With awards a-plenty — including the 2017 Gold Award from Visit Wales — the St. David’s Hotel in the lovely city of Cardiff on the southern coast of Wales offers a dramatic coastal luxury escape with a striking spa complex. Perched above Cardiff Bay, the glass-walled structure houses 142 rooms and suites, many with private balconies above the water. WiFi is complimentary throughout, while dining at Tempus at Tides Bar and Restaurant revolves around a menu of locally sourced fare such as premium Welsh beefs, local mussels, coastal scallops, Welsh crab, Carmarthenshire honey and garlic lamb rump or the fishmonger’s catch of the day.

Don’t miss tea in the afternoon. Separate tea menus have been created to suit everyone: Children’s Magic Marvellous [sic] Afternoon Tea with fresh berry milkshakes, popping candy cupcakes and strawberry jam finger sandwiches; Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea with pork pie and chutney, raspberry trifle and a glass of Reverend James fine ale; and traditional Afternoon Tea service with finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and a beautiful selection of teas (plus a glass of Prosecco or Champagne, if you like). Combine pleasure with business: Eight event spaces plus a dedicated event manager make planning meetings a breeze. In the Marine Spa, treatments and therapies blend science and nature. Filtered, mineral-rich water fills the hydrotherapy pools, while seaweed collected from the Brittany coast and mud from the North Sea feature in indulgent therapies such as the Marine Prelude Body Exfoliation, Thalgo Polynesia Spa Ritual and Micronized Marine Algae Wrap. Pure essential oils are also key components, as in the Terre & Mer Organic Wild Lavender Full Body Massage.