These are the three spa staycations our travel expert loves
There’s nothing better than padding around a serene spa hotel in the UK in slippers and a fluffy white robe, sipping on green tea while you wait for your next treatment. Generally this involves nothing more strenuous than deciding if you’re going to do the sauna, steam room or swimming pool first.
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I look forward to spa breaks with my friends for weeks, comparing treatments and planning our itinerary (which is relax, relax, relax rather than anything involving a strenuous high-impact exercise class although you can do those too!).
There are hundreds of brilliant spas around the UK, many of them destinations in their own right rather than an add-on to luxury hotels (although those are great too!). Here’s three of our travel editors favourites..
The Reeds at South Lodge, Horsham, South Downs
The spa at South Lodge near Horsham in the South Downs has been a well-kept secret since it opened in 2019 (as has its Michelin- starred restaurant The Pass). But what’s new for 2025 are The Reeds, six, lakeside eco-lodges that give guests a totally different experience from the original hotel.
The Reeds sleep four so are perfect for a family or small group of friends; and there are two Spa Lodges nearby for couples, which have a steam shower, outdoor whirlpool bath and infrared halotherapy sauna. Split over two levels, The Reeds’ double-height floor- to-ceiling windows look out over the lake, used for wild swimming – there’s a lifeguard on duty with tow floats and Dryrobes in the wardrobe to use if it’s chilly.
Beautifully designed, there’s a kitchenette with a fully stocked fridge and snack drawer, huge marble bathroom with Pelegrims toiletries (made using waste from nearby vineyards) and a spacious indoor lounge and outside deck with loungers and
a shiny copper bath. A breakfast basket full of pastries is delivered through a handy hatch in the morning so you’re not disturbed.
The award-winning spa has indoor and outdoor pools, as well as a thermal suite. There’s a wide range of treatments including Omorovicza facials, relaxing bamboo massages and skin-softening body wraps; and its Botanica restaurant is dairy-free and zero- waste. If you want to treat yourself and feel good about it inside and out, South Lodge is the place to go.
GH SPA INSIDER TIP
If you're a nature lover, you won't want to miss seeing Britain's biggest Rhododendron bush which was planted over 120 years ago and blooms the most beautiful pink flowers.
Champneys Tring, Hertfordshire
A fluffy robe and walking boots is certainly a niche look, but it might well become your staple spa break wardrobe when visiting the enormous Champneys Tring Health Spa estate.
There are 170 acres of countryside to explore and even just navigating the vast spa facilities will up your step count. Thankfully, there’s a smiling face around almost every corner to help you find your way – not to mention plenty of relaxation nooks where you can put your feet up en route to a treatment, lawnside yoga session or slice of cake in the chic pink cafe (it’s open until 10pm, in case you need to break up the hike back to your room).
When not being intrepid, GH navigates to the spa reception for a Clarins Exclusive Face & Body Ritual (£114 for 50min), which combines all the glowy perks of a personalised facial with three different types of body massage (think long, soothing strokes over arms and décolleté, energising movements to revive tired legs and some firm kneading for laptop-weary shoulders).
There are a whopping 62 treatment rooms at Champneys, but you wouldn’t know it; the spa check-in area runs like clockwork and each space feels tucked-away and tranquil. We let our skincare sink in over a wholesome buffet lunch before going full Wim Hof with a sauna and cold pool circuit, though we’re pretty sure Hof wouldn’t have finished off with a sunset Jacuzzi session and a brownie on the terrace. He probably wouldn’t be into the after-dinner open-air showing of Dirty Dancing complete with a horsebox cocktail bar either, but then we’re here to chill in the figurative sense, too.
GH SPA INSIDER TIP
It may date back to 1925, but Champneys’ wellbeing programme is impressively current; drop by the fitness centre to book everything from core-torching Reformer Pilates to guided meditation.
Aqua Sana Forest Spa, Centre Parcs Elvedon Forest, Suffolk
To call Aqua Sana a spa is to do it a disservice. It’s more like an entire spa village, in the same way that its mother ship, Center Parcs, is an entire holiday village. Also in common with the mother ship (which you don’t need to be staying at to visit this spa) is that same sense of excitement on arrival, of not quite knowing where to start.
There are 25 (yes, 25) experiences in the spa, arranged over five zones on two floors. GH recommends starting in Sole Therapy, a Japanese-inspired reflexology footbath, while you take a moment to mentally absorb it all, from the pool and hot tubs to experiential steam rooms, saunas, rest areas and ice cave. And this is before you’ve even seen a spa therapist.
We try Elveden’s signature Tree Of Life Ritual (£110 for 50min), which includes a relaxing-yet-invigorating full-body massage and facial using Aqua Sana’s own gorgeous Natural Glow line. The treatment leaves us feeling calm and grounded.
There are three ways to visit Aqua Sana: you can book in for a day spa package; you can stay overnight in the spa’s dedicated on-site suites (these are adults-only and restricted to single-night stays flanked by spa days on either side); or, as GH did, stay in the Center Parcs village with your family. You can then book into the spa for visits in between braving the rapids at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and the Aerial Adventure, for a different kind of rejuvenation.
GH SPA INSIDER TIP
To get the absolute most out of this spa, take time on arrival to familiarise yourself with the various zones (there’s a handy map) and plan the order in which you want to experience it all. It’s also worth making time for the delicious Vitalé Café Bar lunches.
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