Spoiling spas - relaxing breaks
Whilst Christmas and its build-up is all very exciting, December can too often be all go. Come the New Year,
you may feel the need to slow down and relax.
So, for anyone feeling fraught and frazzled, here are five luxury pampering spa breaks with Pride of Britain Hotels:
The Amazon comes to Ockenden
Ockenden Manor’s contemporary spa sits within a 19th century walled garden in West Sussex. While the manor house itself is Elizabethan, and set within nine acres of grounds, the purpose-built modern spa offers decadent pampering experiences. The swim-through indoor-outdoor pool is fed by natural spring water, and there’s also a walk-through warm-water rain shower, hot tub, sauna and steam room, plus a fitness studio, gym and flotation tank. Treatment wise, well, you’re in for a treat, with products from the highly-acclaimed REN, ila and Electric Body ranges. One treatment which makes use of ila products is the Rainforest Rejuvenation Facial – a 60-minute anti-ageing treatment which uses a unique blend of bio-active Amazonian plant extracts sourced by the indigenous Kayapo tribe.
The Rainforest Rejuvenation Facial costs £80 for 60 minutes.
A night’s B&B costs from £95 pp (two sharing).
Teen treats at child-friendly Calcot Manor
With family rooms, an Ofsted-registered crèche, plus an area for older children, too – complete with Xboxes, Wii, computers and a cinema – Calcot Manor in the Cotswolds certainly ticks all the boxes as far as family-friendly hotels go. It’s unsurprising therefore, that the hotel’s sleek spa has special teen treatments, specifically designed for those aged 13 and over. A variety of 25-minute-long treatments is available, including a teen manicure, pedicure, facial and make-up lesson. Elsewhere in the spa, there’s an outdoor hot tub, a swimming pool and a kids’ pool (with specially-allocated children’s swimming times), plus an informal lounge, ideal for a relaxed lunch or snack.
Each teen treatment costs £35 pp for 25 minutes.
A night’s B&B in a family room costs from £385 per room (Sundays-Thursdays) – based on a family of four sharing (children up to the age of 16). A £30 supplement per child (0-16) covers breakfast, High Tea from the special menu for children, use of the Playzone and swimming (at pre-specified times) in Calcot Spa’s indoor pool.
Wake up to a breakfast facial at Bailiffscourt
A short walk from Climping beach near Arundel in West Sussex, Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa is a 39-bedroom hotel which, built from 13th century materials, surprisingly only dates back to the 1930s. The luxurious spa, encased by an exposed timber frame, is an impressive sight. Alongside the treatment menu, the spa also offers a tapas menu of smaller side orders, too – think rebalancing foot or pressure point massages. The Power Breakfast Espresso Facial (30 minutes) is ideal for those looking for quick results. All the breakfast essentials are present: oats, honey and fruit juice, from which is made a revitalising facial that includes a power cleanse, mask and mini massage.
The Power Breakfast Espresso Facial costs £52 pp for 30 minutes.
A night’s half-board accommodation in a superior room costs from £145 pp (two sharing).
A Welsh rose garden retreat at Bodysgallen Hall
Set in a restored stone farmhouse, National Trust-owned Bodysgallen Hall’s spa is kitted out with a swimming pool, bubbling spa bath, steam room and sauna. Outside, on summer days, guests can sunbathe on the secluded south-facing terrace, and there’s also a gym, club room and spa bar. The treatment rooms use Decléor, CACI, Jessica, and Xen-Tan products. The Rose Garden Retreat (85 minutes) is one of the spa’s new signature treatments and relaxes both the face and body, with an apricot, ginger and cinnamon body exfoliation, full body massage, aromatherapy facial, soothing face mask and a luxurious hand and arm massage.
The Rose Garden Retreat costs £85 pp for 85 minutes.
A night’s B&B costs from £90 pp (two sharing).
A seaweed cocoon in the Yorkshire Dales at The Devonshire Arms
Situated on the Duke of Devonshire’s 30,000-acre Bolton Abbey estate in the Yorkshire Dales, The Devonshire Arms is ideal for a country spa break. Across the road from the luxury 40-bedroom hotel is the Devonshire Health Barn – a haven of well-being which, in keeping with its name, is housed in an ancient barn. Inside, there’s a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gym, steam room and sauna, while outside, there’s a tennis court, plus complimentary mountain bikes for exploring the Dales. The range of Elemis treatments includes the relaxing Musclease Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap (75 minutes) where tense or aching muscles will be eased by a seaweed body wrap, alongside
a pressure point facial massage and a de-stress scalp treatment.
The Musclease Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap costs £56 pp for 75 minutes.
A night’s B&B costs from £125 pp (two sharing).
Pride of Britain Hotels’ website (prideofbritainhotels.com) provides a constantly-updated list of late booking availability and special offers.