Best of British – six great British spas

Fancy a dip in a stainless steel swimming pool or being slathered in Cornish clay? We've trawled the country to find Britain’s best spas for those in need of some serious pampering. 

The Titanic Spa, Linthwaite, Huddersfield

When people talk about a spa break, what they’re normally talking about is a long weekend at a hotel which also boasts a spa – if you’re lucky, there’ll be some posh toiletries in the hotel room bathroom and a smattering of healthy sounding food on the menu. When it comes to the Titanic, everything’s been done the other way around – there’s no mistaking this is first and foremost a spa, with the added benefit of rooms for those who can’t quite bear to drag themselves away from the Titanic’s luxurious confines once the pampering’s come to an end.

The Titanic’s home is a former mill that was built in 1911; The Titanic took over in 2006. The treatment list is extensive, with a huge selection of facials and body treatments that leave no stone unturned: there’s exotic wraps which promise to take inches off your waist alongside facials designed to decongest, brighten and tone, along with more unusual treatments such as Hopi ear candling and Reiki.

For me, the spa’s piece de resistance was the mud chamber; a wonderfully exotic tiled room where guests can slather themselves with a never ending supply of the stuff, but the Hydrozone area is a close second, comprising a 15 metre swimming pool where guests can enjoy underwater music, light therapy, candlelit swimming sessions and aquafit lessons before retreating to the poolside sauna and steam room.

There’s a jaw-dropping 17 treatment rooms in total, including a VIP suite for those who’ve booked double treatments. If that’s not enough, there’s a hydro bath suite where underwater massage-based treatments can be carried out. Those wanting to stay overnight can choose from 30 apartments, and in this case that’s exactly what they are; the huge apartments can accommodate between two and eight people and most feature two floors, a huge living room, kitchen area and fully-stocked bathroom.

Overnight packages at the Titanic Spa start at £109.
Individual treatment prices start at £35.
www.titanicspa.com

Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Ragdale Hall Health Hydro is another example of a place where the spa undoubtedly takes centre stage, with the fabulously spacious overnight accommodation being an added extra (If you’re the kind of person who likes to snaffle hotel room toiletries, you’ll be in heaven - each guest gets a reusable Elemis toiletry bag packed with the brand’s goodies).

There’s instant wow factor from the moment guests pull up outside this 16th century manor, thanks largely to the perfectly manicured gardens offering stunning views over the surrounding countryside. Inside, things get even better; despite the hi-tech nature of many of the treatments on offer here, the high ceilings and endless expanses of wood-panelled corridors provide a healthy dose of country house chic.

Then there’s the facilities. I’ll start with the heat experiences. All too many spas boast of heat experience areas which actually turn out to consist of a grimy looking pipe spitting out half-frozen ice chips and a sauna the size of an airing cupboard. Luckily, the Thermal Spa at Ragdale hall is truly worthy of the name. With its 12 heat experiences – the jasmine-scented colour flow-cave is a must-see, whilst the Thought Zone, with its Moorish-inspired architecture and inlaid Svarowski Crystals is just as stunning – this section of the spa is an attraction in itself. This area is also home to a stunning 25 metre pool (complete with waterfall) and a smaller exercise pool – there’s five pools in total.

As for the treatments, Ragdale Hall goes above and beyond. In addition to the wide range of facials, wraps, masks and scrubs carried out in the spa’s 55 treatment rooms, there’s an Estonian ear nose and throat doctor whose additional expertise in naturopathy, homeopathy and herbal medicine makes her holistic approach a must for anyone struggling with undiagnosed aches and pains, whilst the diverse range of treatments aimed at men make this perfect for the modern man – whether it’s the Leighton Denny Hand Maintenance Treatment or the men’s Lava Shell treatment. 

Prices for day packages start at £69
Overnight packages start at £280
www.ragdalehall.co.uk

ESPA Life at the Corinthia Hotel, London

Fire and ice may well be opposing elements but they’re also two things that both feature at London’s newest spa. Indeed, perhaps the most stunning aspect of this spa is the design. The fact that the upper floors take the form of light-filled spaces, with white being the predominant colour, make the basement floor even more impressive, with its vast expanses of black Italian marble and polished chrome contrasting perfectly with the lighter colour scheme above.

The spa is laid out over four floors, covering a total area of 3,300 square metres. The mezzanine level houses the reception and spa lounge, whilst the next floor down is home to the 17 treatment pods (two located within a private spa suite) and the ladies’ changing area, which also includes a sauna, steam room and heated loungers along with private sleeping pods where guests can relax, doze off or listen to music before their inevitable return to reality. The piece de resistance is undeniably the room located just along from the changing rooms – in the centre of this dimly sit room there’s a blazing fire, surrounded by scatter-cushion bedecked seating that offers the perfect retreat from the grey London streets above.

The treatments are just as tempting, ranging from the traditional to the hi tech - during my treatment, a Skin Vision Lamp was used to analyse my skin and reveal which areas needed most help. The treatment rooms on this floor are stunning; the all-white, round, pod-like enclosures are some of the largest treatment rooms I’ve seen in a spa – never mind one in London.  The next level down houses an equally high tech gym, along with a men’s changing area and men’s tepidarium, but it’s the lowest floor which really took my breath away.

To start with there’s the pool: a 9 metre stainless steel affair (it’s more hygienic, apparently) facing a narrow wall of fire that divides the pool from the smaller vitality pool beyond. Further along there’s a series of heated relaxation beds, experience showers and an ice fountain. As someone prone to claustrophobia the custom-built sauna was a definite high point and a must-see for anyone who’s ever stepped into the traditionally dark gloom of a murky steam room: ESPA Life is home to the first glass-walled sauna, a sunken, light-filled pit in the centre of the spa that makes the art of sweating almost enjoyable. Almost. 

Treatment rates start at £25
Rates for overnight spa packages start at £399
www.corinthia.com

The Scotsman Spa, The Scotsman Hotel, Edinburgh

Whoever said it’s grim up North has obviously never been to the Scotsman Hotel’s spa. Located within one of Edinburgh’s finest hotels and most historic buildings (once home to the newspaper of the same name) the Scotsman is an urban retreat in the heart of hip Edinburgh.  Although the facilities might be somewhat limited compared to other spas, the quality and variety of treatments on offer more than make up for this.

The spa specialises in Thalgo treatments – a brand that in my opinion, is seriously underestimated in this country -  offering around thirty Thalgo treatments alongside a huge range of facials, scrubs wraps. While Thalgo is undeniably the star of the show, other treatments have a distinctly international feel, from the Indocean, which features a Mediterranean-inspired body exfoliation, to the Top-to-Toe Signature treatment, which involves a fragrant combination of lotions and the use of Japanese oshiboris, or scented towels.

There’s also a wide range of massages designed for mums-to-be, new mums, a separate menu of treatments inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, and a menu of beauty treatments that includes everything from waxing to lash and brow tinting and sprays tans. Facility-wise, there’s five spacious treatment rooms (including one double room for couples), all of which are thoughtfully designed and well laid out. There’s also a wonderfully steamy tropicarium, along with a sauna, steam room and arctic and tropical showers – the tropical showers are designed for use before a visit to the wet rooms, whilst the arctic showers help to close your pores and regulate body temperature after you’ve sweated out all those toxins in one of the aforementioned wet rooms.

The best bit though, is the stainless steel swimming pool – the first of its kind in Scotland. Apparently, the stainless steel construction prevents the growth of bacteria. Personally, we just think it looks cool…

Treatment prices start at £35 for a facial
Rates for overnight spa breaks start at £325
www.scotsmanspa.com

Wyck Hill House Spa, Wyck Hill House Hotel, the Cotswolds

Located just a few miles from Chipping Norton – home to the infamous Chipping Norton set – the spa at Wyck Hill House is small but perfectly formed, and a great example of a small spa that really packs a punch when it comes to the quality of treatments on offer.  The spa is located within Wyck Hill House, a 17th century former coaching inn-turned luxury hotel.

The spa is run by a crack team of five therapists who really know their stuff and who, in addition to being trained in everything from bespoke Elemis facials to La Stone therapy, are endless fonts of knowledge when it comes to skincare. Another brownie point is awarded for the price points - the value for money comes as a welcome relief in an area of England where the cost of a glass of wine often makes the swankiest London bars look like a bargain basement (damn that Chipping Norton set!). Basic beauty procedures start at just £5, while facials start at £35.

Despite the distinctly un-celebrity like price points, the spa has somewhat of a cult celebrity fan base, with Marianne Faithfull rumoured to be one of the spa’s regulars.  There’s just six treatment rooms, but the comprehensive treatment list, which specialises in Elemis treatments, belies the spa’s size, whether you’re after a customised facial or a frangipani body wrap.  There’s also a sauna, relaxation room and a surprisingly large 12-seater steam room. The best things really do come in small packages, after all.

Treatment prices start at £35
Rates for overnight packages start at £120
www.wyckhillhousehotel.co.uk

[Relevant: There's more to spas that facials and massages]

The Clearing, The Cornwall Hotel Spa and Estate, St Austell

Even the name of the spa at the Cornwall Hotel Spa and Estate – the Clearing – promotes a sense of calm, and those lucky enough to enter this zen-like space certainly won’t be disappointed. The Clearing Spa offers some seriously luxurious beauty treatments with a healthy dose of fitness in the form of a high-tech gym and tennis courts. However those looking to relax are certainly well catered for. An aroma-steam room and sauna surrounds the huge pool, while the surrounding huge retractable glass panels make it a great all-weather spot for a swim.

Eco warriors with a phobia of germs should also take note – instead of chlorine, UV light is used to treat the water in the pool. The spa features five large treatment rooms (one of which is a double) along with a relaxation room, manicure bar and juice bar.  There’s a wide range of treatments, with Aromatherapy Associates and The Refinery being two brands the spa works closely with. Many of the treatments are inspired by the location; for example, there’s the Cornish Trilogy Treatment which sees guests slathered in Cornish clay, mud and pure plant oils, the Sea Breeze Body Treatment, which boosts sluggish circulations with a fragrant combination of citrus oils, and the Sea shell and Salt Scrub which uses lava shells in conjunction with aromatherapy oils to ease knotted muscles and soothe aching limbs.

The spa menu is divided into several sections with each offering an impressive selection of treatments, whether you’re a mum-to-be, stressed out teen or metro sexual male in need of a little pampering.

Beauty treatments start at £30
Overnight packages start at £168
www.thecornwall.com

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