These are the best spa meeting hotels in New Europe, according to Meetings Star, the annual ranking and award curated by the editorial board of Kongres Magazine and Conventa.
What are spa meeting hotels?
The offer of spa meeting hotels is highly diversified and original. Our assessment has shown that spa hotels have a quality, congress-guest-focused offer. Compared to similar resort hotels, the final mark is slightly lower because of the four-star hotels that dominate the category. Moreover, spa meeting hotels are less accessible compared to hotels in more developed tourist destinations.
TOP 10 BEST SPA MEETING HOTELS IN 2022
10. MJUS World Resort & Thermal Park, Kormend, Hungary
The town of Körmend is in the far west of Hungary, right next to the border with Austria. The town developed along the river Raba, and its history is closely tied to the Batthyany family. The hotel itself is just over a kilometre away from the town centre and is located in a tidy suburb where residential buildings alternate with industrial ones. The same location used to be the site of a shoe factory owned by the Italian manufacturer Mjus; in 2016 it was successfully transformed into a tourist resort.
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9. Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa, Jesolo, Italy
The small town of Jesolo near Venice is famous for its beaches, kilometres of sand and a rich tourist offer, with the biggest Italian aquapark, Aqualandia, along with numerous hotels, bars and restaurants. In the near vicinity you can also find many golf courses that are popular with golfers due to the pleasant climate throughout the year. About a year ago the Falkensteiner hotel chain took a front row seat here and opened its new resort right by the sea. Besides the usual combination of prime cuisine and an excellent hotel offer it also features a small congress centre, ideal for corporate incentive groups.
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8. Wellness Hotel Livada Prestige, Moravci, Slovenia
Hotel Livada Prestige is located in the northeast of Slovenia in the heart of the idyllic Prekmurje, a region famed for its thermo-mineral water and pristine nature. Terme 3000, the largest thermal complex in Slovenia, was developed on this basis. 39 pools and over 13,000 m2 surface, an outdoor and indoor thermal park, all speak for themselves. In 2006, the spa was complemented by the only 5-star hotel in Prekmurje. The hotel is a true resort, surrounded by green ponds, a golf course and wellness. Tourism is the main economic activity, and Moravske Toplice will be a great starting point for discovering the whole of Prekmurje, offering something even for the most demanding incentive groups.
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7. Loisium Wine & Spa Resort, Langenlois, Austria
The LOISIUM hotel in Langenlois offers a special feeling of living, supported by individual wine and spa enjoyment as well as a unique atmosphere and an ancient wine tradition. The creative concept of the cuisine is always inspired by products from the region. Modern seminar rooms offer space for business events. The bright rooms impress with a magnificent view of the vineyards and can accommodate up to 120 people. For this purpose, the hotel offers the most modern seminar equipment and personal service for an undisturbed meeting. Mysticism, modernity and tradition merge together once you have left the gate into the cellar world behind you.
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7. Esplanade Ensana Health Spa Hotel, Piestany, Slovakia
Ensana is a brand within the Danubius Hotels Group (DHG), one of Europe’s leading spa managing hotel chains. Their portfolio includes 26 Ensana hotels that embody the slogan mens sana in corpore sano – a healthy mind in a healthy body. The Ensana centre in Slovakia is the largest thermal spa resort in the country, located in Piešťany. Although renowned as a balenological and health centre, Piešťany is a regional cultural, educational and sports centre. The thermal island with a tidy park is home to Hotel Esplanade, possibly the most modern and guest-friendly hotel within the hotel group that greets guests with open arms. The thermal resort of Piešťany is famed for mud baths, electrotherapy and other health treatments.
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6. Terme Tuhelj Hotel Well, Tuhelj, Croatia
Terme Tuhelj represents the centre of Croatian continental tourism, managed by the Slovenian Terme Olimia. The city is located roughly sixty kilometres from Zagreb, amid the Croatian Zagorje region. Here is where you will find the highest concentration of health spas in Croatia whilst marvelling at romantic landscapes and iconic historical stories. Thermal water has been used in Tuhelj since the 19th century. Furthermore, the destination boasts the largest water park in all of Croatia. The water planet is the heart of Terme Tuhelj and comprises eight interior and exterior pools brimming with thermal water. Due to Terme Tuhelj, the place has emerged as a tourist destination with a reputation in the wider region.
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5. X Bionic Hotel, Šamorin, Slovakia
The x-bionic® sphere resort was established on the basis of an idea of creating exceptional conditions for anyone who likes to engage in sports but also enjoys quality relaxation, gastronomy and meaningful leisure time. At the x-bionic® private sphere, all hotel rooms are spacious, tastefully furnished and equipped with the latest information technology. For the most demanding guests, a special area of the hotel has been reserved and has been symbolically called the X-Bionic Strato Sphere. It is of superb design, with precious materials and a butler service part of an exceptional experience, making it the preserve of sheikhs, presidents and other ultimate-demanding guests.
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4. Hotel Krallerhof, Leogang, Austria
Hotel Krallerhof stands for special devotion to detail, where true excellence in hotel business meets cordial hospitality. Guests will be inspired by their refined cuisine, which they craft for with perfection. The Krallerhof in Leogang delights you with the finest products and enticing combinations of regionality, sustainability, and boundless spirit. The Krallerhof stands for responsibility—an inherent feature of the family Altenberger. It is their ambition at the Hotel Krallerhof to underline the character of their house with luxury and exclusivity while providing space for inspiration and new encounters in every room.
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3. Wellness Hotel Sotelia, Podčetrtek, Slovenia
The roots of organised development of the spa stem back to 1966, when they began the construction of health facilities that have turned out to profoundly alter the image of the frontier town on the river Sotla. The development of the spa therefore marked the development of the town, which has become one of the most recognizable tourism destinations of Slovenia. The hotel’s spa offer has developed around the swimming pool complex, which, together with the new hotel Sotelia forms a new urban whole.
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3. Maritim Hotel Paradise Blue, Albena, Bulgaria
Fifty-three years ago, Albena Resort came to life on a stretch of sand in the north of the Gulf of Varna. The trailblazing all-around urbanist design made wawes globally upon its opening. Even today, the modernist pyramidical architecture, urbanism and green surfaces provoke admiration and awe. The result of the grand design is 14.900 rooms in 43 hotels, four villas and one camp, alongside more than 100 restaurants and bars and several sports facilities. The new management ensured that the resort was not transformed by tumultuous urbanisation. In fact, they are to thank for the sustainable development now marking their portfolio. The sustainable approach is evident in the Maritim Hotel in Albena. T
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2. Hotel Arte Spa & Park, Velingrad, Bulgaria
The most stylish designer hotel in Velingrad is only a stone’s throw away from the city centre, located in a romantic valley surrounded by pine trees. Views from the hotel room are calming and inspiring. The hotel, just like many others in Velingrad, takes advantage of an incredible natural resource, thermal water. The source of the water is in Velingrad-Kamenitza at a depth of 200 meters. The hotel is also surrounded by teambuilding locations an
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WINNER: 1. Loisium Wine & Spa Hotel, Ehrenhausen, Austria
The Southern Styria wine region is an excellent example of a land that lives and breathes wine tourism. With the addition of the design hotel Loisium, the region now offers a holistic congress offer. The reasons behind Loisium winning in its category are fourfold. Firstly, the exceptional architecture places it among the leading hotels in all evaluation categories. Secondly, the local-infused cuisine is tasteful and seasonal. Thirdly, the golden thread of the hotel is the wine story that astonishes congress guests. Lastly, the wine spa centre differentiates the hotel from its competition. The congress centre is the hotel’s centrepiece, elevated by the elegant outdoor surface suitable for hosting events. Loisium Wine & Spa Hotel Ehrenhause stands out from the crowd because it prioritises organising events. It is no wonder that hotel guests and, more importantly, event organisers have become enchanted by the hotel that has earned itself the top spot in our evaluation of best spa hotels. Simplified, the combination of the words Langelois and Elysium from Greek mythology means paradise. That is what the team at Loisium strives for.
Read the full Hidden Guest evaluation here.
Join the gala award ceremony and congratulate the winners
The gala ceremony for the winners will be held during Conventa, taking place between 1 and 2 February 2023 in Ljubljana. In this category, the following certificates, divided into three sub-categories on the premise of achieved points in the hidden guest evaluation, will be announced:
22 GOLD certificates – final score from 4.81 to 5.00
19 SILVER certificates – final score from 4.61 to 4.80
3 BRONZE certificates – final score from 4.41 to 4.60
The Meetings Star Award has been awarded for the past thirteen years by the editorial board of Kongres Magazine and Conventa to the best destinations, meeting hotels, venues and meeting professionals. Since its inception, the selection has become a recognised accolade by event organisers and the industry. It is considered one of the rare awards based on comprehensive criteria and ratings by hidden congress guests, whose visits are unannounced. They are industry professionals with rich experience in event organising and extensive knowledge in the hotel business. Furthermore, the assessors have verified references in ensuring the quality of their work in the meetings industry, thus ensuring clients get objective insight and the reliability of the methodology. Our hidden guest assessors strive for objectivity and aim to be fair, meticulous, reliable, well-organised and pay attention to detail, evaluating 654 tangible criteria.
