Five reasons to turn your next spa trip into a solo holiday
When I was in my early twenties, I loved the idea of travelling solo. Flexing my independence muscles, meeting new people, and exploring new places unburdened by other people’s idea of a good time felt like the perfect way to spend a holiday.
However, as time has gone on I’ve become a little wary of going away by myself. With a limited annual leave budget to stretch across a roster of girls trips, family holidays and a yearly visit home to Australia, I’d started to feel as though using any of my precious days off to go away by myself would be at the expense of spending time with my loved ones and was, quite frankly, a waste of time and money.
Over the past few months though, I’ve been yearning to spend more time by myself. With three housemates, a few days a week in the office and a hectic social calendar, I’m very rarely alone.
So when the opportunity came up to visit the Buxton Crescent Ensana Health Spa Hotel, I decided to forgo my plus one and do the trip on my all by myself. As the hotel is only a couple of hours outside of London, it was the perfect place for me to try solo travelling before I book something a bit more ambitious.
Built in 1789 for William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire, as part of his plan to establish Buxton as a fashionable Georgian spa town, this is a historic and beautifully maintained hotel that perfectly blends in modern facilities.
The luxurious hotel has 81 rooms, three pools, eight treatment rooms, and is situated on the edge of the Peak District National Park, so you can get some restorative country air in between indulging in massages and sweating it out in the sauna.
As a fairly independent person, I was surprised to find myself on edge in the days leading up to my trip. Even though it was only one night, I was worried I’d miss the companionship of having one of my friends there with me.
It didn’t take long for me to come to the conclusion that I need to do a lot more solo travelling, and these are the five reasons I think you should book a solo spa trip if you’re in need of a proper reset.
Fancy a solo trip to this gorge hotel? BOOK NOW
1. You are completely in charge of your schedule
I'm not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. When I'm going away with other people though, I can try and adapt and leave as early as they want to so I'm not putting them out. As this trip was on my schedule, I got to sleep in and arrive (well rested and relaxed) in the early afternoon.
Buxton Crescent is just over a couple of hours from Euston, so getting there was a breeze. I got an Avanti West Coast train directly from London to Macclesfield, and then a 20 minute taxi before arriving at the blissful 5-star hotel. It was on the train there that I knew I was in need of some me time, because I was overjoyed to be able to spend the travel time with my headphones in reading my book, without feeling any pressure to chat to anyone.
I also booked a late-ish train home on Sunday afternoon because I wanted to be able to sleep in and go on a long run when I woke up, two things I doubt I would've done otherwise, as none of my friends are runners.
Buxton Crescent is on the edge of the gorgeous Peak District, so I was spoiled for choice for running routes. Had I not taken the opportunity to do a countryside run while I was out of London, I would have been disappointed in myself.
2. You can spend the time exactly how you want to
Upon my arrival I had a few hours to wind down before my spa treatment, so decided to have a long, luxurious midday bath. I love a good bath and as soon as I set eyes on the glorious claw foot tub in my room I immediately wanted to make the most of it.
After an hour or so reading in the bath, I had a nap for half an hour and then decided to explore the spa facilities, of which there were many. We're talking three pools (including one on the roof), a bio-thermal, infra-red and Finnish sauna, two kinds of steam rooms and a comprehensive fitness studio. It's safe to say I had plenty to choose from, and you can trust me when I say I made the most of it.
I was worried that I might look a little strange being by myself, but (of course) no one cared. There were plenty of other people by themselves and a lot of couples, and everyone was so focused on their own relaxation they weren't paying attention to me at all.
After my time going between paddling in the pool and enjoying the saunas and steam rooms, it was time for my treatment.
I opted for a relaxing salt scrub, which was like an indulgent massage where they work an exfoliating salt mixture into your body, which means you leave not only feeling zen, but also with skin that feels like silk.
3. You have the time and space to reflect
I made sure I brought my journal with me on my trip, and it was the first time in a long time I had the space to just sit down and write in it. I'd had a very busy year so far with not a lot of time to rest and reflect, and it felt like I came away far more calm than I arrived.
While this is partly due to the treatment and lush facilities, a big part of it was just having some much needed alone time to slow down, re-focus and centre myself. If I'd been with someone else, even though it would have still been restorative, it wouldn't have felt as grounding as it did.
4. You get outside of your comfort zone
I have a real thing about eating in restaurants by myself. I do enjoy my own company, but there's something about the hubbub of a busy restaurant that makes me nervous to eat by myself.
Luckily, the menu at the Buxton Crescent was too enticing to give in to these reservations and I had my first ever dinner date with myself. The staff could not have been friendlier, and they made me feel completely at ease, suggesting the best bits from the menu for me to try, and pairing my meal with the perfect glass of wine.
When I eat with others I can be more focused on the conversation than the food, so being able to focus on each course made me feel like I was truly enjoying it and savouring each of the delicious courses.
5. You’re more likely to chat to new people
When I'm with friends I'm far less likely to strike up conversation with new people because I'm focused on whoever I'm with. Being by myself meant I found myself chatting to my taxi driver, the hotel staff and other guests far more frequently, and with far more depth, than I usually would.
Having positive interactions with strangers is a proven mood booster, and meant I came away from the weekend in a calm, happy state of mind that outlasted just my trip to Buxton.
Go there!
Ensana Buxton Crescent Hotel, rooms start from £162 BOOK NOW
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