Spa Sampler: Report from the U.K.
hether you want massages or mud therapy, seaweed-wraps or salt body scrubs, floats or facials you are sure to find a great choice of indulgent treatments at new state-of-the-art spas in the UK.
In the last decade or so, our preoccupation with healthy living has sparked huge interest in all things spa with unprecedented growth in new spa facilities across the UK. Many four and five star hotels have built outstanding spas with fabulous pools, thermal circuits, treatment rooms and extensive spa menus. The austere health farms of the last century have all but disappeared and been replaced by destination spas offering a more nurturing regime. UK spas are neither the health-focused clinics you find in central Europe nor the new-age retreats of Asia, but something in between. A de-stressing mix of soothing space and pampering treatments, they are somewhere we can retreat to for an hour, a day or a week to unwind, relax and recuperate.
THE MIDLANDS
Hoar Cross Hall, Staffordshire
Hoar Cross Hall, the UK’s only destination spa in a stately home, is hidden away in the heart of rural Staffordshire amid acres of woodlands and gardens. The Hoar Cross estate dates back to 1450, so between your Clarins Detoxifying Body Treatment and ESPA Aromatherapy Facial, you can sip tea in the splendour of the oak panelled long gallery or heed the notice to swing back to your youth while taking a stroll in the acres of colourful gardens.
This dedicated health retreat is the brainchild of Steve Joynes, an inspirational entrepreneur whose own rags to riches story has been featured in the pages of Hello magazine. Steve bought the derelict Grade II listed building in 1989 (before the current spa boom), and set about transforming it into a luxury spa resort with a new spa wing and 86 guest rooms and suites.
By 2002, Britain’s spa industry was booming. Steve expanded his empire and built his first day spa – Eden Hall, in Nottinghamshire, which was managed by Steve’s son, Steve Joynes Junior. Eden Hall was so popular that in 2005 Steve opened a second day spa Eden Hall at Hoar Cross a gleaming modern day spa with 40 treatment rooms, relaxation areas, restaurants and a full range of spa packages and services.
Arriving at Hoar Cross Hall in the late afternoon, my companion and I found that our split-level suite had a private sauna and great views of the tennis courts and 9-hole golf course to the countryside beyond.
Needing to stretch our legs after the long drive, we explored the colorful gardens and discovered the swings. Minutes later we were revisiting our childhood feeling the cool rush of air as we swung higher and higher. Exhilarated and re-energised, we opted for a swim before dinner in the spa’s new saltwater pool. This lovely new pool with hydrotherapy jets and a relaxation cave is part of a recent 15 million expansion at Hoar Cross Hall. New guest rooms and suites have been created, plus enhanced spa and sport facilities that now include a golf academy and squash courts. Guests have a choice of over 120 different fitness classes every week, with something for every age and fitness level.
The spa’s 30 treatment rooms are also gradually being updated and refurbished, as is the choice of innovative spa treatments and therapies.
The spa menu reads like a book, with over 100 spa treatments, grooming services, hairdressing, medical tests, personal fitness training, teeth whitening, natural health therapies and color analysis.
Despite its grandeur, Hoar Cross Hall has always been one of the UK’s most friendly and civilised destination spas, offering such niceties as a champagne bar, mouth-watering menu items and complimentary tea and coffee at any time. Dinner is a special event, served by candlelight in the original ballroom. Such is the ambience, that unlike in some health spas, most guests discard their towelling robes and make the effort to dress smartly for dinner.
My facial next morning was a treat. Following an initial consultation, Marie my therapist, recommended the Thalgo Absolute Rehydrating Treatment. My skin was looking tired and in need of moisturising, and as Marie explained, the facial uses active marine and plant ingredients to effectively replenish and rehydrate the skin. First, my skin was painstakingly cleansed and exfoliated. Then a rich marine collagen patch mask was applied and I was left to relax for about 20 minutes while the active ingredients worked their magic. What with the quiet music and candles, I was just about nodding off when Marie returned to remove the mask and give my face and neck a gentle massage. In all, the facial took about an hour and was a totally relaxing experience. Later, when I examined my complexion in the mirror, I thought I definitely looked more awake and the wrinkles around my eyes were less noticeable. Marie advised me to drink more water at least eight glasses a day as this helps to keep the skin moisturised and reduce dark circles around the eyes.
As I sat in the relaxation area after my treatment sipping an herbal tea, I observed the staff’s cheerful demeanour as they went about their work, sorting out changed or missed appointments and guest problems.
I reflected on Steve’s philosophy Our aim is your contentment we are always enthusiastic to help you and concluded that whatever he is teaching his staff, he is certainly getting it right!
Hoar Cross Hall, Hoar Cross, Near Yoxall, Staffordshire, DE13 8QS
www.hoarcross.co.uk and Eden Hall Day Spas www.edenhallspa.co.uk
Superior room from 149 per person per night midweek, 169 at weekends.
A 2-night weekend stay costs from 161 per person per night.
Rates include treatments based on length of stay, breakfast, lunch and a la carte dinner, all classes and unlimited use of gym, sporting and spa facilities.
The Spa at Thoresby Hall, Nottinghamshire
Thoresby Hall is one of Warner’s nine historic house hotels offering breaks for grown ups with inclusive dining, entertainment and leisure facilities. Situated in the heart of Sherwood Forest, the ornate Victorian mansion (built in 1860) is surrounded by a magnificent 12,000-acre estate, with swathes of forested parkland, rolling countryside and a meandering river.
A brand new spa was added in 2003 and quickly established itself as one of the hotel’s most popular attractions. Set in an old stone courtyard in the main house, it offers the Spa Experience a three hour ritual of bathing in which the body is heated and then cooled by a sequence of thermal experiences. These include a sanarium (like a sauna but with steam infusion, mood lighting and background music), aromatherapy cave, hamman steam room and to cool down, an ice cave and fabulous multi-sensory showers delivering soft tropical rain as well as cold needle jets. You can also share a 45-minute Rhassoul experience with a partner or friend. You enter a heated chamber and relax after applying organic mud to the face and body. Herbal steam fills the chamber and as you perspire, the mud’s natural ingredients absorb toxins from the body. The ritual ends with a tepid overhead shower. Cleansing and refreshing!
The spa also offers a hydro spa pool, outdoor sun terrace, foot spas and relaxation lounges, and does the usual mix of massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and wraps using Decleor and Thalgo products. However, the Spa Experience is really all
you need to fe
el totally relaxed and chilled out.
After all the activities of the thermal suite, I was looking forward to some quiet relaxation with a Decleor Aroma Massage. This lovely treatment incorporates Thai, shiatsu, Swedish and aromatherapy techniques and offers a choice of massage oils, taking into account how you are feeling on the day: Relax to de-stress, unwind and balance, Flow to stimulate, activate and invigorate, Detox to purify, drain and eliminate, or Tonic to energise, tone and regenerate. I chose Relax and was soon drifting off to sleep, as the fragrant balms melted into my skin and I was skillfully massaged from head to foot including my fingers and toes! A fitting finale to a totally pleasant spa experience
We enjoyed our brief mid-week visit to Thoresby Hall. We were surprised how busy the hotel was and impressed by how well the staff coped, 
particularly at breakfast time. Everyone in the big and bright Pierrepont restaurant seemed to be indulging in a full English breakfast. Perhaps they were planning to burn off the calories with a walk around the estate or by using some of the hotel’s many leisure facilities.
Dining in Thoresby Hall’s Blue Room was especially memorable because it was the night (our favorite soccer team) Liverpool won the coveted European Cup. We could hear the cheers from the bar every time a goal was scored and even delayed indulging in cr me br l e to watch the game’s thrilling final stages.
Short breaks at Thoresby Hall include accommodation, activities, entertainment, hearty breakfasts and delicious dinners and are great value for money now there’s a super new spa to enjoy too and its all exclusively for adults!
Thoresby Hall Hotel, Thoresby Park, Near Ollerton, Nottingham, NG22 9WH www.warnerbreaks.co.uk
Two-night spa breaks cost from 189 per person and include 2 x 3-hour Spa Experience sessions, dinner, bed and breakfast, live entertainment and leisure and daytime facilities.
Catherine Beattie is a UK-based health and travel writer/publisher with a lifelong interest in spas. Her credentials include writing and publishing several consumer guides including Healthy Breaks in Britain & Ireland (the UK’s first spa guide) and The Really Useful Guides. Catherine was founding editor of Spa Health & Beauty magazine and contributes to many UK national newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Express, Here’s Health and Harpers & Queen. She is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Guild of Health Writers and Spa Business Association.
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