Britain’s stylish Spa Hotels

A new breed of hotel is springing up across the UK, modern but luxurious, stylish but informal – and all of them have one thing in common – a state of the art spa. Hotel spas offer the chance to have a relaxing treatment, or even just a soothing swim and steam, without the structure and discipline of a destination spa. Here the accent is on soft, fluffy beds, indulgent food, fantastic wines and lots of lounging around on plump sofas in front of open fires, or beautiful views -- a spa treatment or two completes the all-round sensuous experience. We give prices for a double room, including the use of spa facilities but not treatments (excluding Pennyhill, where entry to the spa costs £45 each).

Hidden away on England’s north-east coast, close to the cathedral city of Durham, lies Seaham Hall, once home to the poet Lord Byron, now an elegant hotel with the award-winning Serenity Spa attached. The spa has an oriental theme, with traditional Japanese and Thai massage therapies such as the Zen Kai-Kan stroking massage, and lots of fruit and herbal ingredients. The hydrotherapy pool, with its different jets and massage streams, is wonderfully invigorating, but to feel really indulged order a glass of Champagne and lie back in the outdoor Jacuzzi, surrounded by glorious Northumbrian countryside. Room and breakfast from £195 per night.

One of the slickest of the new breed is Cowley Manor, which combines ultra-modern design with a flexible attitude – breakfast at 4pm, dinner at midnight, for example, if that is what you fancy. Surrounded by charming Cotswold country, and only 35 miles from Oxford, the C+side spa is the perfect place to retire to after a day’s exploring, offering ESPA and Clarins treatments including the Crunch (£74), a blissful hot-stone massage. Cowley is all about indulgence, with gadget-crammed bedrooms including Loewe TVs and DVD players. From £220 per room per night.

The UK’s biggest hotel spa is at Pennyhill Park in Surrey, south-west of London, boasting 21 treatment rooms, a thermal sequencing suite with ice caves, saunas and themed showers and, at times, the English rugby team. Pennyhill is all about pampering, whether it is a Champagne manicure or a ‘chocolate and vanilla body therapy’ (£120). The hotel is a 19th century mansion, overlooking glorious Surrey countryside, and the elegant terraces are perfect for an indulgent, post-spa afternoon tea. From £180 per room per night.

Ideal for beach-lovers, Bailiffscourt in West Sussex is just a few minutes stroll from the English Channel. The hotel looks like a 17th century manor house, but was actually built in the 1920s, while the Temple Spa opened only last year. Treatments have a strong Mediterranean feel; the Mediterranean marinade facial (£40), is packed with sun kissed herbs and minerals, body treatments contain plenty of citrus oils and, and the ‘Tapas’ menu contains side orders such as waxing. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools and Jacuzzis, and room and breakfast costs from £185 per night.

Turnberry resort in Scotland boasts 800 acres of glorious countryside, and golf, fishing, riding and falconry, as well as the beautiful Turnberry spa are all on the menu. Turnberry has been a golf resort for almost 100 years, but now also boasts a kids club, cookery school and the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy to ensure you improve your swing. If that all sounds like hard work, opt for the Holistic Body Care treatment, which combines body brushing and exfoliation with a deep body and scalp massage (£99). Room from £149 per night.

A former cowshed might not sound luxurious, but the Cowshed spa at Babington House (the country club of Soho House, London’s media meeting place) is one of the most glamorous in the UK, situated near the pretty market town of Frome, Somerset. Treatments can be taken in A traditional Mongolian yurt (tent) or Native American teepee by the lake, and keep to the cow theme; try a ‘cowgirl’ facial, with shoulder and scalp massage, or a ‘double cream massage’ (£85) where two therapists work in unison for a full-body massage. Babington is perfectly placed for exploring the Somerset countryside and the Georgian city of Bath. From £215 per room per night.

For a traditional English-country-house experience, they don’t come better than Stapleford Park, a glorious 16th century mansion, with each of the 51 bedrooms styled by a different designer, from Liberty to Pirelli. Children are well catered for, with plenty of activities on offer, so adults can wander off into the gorgeous Capability Brown-designed parkland, or sneak off to the Clarins spa for a steam, swim and indulgent facial. Traditional English pursuits are also on offer, such as carriage-driving and falconry. From £230 per room per night.

Whatley Manor, close to the elegant former spa town of Cheltenham, and ideal for touring the Cotswold Hills, is one of the UK’s most fashionable country hotels, and the Aquarius spa offers indulgent La Prairie treatments against a backdrop of art installations and gorgeous mosaics. La Prairie Swiss Bliss (£195) is a three-hour face and body treatment, using caviar extracts and reflexology techniques to achieve total relaxation. Afterwards, take a gentle stroll in Whatley’s glorious country-house gardens, dotted with sculptures and filled with roses and well-kept lawns. From £275 per room per night.

Explore the mountain landscapes of Snowdonia in North Wales from the comfort of Bodysgallen Hall and revive aching limbs with a Molton Brown ‘gingerlily bodywrap’ (£55) in the elegant spa. Bodysgallen is a 17th century mansion perched above the seaside town of Llandudno, and the spa is housed in converted farm buildings, with pool, sauna and steam and a club room and terrace for light lunches and juices. The ancient castles of Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris are all nearby, or just stay put and indulge in a Welsh afternoon tea, complete with Champagne. From £165 per room per night.

The Grove’s proximity to London – it is situated near Watford, twenty minutes by train north-west of the capital -- makes it the perfect location to combine city and country, and the Grove’s spa, Sequoia, provides the perfect relaxation option after a day exploring London’s galleries, historic sights and shops. The emphasis is on peace and tranquillity in the black, mosaic-tiled pool, Zen garden and the candlelit treatment room. Try the Purva Karma four-hand synchronised massage, two hours of total bliss (£200). From £240 per room per night.

A wide selection of ideas for those who wish to relax, unwind and indulge themselves while in Britain can be found on VisitBritain’s new-look website, www.visitbritain.com – click on ‘Good Living’.

Seaham Hall 0191 516 1499, www.seaham-hall.com
Cowley Manor 01242 870900, www.cowleymanor.com
Pennyhill Park 01276 471771, www.exclusivehotels.co.uk
Bailiffscourt Hotel 01903 723511, www.hshotels.co.uk
Turnberry 01655 333991, www.turnberry.co.uk
Babington House 01373 813860, www.babingtonhouse.co.uk
Whatley Manor 01666 822888, www.whatleymanor.co.uk
Bodysgallen 01492 584466, www.bodysgallen.com
The Grove 01923 807807, www.thegrove.co.uk
Stapleford Park 01572 787522, www.stapleford.co.uk

by Annabelle Thorpe