Looking for a spa break up north? We've rounded up our favourite places for a pamper, from Manchester to Cumbria and beyond. Prepare to relax...
The Spa at the Midland
Newly opened last summer, The Spa at Manchester’s Midland Hotel offers a good slice of tranquillity in the heart of the city. Geared entirely around relaxation and taking time out – as all good spas should be – there’s a four-stage thermal experience to be enjoyed (hello Caribbean storm shower!), a Rasul mud chamber which you can experience either alone or as a duo (messy but incredible), and hanging cocoons called relaxation pods, which you can curl up after your treatments, and forget you’re anywhere near the hustle and bustle.
Rasul Mud treatment from £28 for 30 minutes, qhotels.co.uk
The Spa at the Midland, Manchester
Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat
Ready to wave goodbye to the hustle and bustle? Moddershall Oaks is set in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside, helping you really feel like you’re getting away from it all.
A homely retreat, there’s a range of luxurious treatments on offer. If you’re finding it hard to choose, we recommend the refreshing Body Wrap (£25 for 30 minutes). From there, you’ll get to spend time in the soothing indoor spa area. With heated loungers around the hydrotherapy pool and an ‘experience shower’, it’s the perfect place to rejuvenate and relax in equal measure.
Let’s not forget that one of the main draws of this spa is its grounds. Boasting a stunning lake and 70 acres of woodland and parkland, it’s no wonder an outdoor jacuzzi has been installed to allow guests to take in the view. Next to this is a tranquil relaxation lounge, where you can chill out with a magazine and a glass of bubbly.
Staying the night? Moddershall Oaks has 10 boutique rooms with a shared private hot tub. You’ll also get to enjoy delicious local produce in the lakeside restaurant during dinner and breakfast.
Spa break from £249 for two people, moddershalloaks.com
Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat, Staffordshire
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa
If you’re not a fan of golfing, fear not. Formby Hall might be nestled in the heart of the Southport golfing district and boast some impressive offerings for those who love to tee-off, but the spa is a gem in its own right. After taking in the rolling views, head for the foot spas, steams rooms, ice fountain (super refreshing after a steam session) and experience showers, before settling in for your treatment. The spa uses ESPA products and we’d recommend the 55-minute Detox Wrap, £60, to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. The detoxifying treatment starts with a good skin brushing and full body exfoliation, before a marine algae wrap is applied to both purify and hydrate. You also get a lovely scalp massage at the end of the treatment, to leave your mind feeling as clear as your skin is set to look.
ESPA Detox Wrap, 55 Minutes, £60, formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa, Southport
Titanic Spa
A favourite among celebrities including Michelle Keegan and Love Island‘s Amber Davies, Titanic Spa in West Yorkshire is an eco spa run entirely on green principles – the first of its kind, in fact.
It recently underwent a £500k refurbishment, and prides itself on using renewable energy sources and eco-friendly strategies. These include its own private borehole 100 metres below the earth’s surface to provide pure Yorkshire water, low U windows and energy efficient lighting.
Built in a converted textile mill on edge of the Pennine hills, the spa uses a range of pampering products from Decléor, Elemis, [Comfort Zone] and Neom Organics throughout the extensive range treatments, which can all be custom blended with aromatherapy oils for an experience that’ll meet your specific needs.
If too much choice is an issue, we’d recommend the Decleor Relax and Revive Face and Body Ritual. This will give you the best of all worlds, combining a body scrub, massage and facial.
Outside of the treatment room the spa facilities are an experience in themselves. Hit the heat and ice rooms to give your skin the ultimate detox, before curling up on a beanbag (fluffy robe compulsory) in the relaxation lounge.
Decleor Relax and Revive Face and Body Ritual, £99, titanicspa.com
Titanic Spa, Huddersfield
Rockliffe Hall
If it’s the lap of luxury you’re after, look no further than the spa at Rockliffe Hall in County Durham. Spread over 50,000 square feet, the spa houses a 20-metere pool where spa butlers (they’re a real thing!) will bring you treats on a tray from champagne to freshly squeezed juice. Ah the joy. Then there’s the treatment menu. Rockliffe has a selection of signature treatments as well as the fuller list, our favourite being the two-hour Sacred Moments ritual, £150. One for the spa junkies, you’ll be treated to a skin polishing body scrub, a relaxing massage using hot poultices (like hot stones, but soft), plus a facial complete with head, neck and shoulder massage. No-doubt you’ll be ready for a nap after all that, which you can take in the sleep retreat room on a sound-therapy relaxation bed. Bliss.
The Sacred Moments treatment, £150, rockliffehall.com
Rockliffe Hall, Country Durham
Vu Spa
If getting away from it all is key to your spa trip, there’s no better place than at The Swan Hotel’s Vu Spa in Cumbria. We’re talking countryside galore, plus dreamy views of the River Leven as it winds its way up to the Lake District. The spa is small and relaxed, so perfect if you’re not into overblown grandeur, but the treatment menu still comes heavily laden with ESPA pampering. Massages start from £40, but for a head-to-toe seeing-to we’d suggest the Ultimate Wrap & Full Body Massage, £95. Your skin is wrapped in a mud or algae mask to nourish and detoxify, before all your stresses and strains are kneaded away with an aromatherapy massage.
ESPA Ultimate Wrap & Full Body Massage, £95, swanhotel.com
Vu Spa at The Swan Hotel, Cumbria
The post Best Spa Breaks In Northern England: Relaxation Retreats appeared first on Look Magazine.