Two of the top five hotel spas in a national readers' poll are a short drive from your house. In USA Today's 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for best hotel spa, Acqualina Spa in Sunny Isles Beach finished second in the country and Eau Spa in Manalapan finished fifth. Both are open to people who are not staying overnight, which means a resident can book either one this season.

How the list was made

The 10Best ranking, published in August, starts with nominees chosen by an expert panel, then lets readers vote for the winners, judging the quality of facilities, treatments and service. The top spot went to Spa Monarch at a casino resort in Black Hawk, Colorado. Acqualina came in right behind it.

Florida had a strong showing overall, taking three of the top five places: Acqualina at No. 2, The Ritz-Carlton Spa at Orlando's Grande Lakes at No. 3, and Eau at No. 5. Two of those three are on the Gold Coast, and they could hardly be more different: one on the high-rise stretch of Collins Avenue in northern Miami-Dade, the other in Manalapan, the small oceanfront town in southern Palm Beach County.

Acqualina Spa: ocean views from every treatment room

Acqualina's spa sits at 17875 Collins Avenue, inside Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach. It covers 20,000 square feet, and all 11 of its treatment rooms look out on the Atlantic. The resort describes the spa as a Forbes Five-Star property.

The reason readers voted it near the top is the circuit around the treatments. There is a Finnish sauna, a crystal steam room lit in shifting colors, an ice fountain for cooling down between the two, and a cold plunge at the heart of what the spa calls its Ritual Flow, a hot and cold contrast routine. The relaxation lounges, one for women and one coed, feature a Himalayan salt wall. Outside, a private spa pool and a heated jet pool with a Roman waterfall overlook the ocean, and a spa terrace serves lunch.

Couples can book the Royal Spa Suite, which has a private steam shower, a private balcony and side by side treatment beds. The product lineup includes ESPA and Swissline, plus Seed to Skin, a skincare line made on the Borgo Santo Pietro estate in Tuscany that the resort says is available in the United States only at Acqualina. The current featured offer is the Season of Glow Facial, a 60-minute facial with gentle exfoliation, an aromatherapy facial and scalp massage, and a brightening mask.

The spa encourages guests to stay for the whole day before and after a treatment, so bring a swimsuit. One limit to know: spa guests do not get access to the resort's fitness center, main pools or beach.

Eau Spa: 42,000 square feet and a wishing well

Eau Spa is at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, 100 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan, and it is enormous by any measure: 42,000 square feet. 10Best singled out its 19 treatment rooms, where guests can choose the scent, music and lighting color.

The signature moment comes before the treatment even starts. At the candlelit Wishing Well, guests make a wish and float a candle on the water. Within the spa there is a garden with a central dipping pool, plush lounge chairs and hanging chairs, plus private Garden Villas for lounging before or after a service. According to 10Best, there are also scrub and polish bars, saunas, steam rooms and oversized whirlpool tubs.

Eau is also a full-service salon, which makes it useful beyond a once-a-year splurge. Hair, nails, makeup and waxing are all on the menu, and the treatment list changes with the seasons. Current options include the Sea Glass Skin Facial, which pairs enzyme exfoliation with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid; the Cloud Nine Detox massage, which combines warming mud along the spine with a cooling gel wrap for tired legs; an On the Rocks manicure and pedicure with Himalayan hot stones; and Great Lengths hair extensions.

How to book either one as a local

  • Acqualina Spa: open daily 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with hours that may shift during the holidays. Open to non-hotel guests; reservations required. Call 305-918-6844.
  • Eau Spa: open daily 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Open to non-hotel guests; reservations required. Plan on 60 to 90 minutes for a treatment and arrive at least 30 minutes early. Resort line: 561-533-6000.

Both spas sell gift cards and offer couples treatments. With season getting underway, book ahead, and aim for a weekday if your schedule allows. In Manalapan, you can turn the afternoon into an evening at the resort's Nobu. In Sunny Isles Beach, the move is to book early, take lunch on the spa terrace and stay until closing with the Atlantic in front of you.