''Spas used to be all about pampering," says Sophie Benge, an expert on Asian health and beauty rituals. ''Now they're more about wellbeing. People no longer want a leg wax, they want a four-handed massage. Spas help feed a spiritual side we're all craving."

Whether you buy into the idea that two days in a dressing gown is an appropriate alternative to communing with the Almighty, there's no doubt that taking time out to focus on feeling better makes a refreshing change to the daily grind. Inevitably, the very individuals who have most to gain are usually the ones who take most persuading to give it a go. When you are used to living life in the fast lane, the very thought of applying the brakes so completely can be a bit alarming. ''Why is everybody dressed like angels?" asked my spa-virgin mother.

Such benefits don't come cheap, of course, particularly if you are weekending in a boutique hotel and spa, but there are ways of keeping the price down. Often it isn't the much-hyped and highly priced treatments that work the real magic. Spas, after all, are traditionally about healing through water. Just spending a day ambling beAs a nation, we still have a lot to learn from the more intuitively holistic Asian cultures but, if we are going to get in touch with our inner selves only between Friday evening and Sunday lunch, at least we now have a choice about where and how we do it. But how to decide which one will best suit you? In the selfless pursuit of objective assessment, we dispatched a team of reporters to some of the best-known establishments in Britain, asking them to grade everything from the hotel's breakfasts to the vigour of the massage. Overleaf, in a haze of patchouli oil, are our top 20 spas in order of merit.

WHATLEY MANOR
Malmesbury, Wiltshire (01666 822888; www.whatleymanor.com; rooms from £285)

Hidden behind huge oak gates, this restored, 23-bedroom manor house in Wiltshire combines über-luxury (suites cost up to £850 a night) with utter privacy. Perhaps it's a Continental thing. The owner is Christian Landolt, a Swiss international event rider. The Aquarias Spa has a stunning hydrotherapy pool and looks a bit like a Star Trek flight deck. A series of thermal cabins includes a camomile steam grotto, a tepidarium and a wave dream sensory room to take your mind off the cost of it all.

Highlights: The ''Serail mud chamber" (£105 for two people); Michelin-starred Dining Room;?discreet?staff; soft contemporary interiors; drawing room with open fires.

Low points: the hydrotherapy pool could be a few degrees warmer; Bistro decor is more Heidi than high end.

Best deal: two-night stay for two guests (Sun and Mon only), including dinner, spa treatments and standard room, £628.

GRAYSHOTT SPA
Headley Road, Grayshott, Surrey (01428 602000; www.grayshottspa.com; rooms from £395 pp for two nights' full board)

Impressive house set in stunning grounds. Optional on-site health consultant and dietician. Portioned plates to help dieters. Chintzy, glamorous bedrooms. Bar serving fruit cocktails, organic wine and low-calorie Champagne. Romantic atmosphere (candlelit dinners). Cute cinema offering two film showings a day; free DVD library.

Highlights: top-notch food (scallops, steaks, tempting exotic fruit); ice-cold plunge pool; organised walks in lovely grounds and neighbouring National Trust land; super-soft robes; tennis lessons.