There is nothing quite like a spa break to help you relax, unwind and forget about all of the worries and stresses that come with everyday life….which at the moment, let’s be honest, it is pretty bloody stressful!
With traveling abroad becoming much more stress than enjoyment by the time you’ve done a million tests, filled in a thousand forms and checked you have the correct entry requirements and medical forms (damn you covid!) it is no wonder that most of us are looking for something a little closer to home when we are in need of a much needed break.
The UK is home to some of the most luxurious and exclusive spas in the world….move over Dubai 😜 and with so many wonderful options dotted around the country you will never have to travel too far from home to have the ultimate relaxing spa escape.
That being said with so many options available it is hard to narrow down which is the best option for your own luxury spa break….but do not worry, as always, we have you covered and have narrowed it down to our favourite 5 options for utter peace, serenity, pampering and of course luxury!!
So let’s take a look…
The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel – Bath, Somerset
We are starting off strong with the stunning Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel which funnily enough is in the historic city of Bath.
The five star hotel is centrally located within the beautiful city and is warm, welcoming, elegant, vibrant and social – a modern interpretation of a classic design. Each one of the hotels stunning guestrooms and suites are all custom furnished, subtly referencing period details combined with contemporary forms while including all the functional elements that discerning travellers have come to expect…in other words, they are bloody beautiful!
Now let’s talk about the main reason we are all here…the spa! The Bath House experience is pure luxury and we LOVE IT! Guests can begin their visit with a spa circuit that includes dipping in two natural thermal pools of varying temperatures, traditional and infrared saunas, a steam room, an ice alcove and elegant relaxation areas. After taking a dip in the natural thermal pools and cooling down in the ice alcove then it is time for a rub and a scrub down in one of the 11 treatment rooms which include a couple’s room, a VIP Suite with private natural thermal waters and two tatami rooms designed especially for the award-winning Asian therapies.
After working up an appetite from all of that swimming and pampering in the spa, guests can head to the Gainsborough Brasserie restaurant which offers a contemporary British cuisine inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients in a stylish and relaxed environment.
Fancy a nightcap, we got you, the Gainsborough Bar serve delicious innovative cocktails tailored to your personal taste, along with traditional classics or simply choose from a stellar collection of Champagnes, artisan gins, Martinis, fine wines and local ales.
Sounds good right?!
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House – Windermere, The Lake District
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well the photos from the Gilpin Hotel just generally leave me speechless (which is in fact a miracle in itself)…one word, HEAVEN!
Located in Windermere in the beautiful Lake District is the jaw dropping Gilpin Hotel & Lake House which offers 28 stunning rooms which all have lake views with most leading directly onto the beautiful gardens. 6 Garden Suites have their own cedarwood hot tubs, 5 Spa Lodges have their own ensuite spa which includes rainmaker showers and steam rooms inside, hydrotherapy hot tubs and saunas outside.
The hotel also has 3 even bigger Spa Suites which each have there own lounge and dining area, cocktail bar and wine fridge (YES PLEASE!), huge circular stone bath, cedar wood double walk-in shower, spa room with steam room, sauna, infrared lounge bed, and a state-of-the-art automated massage chair and of course, a bedroom ‘floating’ over the pond with views to the mountains.
If you can bare to drag yourself away from the unreal rooms then you can head to one of the hotels two restaurants for some tasty grub. The Michelin starred HRiSHi which combines great Lake District produce and classic methods to deliver unbelievable textures and flavours – modern British cuisine with a twist which will certainly hit to spot for those foodies amongst us!
If I close my eyes I can picture myself in one of the hotels luxury spa suites, champagne in hand (of course) bubbling away in my private hot tub where I am pretty sure all of life’s stresses and worries would simply float away…BOOK ME IN!
Dormy House Hotel & Spa – Broadway, The Cotswolds
If you are looking for luxury then you will certainly find it in one of the celebrities favourite staycation spots, the beautiful Cotswolds. Situated in the pretty village of Broadway the Dormy House Hotel & Spa certainly does not disappoint.
The Dormy House is the perfect rural retreat, like home…but fancier and much more luxurious! Think cosy corners, log fires, sparkling spa, glorious grub and sumptuous interiors. Whatever your style may be the hotel has bedrooms to suit every mood, whether you want to go traditional in the main farmhouse, private and secluded, super stylish, hot tub happy, or rustic in Rose Cottage, there’s a room waiting for you (and me, hopefully!).
The house spa is nothing short of spectacular and has been has winning awards since the day it opened and it really isn’t hard to see why! Offering guests an indoor/outdoor blend of soothing therapies, serene pool, terrace hot tub, and Scandi-style thermal suite. The spa also offers a huge range of treatments from relaxing back massages to brilliant booster facials, it’s time to sit back, relax and make some time for much-needed pampering.
Whether you want a romantic picnic hamper to take with you on a walk around the pretty chocolate box villages of the Cotswolds or fancy relaxing with your friends over a delicious meal or afternoon tea the selection of foodie options is guaranteed to satisfy your appetite. The hotels Back Garden restaurant is a celebration of the finest ingredients from the land right on the hotels doorstep (literally!) – high-welfare rare-breed meats and veggies grown in the hotels own “back garden”, you can’t get much fresher than that!
If it is a luxury countryside retreat with an award winning spa, beautiful surroundings, magnificent rooms and bloody wonderful fresh and tasty food (YES PLEASE TO ALL OF THE ABOVE!) then the Dormy House Hotel & Spa has a room with your name on it.
The Scarlet Hotel & Spa – Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
With spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, a world class spa and the fact that this stunning hotel is adult only it was always a sure thing that the Scarlet was going to make it onto our top 5 luxury UK spas list, and it really isn’t hard to see why!
The Scarlet is a clifftop, eco retreat which is just for grown ups in the most beautiful of settings. The Scarlets 38 beautiful rooms each have views of the beach and stunning ocean and are designed to be warmed by the sun and cooled by the sea breeze. Each room’s deep, coastal colours are drawn from the nearby wildflowers, rock pools and sea mosses. Slide open the door and listen to the soothing sound of the sea. All of the hotels stunning rooms include outside space to be amongst the waves, winds and gulls…HEAVEN!
Alongside the hotels unbeatable location is it’s pièce de résistance, it’s amazing eco spa! The Scarlet Spa features a bromine-filtered indoor pool, outdoor natural reed pool, clifftop wooden sauna, restorative steam room and wide views of the blue Atlantic. Treatments take place in tented, lantern-lit rooms and include stillness afterwards in the deep relaxation room’s suspended cocoon pods. Sauna, steam room, pool use and wellbeing classes included for all guests at Scarlet which is another great reason to get yourself booked in ASAP.
The Scarlets clifftop restaurant with its unrivalled sea views offers seasonal fresh local produce, freshly caught seafood and an extensive and impressive wine list. Picture yourself on the restaurants outdoor terrace, listening to the waves and taking in the sea air with a cocktail in hand and a traditional Cornish afternoon tea…the only thing you will need to worry about is whether to put the cream or jam on first to your freshly baked scone!
Clifftop hot tubs, an award winning dining option, modern and luxurious accommodation and a world class eco spa all with views of the beautiful beach and Atlantic Ocean is a sure fire reason to get this hotel added on to your luxury UK spa breaks shortlist.
Pennyhill Park & Spa – Bagshot, Surrey
If its an extensive spa in beautiful surroundings then the Pennyhill Park is the perfect option for you. Nestled in 120 acres of stunning Surrey parkland the hotel (which is more like a resort) offers a huge array of experiences for fun, leisure & special occasions to wow each and everyone of it’s guests.
You really are spoilt for choice when you book a stay at Pennyhill Park with it’s 124 rooms, all of which are individually designed and furnished, no two are the same so you can return for a whole new experience, or perhaps find your favourite to keep coming back to. The hotel also has a selection of rooms and suites that offer a little bit extra sass with double baths, horizontal showers and even an eight man jacuzzi!
The spa at Pennyhill park is out of this world and is 45,000 sq. ft. of award-winning facilities, a state-of-the-art fitness suite, 23 relaxing treatment rooms, nail bar and Pool View Bar. The luxury spa turns from a Mediterranean-feel escape in the summer, to an indulgent thermal heaven in the winter making it the perfect all year round option for your UK spa escape. Experience a range of pools and jacuzzis both indoors and outdoors, an extensive range of thermal cabins of differing temperatures, humidities and aromas, along with experience showers, relaxations rooms and a huge menu of incredible spa treatments…sounds bloody lovely, right?!
After working up an appetite with all of the serious pampering and preening there are plenty of dining options available at Pennyhill Park which include, 2 award-winning restaurants with the Michelin starred Latymer which is an fine dining restaurant, offering bold flavours in dishes using locally sourced ingredients inspired by the seasons. A restaurant in The Spa, bar, lounges and terraces, and private dining rooms open to residents and non-residents alike, there is a dining experience and atmosphere for every occasion, every mood and every appetite…it is safe to say you will not go hungry during your stay here!
With a magnificent and gigantic spa, award winning dining options, beautiful rooms, stunning scenery and surroundings it really isn’t hard to see why the Pennyhill Park is making it into our list of the top 5 luxury spa breaks in the UK!
We hope you have enjoyed taking a look at some of the best spa breaks available here in the UK and would love to here which spa tickles your fancy for your own next luxury break.
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Thank you 😊
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