Image credit: Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa
Nestled on a wooded hillside high above Loch Faskally in Perthshire, Fonab Castle Hotel & Spa is a luxurious Scottish retreat that beautifully blends the historic with the contemporary.
Built in 1892 for the Sandeman family – famous for importing port and sherry – the castle, woodland lodges and spa are all gloriously situated beneath the Ben Vrackie mountain.
The menu of treatments is extensive. I had a wonderful Woodland Wellness massage (£120) – an hour-long treatment that left me feeling as though I was walking on air.
We stayed in a woodland lodge with glorious views across to the loch. The rooms are tastefully decorated with relaxing sofas and top-notch bedding.
The hotel has two excellent restaurants – 1892 On the Loch and Sandemans, the latter of which provides a five- or seven-course set menu as well as tasting menus.
The hotel spa includes a large swimming pool, a spa pool, outdoor hot tubs, plus an aroma relaxation room, a steam room and a sauna. Gowns, fluffy towels and slippers are all provided.
Set in 300 acres of gardens and woodland in the village of Follifoot, Rudding Park offers a luxurious escape.
With 90 bedrooms and a rooftop spa featuring an infinity pool, woodland spring bathing, plus sun and oxygen rooms, it’s a haven for relaxation.
The Invigorating Body Polish (£129 for 50 mins) left my skin glowing. I followed it up with an Essential Polish Pedicure, which has survived multiple sea dips. Post-treatment, guests unwind in the Escape Zone.
We stayed in a twin spa room in the Follifoot wing, complete with a spa bath and a pillow menu. Spa access is easy via a private terrace.
Dine at Horto for butter-poached cod with smoked pomme purée, or enjoy Whitby crab linguine at the Clocktower Brasserie. For a gourmet experience, try the tasting menu with wine pairing at The Michelin Guide restaurant FIFTY TWO, where seasonal dishes are produced from the kitchen garden.
You could explore Harrogate’s shops or take tea at Bettys tea room. But when you can enjoy a prosecco in the hotel’s infinity pool or a G&T in the woodland hot tub, why would you want to leave? For those not partial to a cold plunge, there’s always the golf course.
Pennyhill Park is a stately 19th-century country house hotel with stylish interiors set in 120 acres of parkland.
The extensive 45,000 sq ft spa offers a wide range of treatments. I had a heavenly 111SKIN Rose Gold Radiance Facial (from £180), which left my skin soft, smooth and glowing. The spa also has multiple steam rooms, saunas, open-air hot tubs, foot spas and a mud room, as well as cold-water experiences, including an ice igloo. Additionally, guests can chill out beside the outdoor pool on plump loungers in summer or swim in the 25m indoor ballroom pool.
There are 124 uniquely designed rooms. Our palatial Luxe Junior Suite with a lounge area and a pool view had a four-poster bed, a free-standing bath and a rain shower.
The hotel caters for all tastes, from fine dining in the Michelin-starred Latymer to the casual Hillfield restaurant, which serves superb dishes using locally sourced ingredients. You can also dine al fresco at the Pool View Bar or on the Lily Pond Terrace.
Relaxing beneath a parasol poolside in the sunshine after a blissful day of five-star pampering.
Located on a hillside six miles outside of Plymouth, Boringdon Hall is an Elizabethan manor house mixing historic grandeur with a contemporary spa.
I had the blissful GAIA Everglowing Face & Body Treatment, a 90-minute treat (from £155). The spa also features a gym, an infinity pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a Finnish sauna, a laconium herbal sauna and shower experiences.
There are 55 rooms and suites spread through the old manor house and newer wings. We stayed in a Wellness Room, a recent addition, with a private balcony and a free-standing bath.
Dine at the Michelin-starred Acleaf or the less formal, brasserie-style Plymouth.
Being foodies, Acleaf was an absolute delight, and each dish had its often-surprising wine pairings – Blanc du Noir fizz with Wagyu beef? A perfect match!
This boutique hotel with 45 bedrooms and suites has a new spa with a heated outdoor swimming pool, hot tubs, a sauna and two treatment rooms.
I enjoyed Be Restored (60 minutes, £80) – a deep massage followed by an express facial that includes a cleanse, exfoliation and a face massage.
We stayed in the Fort Henry Suite, which boasted a copper roll-top bathtub and a superking-size bed. All rooms are quintessentially English in style. Two and three-bed, self-catering lodges are also available.
The 1760 Brasserie and Orangery offers mains such as chicken milanese and ale-battered haddock. My Himalayan salt-aged rib-eye steak was delicious.
Visit 16th-century mansion Burghley House and Rutland Water, just a short drive away.
Billesley Manor is a four-star hotel in a gorgeous historic house with a stunning garden. It offers affordable luxury with a spa area featuring a large pool, a sauna, a steam room and excellent treatments. The hotel is a short drive from Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Company, plus Shakespeare’s birthplace and school. It’s also dog-friendly.
ESPA face and body treatments for men and women. Spa days available.
Good-sized rooms and bathrooms – one with a four-poster and wood panelling.
The hotel’s restaurant has a classic menu and a decent wine list.
An expert, hour-long massage, which was firm enough to make a difference.
The Spread Eagle is in the heart of the historic market town of Midhurst. A former coaching inn, it dates back to 1430 and still retains its original lattice windows and creaking, undulating floors. There is plenty to delight antique lovers, with framed artefacts found on-site and correspondence from noteworthy previous guests.
There is a wide range of treatments available and I chose Relax and Refresh, which was 55 minutes of bliss. Enjoying a relaxing massage and facial was a sumptuous experience using the beautiful products from Temple Spa.
The Queen’s Suite, with four-poster bed and separate sitting area, is in the oldest part of the house, and was reputedly graced by Queen Elizabeth I. Hiding behind one door is an original wig closet, which is believed to be the oldest in existence.
My guest and I enjoyed a beautifully presented dinner which included smoked salmon and a delicious fillet of sea bass with gnocchi. There is a gorgeous dining room with an inglenook fireplace – we visited on one of the hottest days of the year, however, so the waiter was happy to seat us outside on the terrace.
The massage was particularly good and afterwards I was shown to The Nest relaxation room to enjoy some refreshing apricot tea. The restaurant food was excellent, and the service was of a high standard. The hotel is in a convenient location to explore the local area.
Ragdale Hall balances the traditional with the ultra-modern. The 18th-century hall has been a spa destination for 50 years. With 12 heat and water experiences and six pools, this is a spa with relaxation and ease at the core of every offering.
There is a huge menu of treatment options, from facials to massages, as well as holistic treatments and a salon-style treatment area where a range of beauty treatments are available.
We stayed in a twin room looking out across the garden to the rolling farmland of Leicestershire. Everything is considered, from Clarins toiletries to a huge range of pillow swap options.
All meals are traditionally British, with light options available. The stylish Twilight Bar offers a dazzling selection of cocktails. I enjoyed a grapefruit negroni before our evening swim in the rooftop infinity pool.
The various heat experiences left us relaxed and revived, the volcanic salt bath being a firm favourite. The evening candlelight stretch class was wonderfully relaxing, with noise-cancelling headphones provided, encouraging us to become completely immersed.
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