Evian's Newest Spa Opened at the Source of Its Water in the French Alps — See Inside

Like many things in Évian-les-Bains, France, the spa at the Hôtel Royal revolves around water. 

It’s not surprising, really, considering the property sits in the shadow of the towering peaks of the French Alps, spitting distance from where water giant Evian sources the water for its bottles. So when the hotel — part of the larger Evian Resort — decided to revamp its spa, it made sense water would be at the forefront. 

“We now have a story to tell our guests, and feel part of a bigger family connected to the Evian brand,” Amanda Deloncle, the manager of the new Evian Spa, told Travel + Leisure. Deloncle, who has been with the resort for 23 years, said she hopes visitors appreciate “the personalized attention given to each guest.”

The new spa, which is the first Evian Spa in Europe, opened this spring as a more than 18,000-square-foot space with indoor and outdoor pools and an extensive hydrotherapy circuit complete with a snow room, sauna, steam room, and cold plunge, all inspired by the water cycle, of course. 

Evian water takes 15 years to travel through the Alps to the source, which travelers can visit and fill their bottles from in town. That journey is the first thing I saw when I entered the spa, ushered into a domed relaxation room as a film projected onto the ceiling played above me, showing water trickling down from snow-capped mountains to rock-strewn streams — like a relaxing adult-themed planetarium. I was then led into one of eight treatment rooms (two of which are for couples) where the sound of dripping water instantly relaxed me.

The spa offers a variety of treatments that draw inspiration from water, like the 100-minute Le Minéral massage, which uses talc, and the Visage Lumière facial, which left my face feeling hydrated and glowing. The spa also offers treatments for children, including a fairytale-themed facial set to music. Services use a combination of La Vallée skincare, Evian facial sprays, and kid-friendly Bonpoint products.

Guests of Hôtel Royal are welcome to use the hydrotherapy area of the spa for free throughout their stay. There's even a dedicated spa elevator, which stops on each floor, and it made traveling down in my robe even more luxurious.

While this is the first Evian Spa in Europe, it is not the first in the world. Currently, there are Evian-branded spas in Tokyo; Hanoi, Vietnam; Seoul; and Doha, Qatar. In addition to the new spa, Évian-les-Bains also boasts a separate Les Thermes D'evian facility, which is more focused on fitness and thermal-based medical treatments.

At Hôtel Royal, relaxation extends beyond the spa itself from the elaborate multi-course dinners at the Michelin-starred Les Fresques restaurant to the lavish room service breakfasts and even the mini Evian facial sprays in each room. And as I returned home, with a cache of travel-size hydrating facial sprays in hand, I couldn’t think of a more rejuvenating way to spend a few days in France.