Club Medi

Group walks, cosseting decor, mind-altering sound baths— the newest science-based spas are trying something different.

- Jane Alexander

The indoor pool at Buff Medical Resort, which opened last spring on the shores of Germany's Lake Constance

YOU CAN TRACE THE ROOTS of the medi-spa back to prehistory, when our ancestors made pilgrimages to mineral pools and ancient healing temples looking to cure whatever ailed them. While today's iterations may have vestiges of these ancient wellness traditions (many of Europe's top clinics still go heavy on the hydrotherapy), most lean more “medi” than “spa,” with sterile settings and infamously ascetic diets. The newest crop of medi-spa openings is tweaking the formula. The end goal—better health—remains the same, but the journey to get there feels a lot less punitive.