ESPA at Pical won the “Spa of the Year 2026” award at the Destination Deluxe Awards & Wellness Summit in Bangkok, a leading international event in the wellness and luxury travel sectors. The competition featured over 1,000 nominations, with participation from some of the world’s most renowned luxury hotels, resorts, spas, and wellness brands across top global tourist destinations.
Located within the 5-star Valamar Collection Pical Resort, ESPA at Pical is the first and only ESPA-branded spa in Croatia, developed in partnership with one of the world’s leading spa brands. ESPA has been shaping the luxury wellness industry for over three decades and currently collaborates with more than 500 prestigious hotels, resorts, and spa destinations across 55 countries.
At Pical Resort, this global expertise has been translated into a unique concept inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle, Istria, and the story of the Parenzana railway. Signature treatments utilize local ingredients such as lavender, rosemary, olive oil, and Adriatic salt, while specialized wellness programs for children and families make ESPA at Pical a rare example of a luxury spa concept designed for all generations. Spanning 1,300 square meters, the experience encompasses extensive thermal facilities—including eight saunas—themed lounge areas, and a unique Garden Spa, where the wellness journey extends outdoors to connect with nature, the sea, and the Mediterranean way of life. “The Spa of the Year award is a great recognition of the entire team that participated in the development of ESPA at Pical. From the beginning, our goal was to create a unique wellness experience that would be competitive in quality and concept with the best international resorts, and at the same time authentically connected to Istria and the local Mediterranean identity. This recognition confirms the quality of that approach and additionally contributes to the international recognition of Pical Resort and Poreč,” said Duje Bralić, director of strategy and portfolio management in Valamar.
In the Spa of the Year 2026 category, ESPA at Pical won the award in competition with 19 finalists from the world’s leading wellness and luxury destinations. Among this year’s finalists were spa centers within renowned hotels and resorts such as Raffles Udaipur in India, Capella Bangkok in Thailand, AYANA Bali in Indonesia, Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai and Suvretta House in St. Moritz, while previous winners of the same category included Soneva Jani in the Maldives in 2023, Dior Spa Royal Scotsman – A Belmond Train in Scotland in 2024, and Healing Earth Transformative Wellness Spa in South Africa in 2025.
The finalists were evaluated by an international jury of 21 distinguished experts in the field of wellness, tourism and luxury hotel industry, according to the criteria of quality, originality and completeness of the offered spa and wellness experience. The award additionally confirms the top quality of the wellness offer of Pical Resort, which stands alongside the best international spa and wellness centers and contributes to the positioning of Poreč and Istria among the recognizable destinations of premium and luxury tourism in the Mediterranean.
Source: Public Relations, Valamar