Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort has been named World’s Best Thermal Grotto Spa at the World Spa Awards 2026, marking the tenth consecutive year the Tuscan resort has taken the title. The award recognises the five-star property for its natural thermal grotto, the largest in Europe, and for its standing as one of Italy’s most distinctive spa destinations.
The resort is housed in the 19th century former residence of the poet Giuseppe Giusti, beneath which lies the famous thermal grotto. The composer Giuseppe Verdi described it as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’.
A grotto beneath the villa
Discovered in 1849, the grotto stretches more than 200 metres directly beneath the hotel. It is divided into three immersive chambers named Paradise, Purgatory and Hell, each wrapping guests in a natural steam bath environment.
Temperatures in the cave range from 28 to 34 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels at 98 per cent. The mineral-rich steam creates a deeply relaxing atmosphere and is said to offer therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects, while supporting respiratory wellness and overall relaxation.
A thermal lake for floating and Piloga
At the heart of the grotto lies a natural thermal lake, reserved exclusively for guided floating for deep relaxation. The lake also hosts Piloga sessions, a fusion of Pilates and yoga, and thermal cave diving experiences for guests who want to explore the chambers from the water.
The combination is unusual even among Europe’s great spa destinations. Few resorts can offer a steam grotto of this scale directly beneath the guest rooms, and none can match the sense of theatre that accompanies a descent through Paradise, Purgatory and Hell.
From poet’s villa to grand hotel
Giuseppe Giusti, whose satirical verse made him one of the most popular Italian poets of his generation, gave the property more than his name. The villa’s nineteenth century bones remain central to the resort’s character, from its painted ceilings to the formal gardens that shade the thermal pools above the cave.
Guests move between these worlds in the course of a day: morning swims in the open-air thermal pools, afternoons in the gardens, and guided descents into the grotto’s steam-filled chambers, where the resort’s spa team supervises each stage of the circuit.
The floating sessions on the underground lake are limited to small guided groups, preserving the stillness that gives the experience its restorative reputation. Piloga sessions on the water’s edge follow the same principle, pairing slow movement with the grotto’s natural warmth.
Ten years at the top
The tenth consecutive World Spa Award places Grotta Giusti in rare company. The World Spa Awards programme recognises the leading lights of the spa and wellness industry, with winners chosen by votes from industry professionals and the travelling public.
For the resort, the decade-long run confirms the enduring appeal of a spa experience that nature alone could create. The grotto’s chambers, temperatures and mineral waters are entirely natural, with the resort’s role limited to opening them to guests in comfort and safety.
The wider resort
Above ground, the property continues the traditions of a grand Tuscan villa, with thermal pools, formal gardens and the polite rhythms of a small country estate. The award news arrives as the resort prepares for the cooler months, when the steam of the grotto is at its most inviting.
For those planning a Tuscan spa escape, the message from the awards is a simple one. A century and a half after its discovery, the grotto beneath Giusti’s villa remains the standard by which thermal spa destinations are measured.