an array of adaptogenic drinks including Trip CBD.
At the barefoot eco-retreat Buahan by Banyan Tree, in Bali, the spa drinks draw heavily on local plants. The welcome drink is a Secang Wood & Lemongrass Tea, a herbal infusion rooted in Indonesian tradition, that’s known for its calming and grounding properties.
Other refreshments on offer include Jamu Kunyit, a turmeric-based Indonesian wellness drink known for its anti-inflammatory and immunity-supporting benefits, and Loloh Cem-Cem, a traditional Balinese herbal beverage made from cem-cem leaves, that offers a refreshing, slightly sweet-and-sour profile associated with digestion and vitality.
Hippocratic medicine informs the spa drinks list at the Four Seasons in Athens; a speciality there is ‘Greek mountain tea’ or sideritis, which is made from ironwort, a flowering plant traditionally prized for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-supporting properties.
At the Tribe Hotel in Kenya, meanwhile, they serve a range of artisan, African infusions including the Kenyan speciality ‘purple tea’, a high-altitude strain that’s rich in a super-antioxidant called anthocyanin (also found in blueberries) which gives the tea its vibrant color.
At The Rooster wellness retreat in Antiparos, Greece, they take tea service to the next level, with a tea ceremony that riffs on the elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space.
“This meditative session explores the inner experiences of emptiness, fullness, and simplicity while enjoying the healing qualities of tea. Cha means ‘tea’ and Dao means ‘the way,’ emphasizing balance, mindfulness, and harmony with nature,” explains the blurb.
The organic tea is a blend of cannabis leaves, green tea, hibiscus, elderberry, sunflower, and vanilla. It’s served at the end of a CBD body treatment as part of a ‘restorative window-down ritual’.
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That’s all well and good – but there are still plenty of people who like to wind down with a glass of fizz, says Katy Brandwood, spa manager at The Newt in Somerset. “They definitely still drink the champagne – we serve more alcoholic drinks than anything else. Wellbeing is certainly evolving and people are more conscious of their choices, but who can resist a glass of chilled Sprankel whilst enjoying the bubbles of the hydrotherapy pool?” I love tea as much as the next man – but that’s what I call a mood-boost.
