Wellness and Fitness Escape at a 1,000 sqm Spa resort in Puglia, Italy

Spa Monasterii sits inside a resort and runs to 1,000 square metres across treatment rooms, beauty suites, wet areas and pools. The indoor section has two pools: one is heated to a high temperature with a high salt concentration, which is the one the resort flags for its detoxifying effects. Around it are a Finnish sauna, a bio-sauna, a Hammam (Turkish steam bath), a Kneipp path — the walk-through hot-and-cold water circuit — a whirlpool and multisensory experience showers. Outside, three open-air pools are set among gardens, and there's a fully equipped gym on site for guests who want to train during their stay.

The treatment menu is broad rather than niche. It covers slimming, detox and anti-aging programmes, professional massages, facials, beauty services, thalassotherapy journeys and holistic rituals. Yoga classes are part of the wellness programme and are designed to work on balance of body and mind. If you want a specific programme — a multi-day detox, say, or a series of anti-aging treatments — you arrange that with the spa rather than following a fixed retreat timetable.

The redesign, led by architect Ilaria Pianigiani, is worth mentioning because it shapes how the place feels. Floors are travertine. There are oak wood screens and wall panels. The armchairs, curtains, rugs and decorative panels are covered in ancient-weave cotton from Le Costantine, a historic Salento foundation that keeps traditional textile craft alive and supports women's work. The original wrought-iron light fixtures were kept and reworked with new velvets and colours in collaboration with Luci di Seta. Gervasoni side tables were reworked with glass and oak inserts inspired by traditional latticework, and now act as display pieces. Lounge chairs in the spa suite and the herbal tea room were custom-designed and upholstered in Le Costantine fabric.

The spa is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00. Booking and information are handled directly, and a price list is available on site — treatment prices aren't published on the page, so you'll need to ask when you book. There's also a herbal tea room for between treatments, and the whole space is laid out so you can move from pool to sauna to treatment room without leaving the building.

Because this is a hotel spa within a resort, what you actually do day to day is up to you. A typical day might be a morning gym session, a couple of hours working through the indoor pools and saunas, lunch, an afternoon massage or facial, then the outdoor pools before dinner. Guests who want structure can book yoga classes and multi-session treatment programmes. It suits people who want the facilities and the treatment menu without being tied to a group schedule.

What's included

- Use of the 1,000 sqm spa facilities - Two indoor pools, including the high-salt detox pool - Finnish sauna and bio-sauna - Hammam and Kneipp path - Whirlpool and multisensory experience showers - Three outdoor pools set in gardens - Fully equipped gym - Access to yoga classes as part of the wellness programme

What's not included

- Flights and travel to Puglia - Airport transfers - Accommodation unless booked as part of your resort stay - Individual spa treatments and massages - Facials and beauty services - Thalassotherapy journeys and holistic rituals - Meals and drinks unless included in your resort package - Travel insurance