This time of the year is traditionally the period where we give up our excesses and go in search of a ‘newer’ version of ourselves. Forget that. Instead, head to one of these new spa offerings for a dose of indulgence. Here’s where to get a revamp rather than a reinvention.
Rudding Park’s hydrotherapy infinity pool
Best for… a fitter you
Rudding Park Spa, Harrogate
The recently-opened rooftop spa at this Yorkshire country-house hotel was 12 years in the making. As well as the outdoor glass-fronted sauna, ‘meadow’ gardens designed by horticulturist Matthew Wilson, immersive sensory zones and a packed menu full of natural and organic remedies – its fitness workshops are also bang on the money. Ideal for skiers are the Pre-Hab Ski Sessions (£115 for three hours), run by Matthew Birch, a sport’s rehabilitation specialist, and aimed at preventing injuries when away. The Art of Aufuss workshops (£75 per person), meanwhile, are based around Nordic sauna rituals and are the first of their kind in the UK. Led by Sauna Meister Lay Pang Ong, the extreme heat, aromatic air and meditation practices are said to improve cardiovascular strength. For those looking to improve their core strength and general bendiness, book in now for the next Lara Darby Yoga Weekend, which takes place 18-20 May (from £600.50 per person).
Culloden
Best for… a calmer you
Culloden Estate, Belfast
Taking inspiration from its rural surroundings, the recently renovated Culloden Estate, overlooking Belfast Lough and the County Antrim coastline, gives a seasonal approach to its treatments. With its 12 acres of grounds and bracing Northern Irish sea air, this is just the place to find your inner zen. New for winter is the All Is Calm Day Spa Experience (£105 per person). The hot stone massage with clove oil, ESPA Frankincense Facial with rose quartz crystals and a scalp massage has been designed to warm you up and chill you out.
hastingshotels.com/culloden-estate-and-spa
Old Course Hotel and Spa
Best for… a sober you
Kohler Waters Spa, Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, Scotland
If you’ve overdone it on the Quality Street and fizz, then head north to Scotland’s newest spa opening. The all-singing, all-dancing Kohler Waters Spa has just completed a multi-million-pound refurbishment and, as well as its focus on hydrotherapy, reopens this month with a Deep Detox Package (£1,500 per person for three nights), ideal for those aiming to keep their New Year resolutions on track. Bespoke nutritional menus, exercise routines and detoxifying treatments will keep you on the straight and narrow.
oldcoursehotel.co.uk/spa/kohler-waters-spa
The spa at Swinton
Best for… a healthier you
Swinton Estate, Yorkshire
Found on one of the largest private estates in the UK, the new spa at Swinton Estate is also home to the first venture for organic brand Bamford outside of its Gloucestershire home. Carved out of the old Estate Gardener’s cottage, the emphasis is on natural health. There’s a spa restaurant with produce picked from the four-acre walled garden, an al fresco herbal sauna and outdoor natural water pool. As well as Bamford facials and body treatments (from £50), you’ll get to stay in the castle hotel, which dates back to the 1880s (from £195 per room, per night based on two sharing).
http://hotel.swintonestate.com
Beaverbrook
Best for… a cooler you
The Coach House, Beaverbrook, Surrey
Impress your friends by being among the first to book into the new spa due to open this spring in the grounds of Beaverbrook. The Coach House will be the final phase of the reimagining of what was once the former home of press baron Lord Max Beaverbrook. If Susie Atkinson’s eclectic interiors in the main house are anything to go by, you can expect dreamy treatment rooms and plenty of nods to the estate’s history. The restored Grade II coach house will have its own cottage garden, a deli and treatments based around organic oils and medicinal plants. Its floral theme has been conceived by British artist Brian Clarke and the spa will feature his bespoke stained glass windows and mosaics. It’s set to be one of the big openings of the year.
This feature was published on 14 January 2018 in Metro Newspaper
