Niwa – Spa Oasis and Health Tourism in Brihuega

Published in Unique Estates Life Spring Issue 2025

Discreet entrance, minimalist architecture, dominant black and white, a Japanese cube garden with a maple tree on white stones, panoramic windows overlooking a palm garden. And, of course, the great treasure – a fully equipped spa center with Filipino masseuses, experts in exotic massages. Hotel Spa Niwa in Brihuega, a visual and sensory spectacle of peace and vitality, is among the highest-rated health tourism hotels in Europe. It also marks the hot trend of creating small hotels with the spirit of a family villa and five-star service. “Health and the feeling that we are well physically and mentally cannot be postponed. We must learn to live more slowly. The busier you are, the more you need this,” says Ana Bedoya, creator and director of the boutique hotel, in an interview for Unique Estates Life Magazine. From the very beginning, modernity and uniqueness have been key principles in the design of this oasis. On the site of the hotel there once stood a modest house, which was demolished. The architects showed Ana one of their star projects – a private house in Madrid – and she fell in love with its Zen minimalism. Step by step, Niwa (Japanese for “garden”) was born.

MASSAGES WITH COCONUT, BANANAS, HONEY AND LAVENDER

The spa area is filled with natural light from every side. Its opening hours (9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) allow guests to watch how the light changes throughout the day. The heated pools feature counter-current swimming and 360º hydromassage jets. There is also a sauna, Turkish bath, cold pool, and contrast shower. The spa is private and serene, as the hotel has only ten rooms. Among the most attractive treatments is the ancient Filipino “hilot” massage, where the body is covered with pure coconut oil and warmed banana leaves. The aromatic massage with herbal balls from Brihuega uses lavender and lavandin, steamed and applied to strategic points on the body for relaxation. Another signature treatment at Niwa is the full-body covering with local honey from Alcarria, which has been awarded several times as the best in the world.

“THE LAST SUPPER” ON A GRAIN OF RICE

The town of Brihuega is known as the Spanish Provence for its lavender fields in summer. With Celtiberian origins, Brihuega is one of the most impressive towns in the region of Castilla-La Mancha. It is declared a national historic-artistic site for its rich cultural and architectural heritage. Must-see landmarks include Romanesque-Gothic churches, the fortress walls, and Arab underground chambers. But the town also holds a Guinness World Record – in the “Museum of Miniatures of Professor Max” you can find the smallest dollhouse in the world. The museum also preserves other miniature treasures, including a mural of “The Last Supper” painted on… a grain of rice.