"Relax, you have found your Nirvana..." (Nirvana Spa)

Member Name: jupiter28

Product:	Nirvana Spa
Date:	30/04/08 (180 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: superb range of facilities

Disadvantages: can get busy in certain areas of the complex

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Nirvana Spa
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Nirvana Spa is a spa located in the county of Berkshire close to the M4 and offers both day spa for day visits and healthclub memberships. I have been a member of Nirvana Spa for about 10 years now so I wanted to give you a review on the facilities from a member perspective. Nirvana Spa is known simply as Nirvana to the members :o)

Little known fact: The pool scene in the Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue video for Kids was filmed in the fitness pool at Nirvana Spa!

Nirvana opened it's doors about 30 years ago with about 50% of today's facilities. It was extended to it's current size in late 2000. It is described as the UK's purest spa, given it has it's own spring to feed the pools.

Nirvana Spa & Leisure Ltd is entirely a privately operated company and it's current MD is Tim Harding.
The Times have an article on Nirvana Spa at http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style /travel/good_spa_guide/ar ticle743593.ece

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Facilities
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One of the best things about Nirvana I think is the unrivalled facilities on offer, especially if you are a member. But equally great for day visitors on the experience packages. The main areas of Nirvana are:

* 25m fitness pool, with 2 lane for lane swimming and equivalent area for non-lane swimmers
* The Spa Pool - a hydrotherapy pool with approximately 49 stations using water jets for the whole body that can pommel and massage aches and pains
* The Roman Room - another pool with a roman feel with high ceilings and a magnificent column structure that takes your breath away. This pool is fed by a naturally found spring in the area and you can use the loungers dotted around the pool to relax
* The Relaxation Pool - a pool with a serene and quiet atmosphere with just the noise of running water. Ideal for relaxed and lazy swimming or you can use the loungers to read a newspaper or magazine or even to sleep!
* The Nirvana Room Tepidarium - This is a fairly new addition (probably in the last 2 years). This room is the quietest in the whole spa to provide the perfect environment for falling asleep. The room contains 33 ceramic loungers (adding a touch of luxury) heated to 35 degrees making it warm and toasty. You can also use the headphone sockets to listen to your choice of music
* Hydrotherapy/Floatation room with Dead Sea salts to provide the ultimate in relaxation and stress relief
Outdoor Patio - in the summer you can sit outside on the lounger soaking up the evening rays and making the most of the sunshine
* The Garden Café - this is Nirvana's restaurant/café where you choose to indulge in cakes, sweets and refreshments, sit down to a proper 3-course meal or choose something from the buffet, usually a selection of salads and cheese
* Treatment rooms - Nirvana offers a range of beauty treatments that you can indulge in to your hearts content (funding permitting)
* The fitness room - a smaller gym within Nirvana Spa offering a small number of treadmills, cross trainers, rowing machines, fitness bikes and a weights area
* Separate male/female sauna and steam rooms
* A unisex aromatherapy steam room offering some very good congestion benefits
* Jacuzzi - situated just outside the Fitness Pool this provides a welcome contrast to the Pool with hot bubbling waters. This Jacuzzi is big enough for about 8 people.

In addition to the Nirvana facilities, there is also a separate health club that is part of Nirvana called Pulse8 Healthclub. Pulse8 operates a gym and membership in it's entirety but also as a part of Nirvana day spa and memberships.

As this review is about Nirvana, I will not say too much, but it does offer a mass of equipment and facilities like numerous weight rooms and classes.

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Membership Packages
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Nirvana Spa offers many packages depending on your circumstances. You can choose from a minimum of 3 yearly visits to full membership which allows unrestricted access all year round. Nirvana offers the following membership packages:

Full Membership - £86 per person with £500-£750 joining fee
Spa & Fitness - £66 per person with £150-£225 joining fee
Health Club - £65 per person with £150-£225 joining fee

Full membership allows unrestricted access to use all the facilities (including it's sister gym, Pulse8) between the opening and closing hours.

Spa & Fitness allows use of Nirvana Spa anytime Monday to Friday, except Bank Holidays. Unrestricted use of Pulse 8 Health & Fitness Club is included.

Health Club membership allows use of Nirvana Spa prior to 8.30am and after 4pm, Monday to Friday and access after 4pm on weekends and Bank Holidays. Unrestricted use of Pulse 8 Health & Fitness Club is included.Nirvana also offers packages known as Spa Club Memberships where you can buy a number of set visits per year for a monthly fee. You have the following options for Spa Club Membership.

Spa Club 12 - £29.50 for 12 inclusive visits per year
Spa Club 12 evening - £19.50 for 12 inclusive evening visits per year
Spa Club 6 - £18.00 for 6 inclusive visits per year
Spa Club 3 - £9.50 for 3 inclusive visits per year

Each of these Spa Club Membership options has something called an Affiliation Fee, which is essentially a joining fee that you can pay as one-off or over 3 months along with the monthly fee. This fee is currently £99.Members can also invite up to a maximum of 2 guests on their visit for an extra charge.

Membership fees (excluding joining fees) are monthly payments.

To use the facilities outside of any of the restricted options, charges apply. To check the latest membership and other fees, please visit http://www.nirvanaspa.co.uk/

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Non-Membership Packages
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Nirvana also offers the Day spa options for those based further afield. With these you can purchase a package for either the day or evening allowing you to unrestricted use of all the facilities.

These packages are currently:
Evening Spa Experience, Monday to Thursday £59.00
Evening Spa Experience, Friday - Sunday £69.00
Day Spa Experience, Monday to Thursday £99.00
Day Spa Experience, Friday - Sunday £125.00

In addition to these packages you have the option to book health and beauty treatments with the resident Beauty Therapists and you have a selection of facials, manicures, pedicures, massages etc. Note: there would be additional fees/charges for these facilities and I would recommend you book these in advance to ensure you get the choices of treatments you want.

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Other Information
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Nirvana Spa also offers it's own range of bath and beauty products called n-spa, which are available at Nirvana and also supermarkets and other retail shops. The ranges are called:

* n-spa professional - luxury bathing products
*n-spa fruits - fruity scrubs and bath/shower gels
* celestial - anti-ageing and holistic products

The complex also provides car parking for about 300 cars. There is also the use of 4 tennis courts available.

Women and Men have separate changing rooms. To make it an even more enjoyable experience there are 3 changing rooms for each group around the complex. The changing rooms have music played into them, usually classical so it does not interrupt your experience

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What Do I Think?
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As a member of Nirvana Spa, I think the facilities offered are unrivalled. You have a choice of many activities, if you want something relaxing you can indulge in the R&R areas. If you want some fitness you can swim lengths in the fitness pool. If you want to clear the chest you can use the Aromatherapy steam rooms. If you want to sleep head to the Tepidarium. If you want to eat...well, there is obviously something for everyone. The Spa has an ambience that is mellow and soothing.

Nirvana Spa has a policy of no mobiles or children, which I am glad about. Don't get me wrong, as I love children (mobiles, well that is a different thing....!) but can you imagine how kids would change what is supposed to be a quiet and tranquil place where you can get away from everything. You can actually lose yourself in the serenity of the spa and although there may be a lot of people coming through the door, I could never say that it is too busy.

On occasion the changing rooms can get quite busy, so I would admit that there is not enough changing stations, so this could be improved but it does not detract from the peaceful experience. I have occasionally whiled away whole afternoons in Nirvana and can wholly recommend that if you have the option, go for the membership. All this available to you at a very reasonable price - just make sure you make the most of this indulgence.

I actually feel quite fortunate to be able to make use of a facility like Nirvana.

Thanks for taking the time to read this..!

© 2008 jupiter28

Summary: A relaxing haven to get away from it all...