Anyone who has ever experienced the hammam treatment in Morocco, may be surprised to see it on offer at the recently renovated spa at the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland. Pummelling and scrubbing of the skin until it is red raw before being subjected to a form of water torture may seem slightly incongruous with a hotel that has been synonymous with high-end luxury for several decades.

Gstaad spa
The private spa
This being the Gstaad Palace, the seven-stage hammam treatment programme is an altogether more refined affair. The two-hour ritual begins with a foot bath and takes in a foam body massage, a steam bath, a dip in the truly stunning pool, finally ending in a hydrating oil massage in the private relaxation room.
Alongside the hammam facilities are eight treatment rooms, a private spa suite, saunas, steam baths and a couple of pools, as well as a gym and Jacuzzi; all wrapped up in over 50 tons of stunningly assembled granite from the Bernese Oberland. All in all, a welcome haven from summer and winter mountain pursuits.