Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp

A Belgian stay of Rubenesque proportions, Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp may have been a humble monastery for spiritual healing in the 13th century, but now it’s an avowed hedonist. It has everything. And, that’s no hyperbole – you want dinosaur skeletons? You got it. A spa with curatives of all kinds from herbal saunas to skin peels, to acupuncture to measuring your electromagnetic fields? No problemo. A quartet of restaurants, each with its own Michelin-recognised chef? Yup. A butler, an apothecary peddling traditional lotions and perfumes, a 15th-century church for parties, secret whisky club, even work meetings where you can bond by making a music video or learning how to graffiti – it’s got ‘em all. And, wabi-sabi rooms for when you’ve exhausted all the above, some with mini spas. In a city of diamonds, this sanctuary’s brilliance shines.