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Becca Hensley

What’s this place, then? Nirvana for those in need of a bit of vinotherapy.
Vinotherapy? IS THAT SOME SORT OF HAPPY HOUR? No, that’s spa talk for treat­ments that involve wine. You won’t have to wait ’til five o’clock to indulge at Santuario, a subter­ra­nean spa in Spain’s Duero Valley. An hour’s drive from Valladolid, surrounded by vineyards and housed in a 12th-century, fully restored monastery, Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine is Spain’s first Relais & Châteaux hotel.





The spa, which opened last summer, is inside what were the monks’ stables. The 10,000 sq ft retreat is set apart by its “spa sommelier” programme, a pre-treatment wine tasting (and essential-oil sniff test) that allows the therapists to fine-tune your spa adventure. Among the more unusual treatments are the Cryo Jetlag Reviver and Cryo Time Freeze, which employ cold temperatures to encourage rejuvenation.

Do tell us more. A sleek, modern spa set amid the old-world gravitas of the Romanesque and Baroque abbey, the contrast could not be more pronounced. The airy rooms, awash in light, seem poised between the past and the present like magical portals.

SO MONKS LIVED HERE? That’s right. But don’t worry; the monastery’s austere days are long gone. The opulently appointed guest rooms and common areas are filled with rich fabrics, period antiques and priceless art, yet the tranquillity and sense of history remain. Sip a few of the estate’s vintages and you’ll thank those monks of yore for all the hours they spent tending the vines.


WHAT’S THERE TO EAT? Old melds with new in the cuisine, too. A nine-course set menu brings forth farm-to-fork Spanish cuisine in the aptly named Refectorio, a Michelin-starred restaurant set in the monks’ old dining hall. With hi-tech flourishes, Refectorio celebrates tradition by serving local ingredients, many sourced from its own gardens. At Vinoteca, a more casual eatery, you can order traditional tapas and from a wellness menu designed for those on a detox holiday.

AFTER ALL THE WINE, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO? Take a field trip to regal Valladolid, once the stronghold of Spanish kings, or stately Segovia, home to a Roman aqueduct. Let the hotel pack you a picnic to take to the countryside, with castles, vineyards, wildflower-flecked meadows and orchards as your choice of backdrop. To further channel the past, sign up for falconry lessons.

WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE? Room rates start at €430 (HK$3,700) a night. For more information, visit ledomaine.es.



At Spanish monastery-turned-spa, they treat you with wine (and you can drink it too)

Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, Spain.

This handout image shows Spa treatment room, Santuario LeDomaine, Spain. Photo / HANDOUT [24JULY2016 POST MAGAZINE HOT SPOT]

This handout image shows Spa relaxation area at Santuario LeDomaine, Spain. Photo / HANDOUT [24JULY2016 POST MAGAZINE HOT SPOT]

This handout image shows Spa Sommelier, Santuario LeDomaine, Spain. Photo / HANDOUT [24JULY2016 POST MAGAZINE HOT SPOT]

This handout image shows Refectorio Restaurant at Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, Spain. Photo / HANDOUT [24JULY2016 POST MAGAZINE HOT SPOT]

This handout image show one-Bedroom Suite at Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, Spain. [POST MAGAZINE HOT SPOT] Photo / HANDOUT

This handout image shows Spa foyer at Santuario LeDomaine, Spain. Photo / HANDOUT [24JULY2016 POST MAGAZINE HOT SPOT]

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Why wait till five o’clock? It’s always happy hour at Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, whose Santuario spa specialises in vinotherapy – treatments that include wine


At Spanish monastery-turned-spa, they treat you with wine (and you can drink it too)

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Why wait till five o’clock? It’s always happy hour at Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, whose Santuario spa specialises in vinotherapy – treatments that include wine

Why wait till five o’clock? It’s always happy hour at Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, whose Santuario spa specialises in vinotherapy – treatments that include wine