Go on...treat yourself! (Whittlebury Hall)

Member Name: Emily_09

Product:	Whittlebury Hall
Date:	24/09/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely place, really relaxing

Disadvantages: Can be a bit too busy for the amount of facilities there are

As a treat for my friends birthday I paid for me and her to spend the day at Whittlebury Hall and although we didn't spend the night there, just one day using the spa and facilities was a very interesting experience.

The first obstacle that we faced when visiting Whittlebury Hall was actually finding the place. We decided to scrap the sat nav as it wasn't working properly and my friend, reckoned that she knew the way. Being unprepared was a very bad idea as, you can probably guess, we got extremely lost and ended up just driving round the villages surrounding Whittlebury. After stopping about five times to ask directions, we finally reached the village in which the Spa is situated! Luckily we found it quite funny driving round the country villages with wandering sheep making me have to brake suddenly but I would really recommend taking directions or a sat nav with you to avoid getting completely stressed out before you even get there!

The village of Whittlebury itself is very pretty and the hall is set back quite far from the road so you don't hear the traffic. It feels really peaceful and isolated which is nice as you feel like you are really escaping the stresses of everyday life away from any worries that you might have.

The hotel has it's own carpark right next to it and we had no trouble getting parked even though we visited on a saturday which I'm guessing is probably quite a busy day. The hall itself looks really impressive from the outside and the very expensive cars parked right outside the doors show that wealthy clients are regular visitors to the spa. After venturing inside, the first thing that hit me was how calm and tranquil the atmosphere was, with low lighting and relaxing music playing in the background. It seemed a bit strange at first to be so calm after our stressful journey but after a while you get used to it and it feels normal to talk in hushed voices all day.

I have read some reviews that complain that the customer service leaves a lot to be desired at Whittlebury Hall but we didn't see any evidence of this. On arrival we were met with very helpful reception staff who made you feel really welcome and as if nothing was too much trouble. We felt so comfortable talking to the staff that we went back to the reception at various points throughout the day whenever we needed to ask anything.

When you check into the hotel you are given a locker key with a number on it and then are shown where to get changed into your bathing clothes ready to use the spa. Inside your locker is a pair of slippers along with a white robe to match, which you are expected to put on over your bikini/swimsuit instead of your clothes. Everyone just walks around all day in their robes and slippers and it feels like you are in some kind of institution, a good institution mind you but still very strange!

After we'd had a giggle about how huge our robes were and how funny everyone looked walking about in what was effectively a dressing gown, we entered the spa area which contained a large jacuzzi in the middle and about 5 or 6 smaller rooms around the edge. This is where the heat and ice experience that Whittlebury has been promoting as one of its best features is situated.

The heat and ice experience is based on the concept that it's really good for your skin to go from really hot conditions to freezing cold temperatures. Don't ask me how or why but no doubt some clever scientist thoght up the idea. The heat rooms consist of a couple of saunas and steam rooms, each with different aromatherapy oils and salts to provide different health benefits.

There is also a heated room that isn't unbearably hot which was my favourite as I start to feel a bit ill after too long in a sauna. This was like a little wooden hut where you could sit or lie while bird sounds were played. Sounds a bit cheesy I know but it was amazing how relaxing it was!

There is one ice room which is basically a room full of buckets of crushed ice that you can rub all over your body to cool yourself down very quickly. Another way of cooling down quickly which is only for the very brave is a bucket full of ice cold water that, when you pull a lever, crashes all over you taking your breathe away. I'm aware that this sounds like a form of torture rather than relaxation but it was all strangely calming and my skin felt gorgeous afterwards.

The rooms are only tiny and do get quite busy especially the most popular ones. There were a couple of smaller facilities in the same area, such as some heated sun loungers, but these were almost impossible to use as there were only a few loungers and way too many people!

One of the things that ruined the experience a bit for us was that there was a group of 4 lads staying at the spa who were obviously a bit bored and who kept trying to chat us up while in the saunas and spas. Everywhere we went they seemed to be and it got a bit irritating by the end of the day!

After we'd had enough of the spa bit we went and dried off and got into our robes. As you are in and out of water your towels can get quite wet but reception will swap them for cleans ones whenever you ask. The showers in the changing rooms were really nice as they were all individual and there were plenty of hairdryers and big mirrors to make yourself a bit more presentable ready for dinner!

The food was one of my favourite parts of the day and fitted with the detoxing theme of the entire place. All of the food was very healthy including salads, pasta and loads of fruit and veg and jugs of water with slices of lemon or orange were placed around the dining area for you to help yourself to. I'm a vegetarian and had loads of options to choose from and the staff try to cater for any dietary requirements.

There was also a bar where you could order a particular drink but these were quite pricey and we didn't really want to ruin our healthy day with a big glass of coke!

After dinner we were booked in for two treatments, a pedicure and a body polish. To receive your treatments you have to wait in a very plush area to be called by your own personal beauty therapist. We were booked in for our body polishes at about 2.30 and got called in on time. We were hoping to have our treatments in the same room but were taken to individual treatment rooms which are similar to any you find in a normal beauticians.

The body polish was a very strange experience and consisted of the therapist rubbing your entire body with a body brush. This lasted about half an hour and the therapist was very friendly but I didn't really find it that relaxing as the brush was a little bit hard and felt rough on the skin. In hindsight I think I probably would have prefered a massage but my skin did feel really soft after my treatment so I was happy.

Our next treatment followed the body polish and was just a standard pedicure. They did everything possible to my toes and I left with a lovely coral colour on my toenails that stayed on for over two weeks. Again the beauticians were extremely friendly and made you feel really comfortable.

After we had been pampered we ventured down to the pool which was really nicely lit and had a kind of grecian feel with decorative artwork on the walls. There are sun loungers all around the pool but not enough for everyone so you may have to wait a while before you can grab one. One of the things that I found most amusing about this area was that there were also phones around the pool, not in case of an emergency, but for people to order drinks. You really can be incredibly lazy here without feeling guilty.

Overall I loved Whittlebury Hall and felt so relaxed after my day there that I didn't want to go to work the next day. As for prices the spa isn't cheap and it works out even more expensive if you want to stay the night! Saying that though, they do have a range of offers that are good value and you can just enjoy a basic day there without spending a fortune. For example at the minute one of their promotions is a buy one get one free offer and for just £89 two people can eat in the restaurant as well as have full use of the pool and saunas including the heat and ice experience. This is worth it just for a day as you can spend hours literally doing nothing here! As for the treatments, to give you an idea of prices my body polish cost £35 and the pedicure was the same price. The prices aren't cheap but then how often do you get to pamper yourself?

I'm not sure what the overnight Whittlebury experience is like but am looking to book a visit for my sister's birthday. They also do packages that allow you to stay overnight for example for £140 per person you can stay for two days and one night including three meals, use of the spa and a treatment, which isn't too bad for a special occasion. There are many different packages and price combinations so if you are interested it's probably best to visit the website at www.whittleburyhall.co.uk for information.

Summary: 5 stars, sorry it's a long one but I had a packed day!