Take a 'spa journey' at Whatley Manor
Aquarias Spa at Whatley Manor is a place to restore and revive. Set in the courtyard of the honey coloured Cotswold manor house hotel, the award winning spa offers a tempting and luxurious selection of spa experiences with the aim of restoring both body and mind to new levels of relaxation.
The European style spa is arranged into a series of thermal cabins, treatment rooms and VIP Suite, as well as having a gym, work-out studio complete with a Power Plate© and a stylish hydrotherapy pool.
New to the spa is the UK’s first Iyashi Dôme which was first developed in Japan and comes from the traditional Suna Ryoho technique of burying oneself in the warm sand by the seashore or near hot springs to detoxify the body through perspiration.
The modern Iyashi Dôme allows the user to lie back and relax in the Iyashi Dôme whilst the head remains uncovered and the body is cocooned in the ceramic chamber.
The Iyashi Dôme initiates an intensive deep cleansing session, lasting 30 minutes, whereby toxins are eliminated through a large volume of perspiration as the body starts to breakdown fats including cholesterol, fatty acids and subcutaneous fats as well as lactic acid and accumulated toxins. The level of perspiration (Type 1) that is produced from general exercising, bathing and using a sauna or hammam is seldom sufficient to remove toxins. However, this deeper level of perspiration referred to as Type 2 encourages the body to start to draw from its fat reserves and has a number of health benefits that might be achieved from a vigorous 20 Km run but without the aggressive effect on the body.
A full consultation is given at the start of the first treatment and this includes a ‘Body Composition’ analysis reading, to record an individual’s weight, muscle mass, water and fat percentages and readings are taken at the end of each session to measure the results and percentage changes. The 60 minute treatment costs £55 per person and may be booked as a spa treatment or alongside a day/evening spa experience. A course of sessions is recommended, however health benefits are achieved from a single session.
Aquarias spa is the only La Prairie five star ‘Art of Beauty’ centre outside of London. It has recently introduced its most indulgent La Prairie treatment with the launch of the ‘La Prairie Platinum Rare Facial’ (£220). This luxurious facial can be experienced as an individual spa treatment or as part of a full day spa experience (£330pp), which includes use of all the spa facilities and tea served in the spa lounge.
The new 90 minute ‘La Prairie Platinum Rare Facial’ offers a state-of-the-art balancing skin care treatment that cannot be compared with any other facial. Comfortably nurtured in the hands of two expert therapists who work in tandem to expertly re-balance and re-energise the complexion, body and mind, using La Prairie’s new protecting and hydrating Platinium Rare Collection. Whilst one therapist concentrates on the La Prairie facial using stimulating massage techniques and highly effective hydrating and firming masks, the other offers a pampering hand and arm treatment and a leg and foot treatment including an exfoliation followed by a warming and hydrating mask to deeply nourish the hands and feet.
An opulent blend of Jasmine essential oil and La Prairie Cellular hand cream is then applied, delivered by a soothing and nourishing massage to ease aches and pains away. Whilst the hands, arms, legs and feet are nurtured, the facial therapist concentrates on harnessing the power of the luxurious La Prairie Platinium Rare skin care collection to deliver a deeply relaxing ninety minute facial treatment. The facial features the ‘La Prairie Cellular Cream Platinum Rare’ and ‘Cellular Serum Platinum Rare’, both of which contain Platinum molecules that are held in a negatively charged suspension and use La Prairie’s exclusive Smart Crystal Technology to realign the moisture balance of the skin and connect to free radicals particles in order to stabilise them and prevent the breakdown of proteins in the skin which cause the skin to age.
Other day spa options include a ‘Relax and Re-energise Half Day Spa Experience’ starting at £118 per person, which also includes use of all the spa facilities plus the choice of a 60 minute spa treatment and tea in the spa lounge. Alternatively, for £152 per person choose from a selection of 90 minute spa treatments.
As the nights draw in again the spa has also introduced a series of ‘Evening Spa Experiences’ from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm (£38), and include full use of all the spa facilities. ‘Evening Spa and Dinner’ (£68) includes spa use followed by a two course a la carte dinner with tea or coffee served in Le Mazot, the informal brasserie, from 8.30pm onwards.
For guests staying at the hotel use of the spa facilities is offered as part of their stay and can be enhanced with a treatment, such as one of the signature treatments which have been developed exclusively by La Prairie for Whatley Manor. These include the 90-minute ‘Aquarias La Prairie Signature Facial’ (£140 per person), which uses caviar extracts for the face and hot stone massage to provide legs, feet, arms and hands with all-over relaxation and ends with a head massage. The 90 minute ‘La Prairie Pure Gold Radiance Facial’ (£140) uses pure golden drops of La Prairie Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold to visibly brighten and energise the skin whilst gentle heat helps to enhance the penetration of the Pure Gold Serum making the skin smoother and more radiant.
The ‘La Prairie Swiss Cellular Facial for Men’, is a 60 minute treatment that instantly cleanses, energises, and conditions the skin using La Prairie’s exclusive Cellular Complex and Cellular 3-Minute Peel that combine to bio-energise the skin, eliminate congestion and skin impurities to reveal younger, fresher looking skin (£85). In addition the ‘La Prairie Deep Muscular Revive’ massage is a popular treatment for men who are keen to relieve muscular aches and pains and target tension zones (£75 or £85).
For something a little different the ‘Payot Ressource Minérale Rituals’ offer a series of body wraps, massages and body salt scrubs. These treatments harness the power of marine crystals, semi-precious gemstones, marine mineral clays and essential oils leaving the body totally re-energised. Choose from two rituals, each one lasting two and a half hours. ‘Reviving’ – firming and energising and ‘Correcting’ – detoxifies and improves circulation (£190).
More specific treatments include the ‘Aquarias Detox and De-stress Spa Experience’. This two hour detoxifying spa treatment starts with an all over body brush and body polish using luxurious oils. A detoxifying ‘Dead Sea Mud’ wrap is then applied. Whilst you relax cocooned in the body wrap your therapist delivers a restoring head massage followed by a targeted body massage using aromatherapy specific contour oils to cleanse and eliminate toxins. To complete the series of specific spa treatments the ‘Payot Ressource Minérale Celluli Correction’ treatment (£85 or £120) is a quick and effective way to reduce cellulite and includes a body brush, professional treatment body mask and body massage. The 60 minute treatment focuses on the thigh area whilst a 90 minute treatment addresses all areas of concern.
For total pampering couples can book the VIP suite, which has its own hydrobath and dedicated therapists. Choose from four daydream rituals such as the ‘Aquarias Heaven’, comprising an aromatherapy full body aromatic salt and oil polish, a luxurious flower hydrobath and a full body massage using warm volcanic basalt stones infused with aromatherapy oils and finishes with fresh chamomile tea for two (£455 for two people).
Couples can also enjoy the ‘Serail Mud Chamber’ a 60-minute nourishing and detoxifying spa treatment (£120 for two people) in which two people experience the treatment in their own private steam chamber gently massaging medicinal muds and chalks into one another’s skin whilst inhaling the steam infused with pure essences, completing the treatment with an invigorating shower and nourishing body moisturiser.
In addition to the spa treatments guests experience the soothing effects of the spa through a series of heat and thermal cabins. The spa journey starts with a salt scrub shower before acclimatising to the gentle warmth of the Laconium a prelude to the scented steam experienced in the Caldarium, moving on to the Camomile Steam Grotto, a real treat for the hair and skin.
The final cabin offers the intensive heat of the Finnish Sauna. In between each of the cabins guests can make use of the ‘experience showers’ which offer a cooling mint infused shower or a tropical rain shower infused with Maracuja scent. The journey around the spa continues with the hydrotherapy pool heated to 35 degrees and where guests can lie on underwater recliners for an all-over-body massage to relieve tired muscles and neck fountains to ease aches and pains from more ‘hard to reach’ areas.
The hydrotherapy pool allows guests to swim outside to find individual massage jets around the edges of the hydrotherapy pool for the feet and back or sit on the underwater massage benches as they gaze out over the ‘infinity edge’ to the spa garden and woodland below. The next part of the experience takes guests back inside to the Wave Dream Sensory room and a spellbinding art installation by Swiss water scientist Helmut Eigenmann, which uses light and ripples of water to reflect waves on to the domed ceiling accompanied by soothing music. Relax on the warm stone recliners in The Tepidarium before the final part of the journey returning guests to the spa lounge overlooking the hydrotherapy pool where a range of light lunches and refreshments are served.
A one-night stay at Whatley Manor costs from £295 per room for a standard room including bed and breakfast and 10% discretionary service charge and VAT, plus use of the spa Aquarias. Spa treatments cost from £75 for a 45-minute treatment, £85 for a 60-minute treatment and £120 for a 90-minute treatment.
For further information and to book visit: whatleymanor.com
