5 Spectacular Spa Getaways That Won’t Break The Bank

Get ready for spring at these affordable wellness retreats.

by

Deborah Gaines

 
Published March 08, 2024

Let’s face it — it’s been a long winter. You need (and deserve) a little pampering, but how can you recharge your batteries without draining your bank account?

Luckily, there are spa vacations and wellness retreats to suit every interest at prices that fit every budget. Here are five that will restore your soul and go easy on your wallet.

RTJ Spa Trail

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Various locations, AL

The golfer in your life may already know about Alabama’s Robert Trent Johnson (RTJ) Golf Trail, a network of six resorts spanning the Yellowhammer State. But did you know that each of these facilities has its own full-service spa? Starting in the northwest corner on the banks of the Tennessee River and winding south to the turquoise waters of the Gulf Coast, the RTJ Spa Trail is a hedonist’s dream. Best of all, you can score a day pass for as little as $50 midweek to the Spa at Montgomery or the Spa at the Shoals, including robes and slippers, pool access, sauna, whirlpool, and more. Spa access is also complimentary with body treatments, which start at $135 for a 50-minute massage.

Saybrook Point Resort & Marina

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Old Saybrook, CT

Halfway between New York and Boston, the coastal town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, has a rich and colorful history. From a fur trading post to a college town (Yale University was founded here in 1701), the region has drawn visitors for hundreds of years. Located at the meeting point of the Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River, the Saybrook Point Resort & Marina is the perfect place for a rejuvenating getaway. And the price is right: midweek spa packages start at $209 per person for a full day of pampering, including a massage, pedicure, and access to the resort’s pool, sauna, and therapeutic whirlpool. For longer stays, there is a wide range of accommodations to choose from, including a romantic lighthouse, private villas, and two cottages that sleep up to 16 for a fantastic girls’ weekend.

Ojo Spa Resorts

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Santa Fe and Taos, NM

Two resorts in northern New Mexico offer an experience that’s unique to the region: a series of spring-fed thermal pools with relaxing and healing properties. Once sacred to the Pueblo peoples, Ojo Santa Fe is a 77-acre oasis in the La Cienega Valley featuring three thermal bathing spots and the area’s largest salt-water swimming pool. Ojo Caliente is smaller and more remote, with a mud pool “where you can slather your skin in a special clay blend that purifies your pores as you dry in the sun,” plus four natural hot springs containing healing minerals: iron, soda, arsenic, and lithia. Day passes to either resort cost $45 on weekdays and $65 on weekends and holidays, while overnight accommodations start at $229 for a vintage mini trailer that sleeps two at Ojo Caliente or $325 for a garden double at Ojo Santa Fe.

SoCal Wellness Retreats

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San Diego, CA

In true Southern California style, SoCal Wellness hosts laid-back retreats surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Their signature offering is the Four Day Digital Detox, which begins with unplugging your devices to literally change your life. Healthy meals, yoga, breathwork, and a supportive community of teachers and other participants can help you ditch the hamster wheel and discover what you really value. Attendees use words like “transformative,” “magical,” and “profound” to describe this “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. All-inclusive rates for the three-night retreat start at $800 for a shared casita.

The Retreat Ranch

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Marble Falls, TX

The Retreat Ranch promises “a luxury glamping experience focused on relaxation and connection,” and boy howdy, do they deliver! From yoga and meditation to hot tubs and horseback riding (hey, it’s Texas), this unique getaway on 46 acres in the hill country outside Austin is the perfect place to reclaim your peace of mind. All-inclusive, three-night stays start at $700 and feature delicious, healthful meals paired with local wines, yoga classes, sound baths, bonfires under the stars, and amenities like a wood-burning sauna, dipping pools, and a meditation labyrinth.

*Prices at time of publication. All rates and services are subject to change.

What's your favorite spa? Do you ever go on a spa getaway? Let us know in the comments below.

Deborah Gaines is a travel writer, poet, and essayist whose work has appeared in Tripadvisor, Huffington Post, and Grown & Flown. When not on the road, she lives in New Jersey with her rescue dog and two opinionated cats.