A proper couples spa getaway needs more than a hotel with a pool and a treatment menu. You want somewhere that pulls you out of routine, gives you facilities worth lingering in, and leaves you both feeling like the trip was money well spent. The Lake District has a handful of spa resorts that deliver exactly that, each with a distinct character and features you genuinely cannot get elsewhere in the region.
Here are four properties that stand out for couples looking for more than a standard spa break.
Swan Hotel Spa, Newby Bridge
Swan Hotel Spa sits on the River Leven at the southern tip of Lake Windermere. The spa, branded as Holte Spa, features a swim-through hydrotherapy pool connecting indoors to an outdoor section. The water is naturally filtered with minimal chlorine, which makes a noticeable difference during a long soak.
Five thermal experiences include an outdoor Finnish sauna with River Leven views, an indoor Finnish sauna, a 100% humidity steam room, a cold plunge pool for contrast therapy, and experience showers with tropical rain, monsoon, and cold waterfall settings. The outdoor Finnish sauna is a standout feature, putting you in an authentic Scandinavian wellness setting with English countryside all around you. There is also a 12-seater jacuzzi with massage jets.
Day pass pricing starts at Twilight Session (£35) for a weekday slot (Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 8pm), which includes two hours of thermal access and a drink. The Thermal Access and Afternoon Tea package at £65 is consistently praised in reviews as strong value, giving you two hours of facilities plus full afternoon tea. For a bigger occasion, the Champagne and Truffle Spa Day (£150) includes a 60-minute Temple Spa Superluxe Truffle Facial and champagne afternoon tea with chocolate truffles.
Spa access is complimentary for guests in Splendid rooms and above. Standard room guests need to book a day pass separately. The spa runs from 10am to 8pm daily and is 18+ (16 to 17 year olds can visit with a parent or guardian). Book your spa slot at the same time as your room as the spa frequently reaches capacity at weekends.
Netherwood Hotel, Grange-over-Sands
Netherwood Hotel takes a different approach. This Grade II listed Victorian mansion overlooks Morecambe Bay and skips the conventional swimming pool entirely. Instead, the signature feature is a plunge tub room with hot, warm, and cold hydrotherapy circuits designed for therapeutic muscle relaxation and improved circulation.
The contrast therapy technique draws on traditional Scandinavian bathing rituals. Combined with a salt inhalation room for respiratory health, a dry heat sauna, an aromatherapy steam room with lemongrass and citrus, an ice fountain, and a thermal shower with massaging jets, the spa offers a genuine wellness experience rather than just a place to float.
For couples, the Couples Unwind Package costs £80 for two and includes 90 minutes of thermal journey access, a 25-minute treatment per person, prosecco each, and scones with jam and cream. Individual Thermal Journey (60 minutes) sessions start at just £20, making Netherwood one of the most affordable spa day options in the Lake District. The full 2.5-hour Thermal Journey is £40.
One thing to know: all guests, including hotel residents, pay separately for Thermal Journey access. The spa runs daily from 10am to 5:30pm with treatments available until 6pm. The spa is exclusively 18+ throughout. Robes, towels, and slippers are included with every session.
Grange-over-Sands sits at the southern edge of the national park. The railway station is directly opposite the hotel, which makes it one of the few Lake District spas reachable without a car.
Brimstone Spa, Great Langdale
Brimstone Spa is the one to book if you want total immersion. The centrepiece is a 9-metre swim-through pool that connects indoor and outdoor sections, so you can drift from warm interior water straight out into the open air with the Langdale Pikes rising ahead of you.
Five thermal experiences run alongside the pool: a Finnish sauna, laconium for gentle dry heat, an aromatic steam room infused with essential oils, an ice room for contrast therapy, and multi-sensory experience showers. The spa uses exclusive Pure Alchemy products developed from Lake District natural elements, which gives treatments here a sense of place you do not get with generic product lines.
For couples, the Spa Senses Signature Rituals run 100 minutes and cost £595 for two. These include a full-body exfoliation, private steam room session, wrap with scalp therapy, and your choice of facial or massage. The signature Fellwalker treatment (£125, 50 minutes) targets feet, back, and legs after a morning on the fells.
Spa access is complimentary for all hotel guests with no time restrictions or booking slots. Brimstone is adults only throughout and does not offer day passes, so the spa stays quiet. The B5343 from Ambleside takes about 15 minutes into the Langdale valley.
Whitewater Hotel, Backbarrow
Whitewater Hotel is a mile south of Lake Windermere in Backbarrow's Lakeland Village, directly on the banks of the River Leven. The Cascades spa here has the Lake District's first Rasul Mud Temple, an Arabian steam room experience you cannot find at any other property in the region.
The Rasul involves applying different mineral-rich muds to specific areas of the body, then entering the steam chamber where heat and steam work with the muds to draw out impurities. The treatment takes 45 minutes and guests regularly describe feeling completely revitalised afterwards with noticeably softer skin.
For couples, the Couples Retreat day pass costs £110 for two (£110 per person) and includes the Rasul Mud Temple, 30-minute Elemis back massage each, afternoon tea, and four hours of spa facilities access. That covers the heated indoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi overlooking River Leven, Turkish Hamam aromatherapy steam room, traditional sauna, and multi-sensory feature shower.
Budget-conscious couples can start with the Luxurious Spa With Afternoon Tea package at £60 per person, which includes a 30-minute treatment, afternoon tea, and four hours of spa access. The Weekday Escape at £90 (Monday to Friday) adds a second treatment plus your choice of afternoon tea or light lunch.
All spa facilities are adults only (18+). Hotel guests get complimentary Cascades access with a 10% discount on treatments. Robes and towels are provided.
Picking the Right One
Each of these four properties gives you something the others do not. Brimstone is the choice for fell-side seclusion and unlimited spa access with no clock ticking. Swan Hotel gives you river views, outdoor sauna, and a wide range of day pass options at different price points. Whitewater offers the only Rasul Mud Temple in the Lake District and strong couples packages. Netherwood trades pools for therapeutic hydrotherapy circuits at prices that start lower than anywhere else in the region.
Check the couples spa Lake District page for more options across all properties.
