Getting rinsed: majority of spa hotels customer pay full price when there are discounts to be had, Which? finds

In a survey of over 1,700 people who have stayed at a UK spa hotel chain, the consumer champion found less than a third of people had booked with a discount despite offers - sometimes worth hundreds of pounds - often being available.

Which? found two thirds of customers (66%) paid full price by booking with the hotel directly, but customers could save hundreds of pounds by booking strategically and using trusted deal sites. 

At the Best Western Dartmouth Hotel and Spa, Which? got more than £300 off the price of staying for two nights, by skipping the package which included pricey extras like dinners and treatments, originally costing £544.97. Which? found that standard room rates already include free spa access, so customers could instead book a bed and breakfast rate for just £236.80 and still enjoy the spa facilities during their stay, making a 56 per cent saving. 

For something higher end, Which? found the cost of a two-night getaway for two at Raffles London at The OWO would set customers back a whopping £2,480 without afternoon tea or welcome drinks if you book directly. However, on deal site Luxury Escapes, a getaway on the same nights was not only discounted to £1,629, it also included breakfast, an afternoon-tea experience and champagne on arrival. This is a saving of £851 (34%).

At the Brend Saunton Sands spa hotel - a Which? recommended provider - a two night stay including breakfast and dinners would cost £642. But Which? found that one could book the same two-night stay on Travelzoo, with breakfast, dinner and a bottle of wine thrown in for £495, a saving of £147 (23%). Despite the discount and extra perks available, Which? found that an overwhelming majority of Brend guests paid full price (84%) according to the survey.

Another Which? Recommended Provider was Bespoke Hotels. Guests described their stays as ‘luxury at the right price’ and ‘better value for money than other spa hotels I have visited’. Bespoke also offers discounts of up to 25 per cent on their own website. 

Free hotel loyalty accounts can also lower rates at big chains. Hilton offers spa discounts on certain tiers, and Marriott Bonvoy allows ‘instant redemption’ on points towards spa bookings. An All Accor account offers 10% off, and brought the Raffles direct price down to £2,232. 

Another big saving that Which? found was with luxury health spa, Champneys. Customers could get 75 per cent off one to three-day breaks if they are also a Vitality Insurance customer: an overnight Original Spa Break in Tring on 19 December would cost £357.50, including meals and spa access. However, savvy savers using the Vitality customer discount would dramatically bring down the cost to £89.38, a difference of £268.12. As long as the Vitality plan is live and customers have completed their health review, the Champneys discount can be used straight away but must be booked four weeks in advance.

Despite the promise of large discounts, Which? warns that when it comes to deal sites, not all of them can be trusted. Before booking a package through one, check the cancellation policy as they can be overly restrictive. 

Which? advises skipping deal sites including Wowcher and Groupon. The consumer champion has previously investigated their seeming lack of transparency around unpredictable surcharges for extras that could leave customers worse off.

It is also worth checking if access to the spa facilities is actually included in the overall price. In the survey, 36 per cent of spa hotel visitors told Which? that they were charged extra - a significant dampener on a spa weekend.

For example, some Hilton hotels charge extra for the spa and pool, and it isn’t always obvious. Only on Cardiff Hilton’s spa page does it mention that guests are charged £5 a head for 90 minutes. In one example, the consumer champion found that Liverpool DoubleTree charges £25 an hour for spa usage.

At Celtic Collection hotels, spa and leisure access isn’t complimentary at all of its hotels despite its average room rate of £278 a night. At The Parkgate in Cardiff, spa facilities are between £30 and £43 per person, per visit. 

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: 

“A luxury spa break may seem like an expensive treat, but a little pampering doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. From fluffy white dressing gowns to indulgent facials, a relaxing festive escape could be more affordable than you think.

“We found that you could save hundreds of pounds by checking deal sites instead of booking directly but check the t&cs to make sure the facilities you want to use are included in the price. For the best value, book off-season and look for Sunday or midweek stays when rates are often lower.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Spa hotels with the biggest savings

Best Western Dartmouth: Two Night Spa Break includes breakfast, dinner, two 30 min or one 60 min spa treatment, and use of spa and leisure facilities. All stays based on check-in date of 19 December and check-out date of 21 December. Prices checked on 21 August 2026.

Brend Saunton Sands: Two night stay 15-17 November 2026 including breakfast, dinners and a bottle of wine. Prices checked on 22 August 2026.

Champneys Tring: Overnight Original Spa Break for one in Tring including meals and spa access, 19 December. Prices checked on 28 August 2026.

Raffles London at The OWO: Two night stay included breakfast, an afternoon-tea experience and champagne on arrival. Prices checked on 22 August 2026. Raffles was unable to match the discounted deal through its Price Match service. 

Table of results for best and worst spa hotel chains

Link back to the results.

Based on a July 2026 survey of 1,745 Which? Connect panel members and members of the public, covering 2,502 stays at UK spa hotel brands/chains in the past two years. Data is unweighted and may not be representative of UK spa hotel guests. Sample sizes in brackets. Which? Recommended Provider (WRP): based on customer score and other criteria. Average price mean lowest rate per double room per night based on three most visited locations for each calendar month. ‘–’ indicates insufficient pricing data to generate an average price. Customer score combines overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend. 

Hilton and Celtic Connection missed out on Which? Recommended Provider status because they charge extra for spa access in at least one of their properties. 

About Which? 

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.

Fiercely independent, we put people over profit - shining a light on unfair practices, influencing policy and holding businesses to account to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk