Spa & Away
From fabulous facials to brilliant body rubs and wonderful water treatments, we’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to. Just turn the page for your guide to all things relaxing…
BY SARAH RODRIGUES
BIZARRE TREATMENTS
What’s in a facial? Quite a lot, if you believe the words of beauty experts, but what really sets one pampering experience aside from another? From the indulgent to the frankly out-there, here’s a look at the best of the more – ahem! -unusual around the bmibaby network
NEAR CARDIFF
CAVIAR FACIAL
Even if you’re not keen on eating the stuff, you’re bound to be tempted by the claim that the cell structure of caviar is very similar to that of human collagen – it’s basically little black globules of youth which, when applied to the skin, will see you emerge from your treatment with a firmer, younger-looking face – and all without a trout pout in sight. This 55 minute, £55 facial also includes an energising fingertip massage to get the blood going and relax expression lines. We’re hooked.
The Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Hensol Park, Hensol, near Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan; tel: +44 (0)1443 667 800, www.vale-hotel.com
MANCHESTER
CHOCOLATE TREATMENTS
Pampering is indulgent, chocolate is decadent, so really, the two are a match made in heaven. Not only is chocolate – the quality stuff, mind – packed with antioxidants, but that same fat content that plumps out your thighs from the inside (bad thing) can also plump up your skin from the outside, leaving it smooth and radiant (good thing). Added to this is the fact that the smell of chocolate gets your endorphins going, all of which adds to a luminous glow. Try being slathered in real chocolate and fresh cream in a 45-minute body wrap (£55 [€61.75]) or there’s the 55-minute Decadence 10 Years Younger Facial (£60 [€67]), which combines chocolate with lavender, geranium and patchouli.
Inner Sanctuary Spa, 112 High Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester; tel: +44 (0)161 819 2465, www.innersanctuaryretreat.com
NEAR PRAGUE
BEER SPA
Located in the cellar of a brewery, and physician-endorsed to boot, the Chodovar Spa claims that soaking in a bathtub of warm mineral water, aromatic herbs, active yeast and dark bathing beer will liven up your complexion, ease tired muscles and warm up your joints. After a 20-minute soak, you’ll lie down and take it easy under a warm blanket, having soaked up vitamin B, proteins and sugars, all of which purify and regenerate the skin. Naturally, knocking back a glass of the house brew while bathing is recommended, and then you can follow it up with a massage or malt draff remedial pack. The beer bath costs CZK600 (€22.50) with other treatments at an additional cost.
Chodovar spol, 107 Pivovarská, Chová Planá; tel: +420 374 617 100, www.chodovar.cz
BORDEAUX
VINOTHERAPY
The occasional glass of wine is meant to have health benefits – but buckets of the stuff? No worries – as long as you’re bathing in it rather than imbibing: imagine soaking in a vat of spring water that has been treated with vine and grape extract while your face sucks up the antioxidant properties of a Merlot face wrap. Muscle tension is massaged away with a grape-mashing paddle, while splashes of cool, refreshing grape water revive the senses. The spring-water soak and massage costs €60 for 15 minutes; the facial €100 for 50 minutes. Guests at the world’s first vinotherapy spa at the 40-room Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, about 20 minutes south of Bordeaux, can also enjoy wine tastings at neighbouring vineyards or a glass or two with dinner at one of the hotel’s two restaurants.
Les Sources de Caudalíe, Chemin de Smith Haut-Lafitte, Bordeaux-Martillac; tel: +33 (0)5 5783 8383, www.sources-caudalie.com
BARCELONA
DIAMONDS
Living at today’s hectic pace, it’s inevitable that you’re going to spend a lot of time with your mobile phone clutched to your ear, fingers tapping on a keyboard and eyes squinting at a monitor. But, oh my, to think what those nasty little waves of electricity might be doing to your well-being! The way to combat it? Diamonds, of course, darling. The Majestic diamonds body treatment combines diamond dust, micronised iron, wild lavender and a neodymium magnet to re-establish equilibrium, counteract electromagnetic exposure and ease tension – and at €206 for 90 minutes, it’s bound to be cheaper than a shopping trip to Tiffany.
Hotel Majestic (10th floor), 68 Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona; tel: +34 93 496 7718, www.hotelmajestic.es
Traditional VS Modern
Crystal-bearing tribal healer or syringe-wielding, white-coated practitioner? With so many treatments, old and new, on offer, how do you decide which to choose? We’ll tell you how each works and what benefits they provide. Now all you have to do is lie back and enjoy
TRADITIONAL: IN PARIS
LUXOPUNCTURE
What Like acupuncture, but using lux (light) instead of needles, luxopuncture works on various pressure points on the body using an infrared beam. Developed in the 1990s in the ever body-conscious France, it’s generally used to combat the signs of ageing by boosting circulation, encouraging collagen production and toning facial muscles. It also has beneficial effects for weight loss, tobacco-kicking and stress-busting.
We say A happy marriage of ancient practices with high-tech fabulousness – and when have the French ever been wrong about aesthetics?
Body Perfect, 9 Rue Pascal, Paris; tel: +33 (0)1 5543 0101, www.body-perfect.fr
TRADITIONAL: IN JERSEY
NUSKIN AND GALVANIC SPA
What Already generating quite a buzz (Oprah has said that it’s going to revolutionise skincare!) this treatment incorporates a handheld gizmo that uses electric currents to pull dirt from the pores and push products deep into the skin, as well as spot-targeting lines and wrinkles by promoting collagen production. A facial costs £65 (€73) for 60 minutes, but four interchangeable treatment heads mean that scalp and body can also be treated. Say goodbye cellulite, hello lustrous hair and radiant skin, all within the indulgent atmosphere of Jersey’s Grand Spa.
We say Who cares what we say? Oprah has said that it’s going to revolutionise skincare!
Grand Jersey, Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey; tel: +44 (0)1534 722 301, www.grandjersey.com
TRADITIONAL: NEAR PRAGUE
CRYOGENIC CHAMBER THERAPY
What There are horror-film scenes that involve being locked in meat freezers, but some people willingly step into chambers that have been cooled – typically with liquid nitrogen – to temperatures of -150°C for up to four minutes at a time (CZK350 [€13]) The difference being, of course, that they can stop the treatment at any time and there’s not a flesh-eating zombie lying in wait for them – and that cryotherapy has health-promoting, non-nightmare-inducing effects, such as weight loss, pain alleviation and tissue regeneration. Plus, your head remains exposed (phew!).
We say One of the main reasons that people visit spas is to chill out, so why not go the whole nine yards? Lázne Relax Jablonec, 28A Novoveská, Jablonec nad Nisou; tel: +420 483 310 623, www.relaxace.com
MODERN: NEAR NOTTINGHAM
AROMA STONE THERAPY
What Historically, healers in many cultures have sworn by the therapeutic properties of hot stones; using the qualities of heat, warm basalt stones are placed along the body’s key energy points which, combined with aromatherapy massage, induces a state of total relaxation, easing aches and pains, assisting the body to eliminate toxins and kick-start sluggish circulation. Expect to pay £75 (€84) for a 75-minute session at Clumber Park Hotel’s New Leaf Spa, about 45 minutes from Nottingham.
We say This treatment rocks!
New Leaf Spa, Clumber Park Hotel, Clumber Park, near Worksop; tel: +44 (0)1623 835 333, www.clumberparkhotel.com
MODERN: IN PERPIGNAN
THALASSO THERAPY
What Since ancient times, the Mediterranean’s high salt and mineral properties have been relied upon for their restorative properties. Situated just 15km from Perpignan, Les Flamants Roses is the only thalasso (from the Greek word for “sea”) spa in the south of France, with a range of cures to make you slimmer, better looking and less stressed. Prices start at just €24 for a one-hour anti-stress treatment, but you can book in for up to six days with four treatments per day, including seaweed wraps and multi-jet baths. Bliss.
We say Release your inner mermaid!
Grand Hôtel les Flamants Roses, Voie des Flamants Roses, Canet-en-Roussillon; tel: +33 (0)4 6851 6065, www.hotel-flamants-roses.com
MODERN: IN GLASGOW
INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE
What Based on ancient ayurvedic techniques, Indian head massage involves a variety of kneading and compression movements over the face, neck, scalp and shoulders. A 60-minute session at PURE Spa, 15 minutes from the centre of Glasgow, will set you back £60 (€67) and leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, with increased clarity of thought – plus it’s good for migraines, sinusitis and insomnia.
We say All this and you get to keep your clothes on – what’s not to love? However, considering the mental benefits of the treatment, we suggest handing the bill to your boss – surely it’s more justifiable, expenses-wise, than a boozy lunch?
PURE Spa, Silverburn Shopping Centre, Glasgow; tel: +44 (0)141 881 7770, www.purespauk.com
THE BEST OF THE REST
TOULOUSE
Best for water babies
CALICÉO
Located 10 minutes from Toulouse’s city centre, Calicéo is described as a temple to water, with no less than five hot tubs, an 18m-diameter swimming pool, waterfalls, two outdoor pools, steam rooms and saunas. Naturally, aqua aerobics is offered, as well as the usual range of beauty-boosting massages and facials.
Calicéo, 1 rue Cabanes, Union; tel: +33 (0)826 303 305, www.caliceo.com
NEWQUAY
Best for frazzled mums
BEDRUTHAN HOTEL & SPA
If anyone deserves a spot of pampering, it’s a worn-out mum – especially if she’s got another little nipper on the way, yet – infuriatingly – many treatments and products are off-limits to pregnant women. Bedruthan not only boasts a range of bump-friendly therapies, but Mum can fully relax and enjoy her time-out in the knowledge that her existing nippers are well catered for with healthy kids’ meals, indoor and outdoor play areas and Ofsted-registered clubs.
Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Mawgan Porth; tel: +44 (0)1637 860 555, www.bedruthan.com
MAJORCA
Best for couples
LA RESIDENCIA
No OTT boudoir-style chambers here – rooms are simple, classic and all the more sensuous for it, with many featuring four-poster beds and romantic nooks. Add to this a secluded location and a range of treatments designed to nurture both body and soul, and couples won’t be able to keep their hands off each others’ newly buffed bodies. Just try to hold out until after dinner – the food will seduce on another level entirely.
Hotel La Residencia, Son Canals s/n, Deià; tel: +34 97 163 9011, www.hotellaresidencia.com
LISBON
Best for men
CITYSPA
For men who like their spa treatments to be less about indulgence and more about working out the kinks that come with a good long session of physical exertion, what better place than Lisbon, a city whose hilliness will set your quadriceps a-quivering? Choose from a series of treatments inspired by traditional rituals from all over the world (how about a no-nonsense “Australian massage”?) and then, safe in your alpha maleness, follow up with some pampering and relaxation such as an Aroma Rain Shower or 45-minute chest-wax.
City Spa, 19a rua Goncalves Zarco; tel: +351 213 632 492, www.cityspa.com.pt
NEAR BELFAST
Best food
GALGORM RESORT & SPA
It’s recently won two AA rosettes, but that’s not the only reason why the food at Galgorm, about 30 minutes north-west of Belfast, is worthy of note: although we’re all for spas that provide light, tasty, non thigh-expanding menus, truth be told, it’s all the more enjoyable when it includes luxurious combinations, mouthwatering flavours and yes, we’ll say it, the silky textures that only come with a fat content of more than zero. Pan-roasted scallops with pumpkin risotto and parsley oil, followed by mallard duck with Jerusalem artichoke purée, finished with wild-berry pannacotta… Mmmm…
Galgorm Resort & Spa, 136 Fenaghy Road, Galgorm; tel: +44 (0)28 2588 1001, www.galgorm.com
NEAR MANCHESTER
Best eco-credentials
TITANIC SPA
Located about 30 minutes from Manchester, the UK’s first eco-spa doesn’t just offer a range of holistic treatments and organic products. Titanic (so named because the reconditioned textile mill it’s in was built the same year as the eponymous ship) has invested £1.5 (€1.6) million into creating a carbon-neutral building with sunlight-harnessing solar panels, a bore hole to send water to the spa and a bio-mass generator that provides heating via tree chippings. Far from being ascetic or overtly worthy, however, the spa is pure indulgence, so you get beautiful and the Earth stays that way.
Titanic Spa, Low Westwood Lane, Linthwaite, Huddersfield; tel: +44 (0)1484 843 544, www.titanicspa.com
EDINBURGH
Best for hen parties
ONE SPA
Billed as the finest urban spa in Europe, One Spa’s location, in buzzy Edinburgh, makes it a perfect destination for hens wanting to shop and party in true pre-wedding style – but it also combines holistic therapies with an indulgent setting to repair the damage done by your celebrations. There are thermal suites, fitness facilities and pools, including the fabulously girly Cleopatra baths, plus a health-conscious menu that gives you the calorie count of what you’re eating – genius!
One Spa, 8 Conference Square; tel: +44 (0)131 221 7777, www.onespa.com
NEAR NEWQUAY
A real spring clean
KARUNA RETREAT
Work stress overwhelming, blood pressure boiling, food and drink consumption increasing… so when the chance came to give my body a break from the norm, I grabbed at it with both hands.
My home for a seven-day fast and detox was the Karuna Retreat in Devon (about 90 minutes from Newquay). The setting is beautiful: a luxurious farm with plasma TV and wifiinternet. I learned about food – what’s good, what’s bad and what order tohave them in. Our meals consisted of juices, which may not sound a lot, but after the first day you really don’t feel hungry
Our time was spent meditating, taking lessons in non-violent communication, having treatments, walking, practising yoga and watching television… and numerous colonics. It’s amazing what’s stuck in the body!
Karuna Retreats was started by Sho, an incredibly lovely, bubbly lady who gives daily talks on nutrition; guidance on how to live a longer, healthier life, and spends plenty of time with each guest.
At the end of the week we broke our fast with a raw food diet and left with homemade recipes for healthy raw chocolate and smoothies filled with innumerable nutrients. Everyone was friendly and supportive and, I swear, when we walked out at the end we looked like we’d all been through a washing machine – eyes clear, skin shining, intestinal toxins removed. Everyone looked as if they’d lost years, not just pounds.
Full boutique detox camps are like MOTs for your body and mind and, if I’m anything to go by, a revelation: I’ve recently entered a half-marathon – before I couldn’t even make it to the chip shop without puffing.
A one-week course costs from £700; for more information, visit www.karunadetox.com
