Spa Lausanne - Cinq Mōndes Spa | The Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel

We aren’t sure about your holidays, but we were teetering between relaxation and complete burn-out status during the entire month of December. Do you ever feel like that? Like you need a vacation from your vacation? And now we find ourselves settling into the new year, regaining our balance, our schedules, our routines, but still feeling like our tanks aren’t quite filled to the top. So when we had the opportunity to have a mini spa retreat right here in our beloved city, we jumped on the chance.

You already know our love for the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel (or as we like to call it, “The Beau” 😉 ). Their unique status as a lakefront hotel (with a pool), their amazing terrace, their engaging events at The Bar, their premiere selection of dining (including Anne-Sophie Pic’s much admired and world-renown restaurant), are just a few of the perks you’d find walking into the hotel. But we kind of melted into a proverbial puddle when we experienced our first services at the Cinq Mōndes Spa at the Beau-Rivage.

We are by no means spa rookies. We’ve had our fair share of experiences, ranging from ultra relaxing all the way to super awkward [and everything in between]. So it is with some familiarity that we say: guys & gals, we are lucky to have this spa right here in our very own city.

Here’s what we loved: The spa was welcoming and unpretentious. The ladies who did our services were amiable but not artificial, and extremely knowledgeable about their craft. For example, they were able to give us a skin diagnosis right away, and answer questions in a manner that was coherent as well as applicable for our everyday life. Never once did we feel like they were trying to do a sales pitch (though we admit, the products they used were nothing short of luxurious), or tell us that only their products would improve our skin.

And the best part? We genuinely loved our services. I (Tanya) felt like I had an outer body experience during my facial. The perfect combination of the low-lit room, the warm massage bed, the aroma of the cleansers and oils, and the face and scalp massage was a little slice of heaven. And Sarah had a similar experience with her massage—the right amount of pressure (because can we talk about how much we hate limp hands?) and the dialogic approach to working out muscle tension and kinks was enough to win her over.

After our services were finished, we grabbed some tea, meandered over to the pool, and really had some time to unwind. It was also a nice surprise to find out that this year, the spa will keep the outdoor pool open all year round, which will be stunning as it boasts a view of the snow-capped Alps across the lake. And when you’re done relaxing and maybe want to pump up your endorphins, the gym (with glass walls and a view as well) is available for you too.

So if you’re feeling a bit drained instead of energized at the start of this new year, or maybe want to treat yourself to a day of R&R, know that there’s a lakeside sanctuary right here in Lausanne at the Cinq Mōndes Spa. And after you’re done, take a stroll along the quai in Ouchy and just try to not love living here.