Sitting on the border of Switzerland and the Haute-Savoie, the tony French spa resort town Evian-les-Bains is renowned for its healing waters that lure health-conscious visitors from around the world. Founded in 1789, it became a noted spa town in 1824 when European aristocrats and dignitaries flocked here to recharge their batteries. Opened in 1909 as a spa retreat for European royalty and named in honor of King Edward VII of England, the Hôtel Royal is one of just 31 hotels across France to have received a "Distinction Palace" designation from the government.
Coupled with its Belle Époque grandeur and elevated views of Lake Geneva and mountain Château d'Oche in the Chablais Alps (which famously feature on Evian mineral water bottles), it's easy to see why "taking the waters" at the hotel's brand new evian SPA will easily be the highlight of any stay here.
The Healing Power of Water
Just opened after a meticulous year-long transformation, Deputy CEO of the Evian Resort, François Dussart, shared via a press release that the first evianSPA in Europe is a natural extension of Hôtel Royal's identity, building upon its legacy of excellence in hospitality and wellbeing. 'We entrusted the design of our wellness space to Patrick Saussay, Development Manager for the evianSPA brand. The concept is aligned with Hôtel Royal tradition, which approaches wellness as a whole, mirroring what our teams have been striving to convey to clients for over a hundred years.'
With just five iconic destinations worldwide, including the 5th floor of the Palace Hotel Tokyo, it made sense the latest concept spa from the luxury mineral water brand would land at Hôtel Royal. As with its other locations, water is central to wellbeing with treatments and rituals based on four pillars: CELESTIAL birth (the birth of water from the clouds, rain and snow), MINERAL infiltration (its natural infiltration into the mountains), PRECIOUS reserves (that it remains underground for 15 years to obtain its balanced composition) and VITALIZING spring (the place where water bursts forth).
Guests are enveloped in a sensory journey upon entering evianSPA with details – from a film that depicts the continual cycle of water and striking photographs of the Alpine landscape to soothing elemental sounds – evoking a sense of harmony with nature. The 18,000-square-foot sanctuary features six individual treatment rooms and two couples massage rooms. Within the space are indoor and outdoor pools, hot and cold plunge pools, a traditional sauna and steam room, and a snow room (chilled to a crisp 14 degrees Fahrenheit, it features actual snow flurries) for guests to relax or partake in wellness water rituals, including an outdoor hydrotherapy circuit.
Belle Époque Grandeur
Beyond the walls of the spa, the 47-acre private lakeside grounds of the Evian Resort imbue guests with a renewed sense of wellbeing. Holiday resort town Évian-les-Bains is an easy 15-minute walk down the hill, but a free funicular railway links the two between May and September. Another draw during summer months is La Grange au Lac, an intimate concert hall constructed entirely of wood that comes alive with performances by classically trained musicians.
It's worth noting there are two additional hotels on the Evian Resort grounds, including the family-friendly Hôtel Ermitage and 17th-century former farmhouse Hôtel La Verniaz, but each of the 150 rooms and 32 suites at Hôtel Royal enjoys views over Lake Geneva and surrounding parkland where guests will find tennis courts, padel (a tennis-like sport of Mexican origin), hiking and biking trails. At legendary golf course the Evian Resort Golf Club, mountain and Lake Geneva views wow players at every hole.
