The Japanese bath at the Cinq Mondes Spa.

Beau-Rivage Palace Lausanne Switzerland +41.21.613.33.33 www.brp.ch

Set in its own spectacular ten-acre garden overlooking Lac Leman and the Alps beyond, the Beau-Rivage Palace is one European palace hotel worthy of the name. Since 1861, its Belle Epoque sumptuousness has provided a luxe, discreet haven for the world's wealthy, titled and boldfaced. The marbled hallways and glittering chandeliers don't need to talk; the guest list does it for them. Everyone from Coco Chanel, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Noel Coward, Emperor Hirohito and Nelson Mandela to Richard Gere and Rod Stewart has called it a Swiss home away from home. Guests have always enjoyed the hotel's top-notch cuisine, spot-on service, attention to tradition and regal yet welcoming ambiance (and, last year, a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art restoration). But what they couldn't enjoy was a spa … in the country where, arguably, spas were born.

That changed in December, with the opening of the 15,000-square-foot Cinq Mondes Spa. A cool, contemporary décor of beige marble, dark woods, soft green tiles, frosted glass and minimalist aubergine-and-bamboo accents, the spa has the added draw of an indoor-outdoor pool/Jacuzzi complex with floor-to-ceiling windows framing garden and mountain views. Cinq Mondes – with a white-hot mothership in Paris and three siblings throughout the world – embraces the philosophy of bringing together the best treatments from global sources. An extensive menu of well-being and beauty rituals is drawn from North African, Taoist, Balinese, Japanese and Ayurvedic traditions; the nine sleek, spare yet soothing treatment rooms reflect this worldview. A tropical rain shower, traditional hammam steam room and sauna and special couples massage suite round out the sophisticated spirit of the place.

There are 39 Cinq Mondes signature Beauty Rituals from the World to choose from – for face, body, bath, beauty, well-being – and all utilize the spa's own line of products. All face and body scrubs, lotions, massage and bath oils contain no silicone, mineral oils, artificial coloring, alcohol or animal-based ingredients.

Among the more popular treatments is the Royal Taoist Ritual, a three-hour blissfest beginning with an essential oil-flower petal bath in a Japanese wooden tub, followed by an aromatic spices scrub, a full-body Taoist massage of anti-stress acupressure points to harmonize body and spirit, and Taoist face massage and facial. Other signature favorites are the Royal Ritual from Siam (Japanese aromatic bath, papaya body scrub and full-body Balinese massage), and the Traditional Hammam Ritual incorporating steam, black Beldi soap scrub, mud wrap and Oriental massage. The Cinq Mondes Spa offers guests the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe … in a robe.

By Mary Alice Kellogg