Whether it is for some well-earned me time or part of your self-care wish list, a visit to a great spa is the perfect way to start the year as you mean to go on. Luckily you don’t have to travel too far, unless you want to. The UK has a stunning amount of brilliant and luxury spas ready to iron out those knotted shoulders, treat your face to an age-defying facial or simply chill out in a bath full of seaweed. Let the bliss begin. Here are 6 of the places I am planning to spa in 2018!
The Herb House Spa, Hampshire
Without doubt one of my favourite spas and hotels in the UK, The Herb House Spa at Lime Wood Hotel is beautifully set in a walled garden with woodland views. Continuing with the modern country house hotel vibe of the rest of the hotel, this spa is relaxing, elegant and individual …. worth every penny of a visit. All of the product houses used at The Herb House have holistic well-being at their heart, these include the natural and Ayurvedic ranges of Bamford, Voya, Pai, Aromatherapy Associates and Tri-Dosha.
The excellent holistic treatments are accompanied by state of the art facilities, heat treatments and indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools. A few of my highlights of this spa include the hydropool that looks out onto woodland, the rooftop Herbery that screams relaxation and the stunning food from the in-house cafe, Raw & Cured. Find out more at www.limewoodhotel.co.uk
COMO Shambhala, London
If you can’t fit in a trip to one of COMO’s sister resorts in Bali, The Maldives or Turks and Caicos, their London retreat housed in The Metropolitan Hotel is just as calm inducing. COMO Shambhala Urban Escape uses Asian inspired therapies to treat the mind, body and soul, all of which are designed to dig deep and offer results. The range of mind calming and body rejuvenating treatments include Indian head massage, Shiatsu and Thai Massage. www.comohotels.com/metropolitanlondon/wellness
Agua Bathouse & Spa, London
Set in Mondrian London at Sea Containers, the gorgeous Agua Bathhouse and Spa wonderfully blends its modern theme with the hollywood glamour that the Mondrian hotels do so well. This two floored spa has become a go-to destination for personalised massages and facials from a brilliantly diverse range of niche wellness brands including the De Mamiel, Made For Life by Spiezia Organics and Soveral! The centre of the bathouse has to be its relaxation room with the eye-catching copper teardrop sculpture by Tom Dixon. Perfect to gaze at post treatment. Here you are settled with some hydrating lemon water, herbal teas and also a duvet to relax a little bit further. Simply stunning spa, great facilities and steam rooms. Overall, my trip to the Agua Bathouse was one of the most relaxing spa experiences I have ever had in a central London hotel!
The Bamford Haybarn Spa, Cotswolds
Immersed within the first class Daylesford Organic Farm and housed in a converted haybarn, The Bamford Haybarn Spa is a stunning place to go and take life at a slower pace. The tranquil decor is best described as Scandinavian chic that along with the glorious natural light that fills the treatment rooms, brings an instantly soothing vibe. The well-being approach here is holistic and guests can enjoy a range of Ayurvedic therapies, meditation and pilates during their visit. For me a visit to this spa should simply be followed by a stay in one of the on site Daylesford cottages and a trip to the organic farm shop! www.daylesford.com/bamford-haybarn/
Fletcher’s Cottage, East Lothian
There are a number of reasons why my friends and I call this spa “The Mothership”, this is where we go to re-connect with ourselves. The space was geniusly designed by the wonderful Sian Parry- Jones and is a serene mixture of rustic luxury ski cabin vibe crossed with modern country house. I love reclaimed pallet walls, fur rugs, massive fire, natural light filled treatment rooms, big comfy linen sofas, vintage teapots, the sauna that allows you to look out onto the gorgeous a walled garden and finally the calm inducing smell that makes us relax as soon as we walk in. This spa doesn’t just look pretty, its treatments from well trained therapists speak for themselves. Regular readers of the blog will know I am a HUGE fan of the private Bath Huts, where you can choose either a seaweed or aromatherapy bath treatment in your own hut with a roaring wood burner, music playing and no other person to disturb you. Other favourite treatments include anything in the Spiezia line up and the Signature massage of Fletcher’s Cottage. www.archerfieldhouse.com/spa/
The Scarlet Spa, Cornwall
If you are looking for a luxurious award-winning spa with a sea view visible from nearly all the floor to ceiling windows, seawater hot tubs on a clifftop no mobile phone reception and a spa that is strictly for adults only, then the Spa at Scarlet Hotel has to be on your to do list. This stress relieving sanctuary is guaranteed to get you to relax completely, holistically and in a wonderfully sustainable way too. Here you will enjoy a journey, not a treatment, personalised to you and it lasts a glorious 4 hours! Some of my favourite parts include the luxury tented treatment rooms which are lit by lanterns and the two relaxation rooms. The deep relaxation room has a number of suspended canvas pods that are filled with cushions and perfect for you to further relax in. The uplifting relaxation room looks out over the ocean. www.scarlethotel.co.uk/spa/
