We all deserve a little rest and relaxation from time to time. Treat yourself to a day of pampering at one of these top Essex spas.
Orsett Hall, Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett
Why we love it…the huge selection of treatments to suit everyone.
Orsett Spa is a beautiful, contemporary retreat situated in the Sartoria building at the heart of the hotel which stands in 12 acres of landscaped gardens. There’s a range of treatments and packages offered in the impressive treatment rooms. Visiting guests are promised a complete, tranquil and relaxing experience from the moment they enter. A place where an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life can be found.
A selection of Elemis Facials, which are tailored to suit various skin types, are available and include the 25-minute Elemis Introductory Facial as well as the 50-minute Pro-Glow Brilliance. Elemis Biotec Facials are coming soon and should be available to book from September.
For those looking for something more tailored, a selection of bespoke body treatments for everyone’s needs includes the 70-minute Lava Shell Full Body Massage, Freestyle Deep Tissue Massage, Deeper Than Deep Hot Stone Massage, Swedish Full Body Massage, Frangipani Body Nectar Nourishing Wrap and Peaceful Pregnancy Massage.
Where spa days are concerned, whether you are looking to have some well-earned ‘me’ time, have fun with friends or have a romantic afternoon with your partner on the countryside in Essex, Orsett Hall has the perfect spa package waiting. Choose from Reviving Retreat, Serenity, Here Come the Girls or Absolute Bliss Complete Spa Day. Solitude, seclusion and serenity can all be found right here.
orsetthall.co.uk
01375 891402
Peake Spa at Stoke by Nayland Resort, Leavenheath near Colchester
Why we love it… a new range of ESPA treatments and spa days has just dropped.
Nestled in the heart of Constable Country, this is the perfect spa destination to escape the chaos of daily life and soak in precious ‘me time’.
An oasis of relaxation, a new range of pampering ESPA treatments and spa days has recently launched, using the latest products and techniques to help you unwind and find tranquillity.
ESPA’s wonderful treatment range combines traditional holistic therapies with modern day techniques and soothing natural ingredients to create a truly unique experience. Whether you're looking for a quick facial, a full body massage, or a complete spa day, the Peake Spa team will guide you through a journey of complete relaxation. For the silkiest of skin, try the Rasul mud therapy experience… a unique and fun Arabian cleansing ritual for two to four people.
Spa and wellness packages are tailored to individual needs, making each experience unique and personalised. In addition, spa day guests can take advantage of the calming facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room.
Book your spa experience today and discover the range of exclusive treatments and spa days designed to relax and rejuvenate. With its AA four-star hotel and wonderful grounds, (not to mention the two renowned championship golf courses, too!), this really is a gem waiting to be discovered in the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
stokebynayland.com
01206 282836
Talbooth House and Spa, Dedham
Why we love it…the tailored wellness treatments for those touched by cancer.
Looking out across Constable Country and the Dedham Vale, Talbooth House and Spa is set in an oasis of calm.
Part of Milsom Hotels and Restaurants, it is known for its relax and rejuvenate approach, and now the team are helping those who have been given a life changing diagnosis such as cancer.
Following training in conjunction with The Massage Hub Training Academy, Talbooth House and Spa, as well as its sister venue, Spa Kesgrave Hall, are offering a tailored wellness treatment menu for anyone touched by cancer.
Specifically designed to ensure treatments are aligned with the various stages of cancer treatment, the spa therapists’ teams are able to provide various massages, as well as facials and nail care.
The new offering has been acknowledged by Colchester and Ipswich Hospital Cancer Wellbeing and Information Centres as being a real asset to patients who are looking for opportunities to explore wellbeing experiences whilst undergoing treatment and beyond.
Gillian Clarke, Cancer Wellbeing and Information Centres manager, East Suffolk and North East Essex NHS Foundation Trust, recently visited the facilities.
She said: 'I was so impressed with the wonderfully calm and welcoming space created and your drive to offer specially tailored and meaningful offers for people affected by cancer.
'It is important to people affected by cancer that they can access the same things as anyone else, with the knowledge that their unique needs can be met.'
milsomhotels.com
01206 745347
Lifehouse Spa and Hotel, Thorpe le Soken
Why we love it…the new house product Grown Alchemist – a scientifically-innovative brand powered by nature and designed for results.
Offering the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Lifehouse Spa and Hotel offers the ultimate relaxation for the mind, body and soul in a tranquil setting.
There’s an extensive range of treatments including massages, facials, body wraps and wellness therapies, along with treatments for mums-to-be and men, too.
Grown Alchemist is one of the most recent additions. A clean, vegan, and always with cruelty-free plant-based formulas, it uses certified organic ingredients as well as recyclable packaging.
With our skin increasingly affected by the impacts of urban living and busy, modern lifestyles, the brand has curated a collection of facials and body treatments to address these effects, working in synergy with the individual’s unique skin biology. Facials include defence, regenerator and precise definition while for the body there is a renewal body polish, body release massage and urban de-stress.
Grown Alchemist products are available across the world and represent a new evolution in skincare.
Therapists have also been trained by the Made for Life Foundation to adapt spa treatments for anyone recovering from cancer, stress or bereavement.
With five bubble spa status in the Good Spa Guide, whether you spend the day, or are lucky to stay a little longer, Lifehouse offers a world of serenity, a calming oasis, and all within 12 acres of English Heritage listed gardens.
lifehouse.co.uk
01206 860050
Eden Spa at Down Hall, Hatfield Heath
Why we love it….every treatment matches the elegance and grandeur of the venue.
This tranquil escape from day-to-day life makes it one of the places where you can relax the mind, revive the body and soothe the soul.
The spa menu offers an array of beauty and body treatments, along with facials, manicures and pedicures. With three single treatment rooms and a luxury double room for couples, Eden Spa partnered with ESPA for the luxury beauty and body treatments, along with Jessica, a world leading brand of nail care products for manicures and pedicures. Within the Wet Spa area there is a hydrotherapy pool maintained at 36 degrees to soothe aches and pains. The steam room helps detoxify the whole body by opening up pores and the sauna helps to lower blood pressure and relax muscles. The Wet Spa backs onto the 110-acre estate and has a private, fenced area with relaxation beds positioned under a grand fir tree. Treatments vary to suit individual needs and include the mindful retreat, which includes a 65-minute massage using a blend of oils to ease stress and anxiety out of your life. Or there’s the menopause retreat, which has been specifically designed to alleviate symptoms of menopause and support women going through peri-menopause and menopause.
Want to treat a friend or loved one? An Eden Spa treatment voucher along with gift box can be purchased - it's a special way to show you care.
downhall.co.uk
01279 732105
The Glass House, Upminster
Why we love it…award-winning wellness and detox retreat with plant-based cuisine.
A purpose-built detox and wellness retreat, it’s here where there’s chance to reconnect with yourself, get fit, transform your diet as well as discover a fresh sense of wellness.
There’s expert support, progressive fitness facilities and classes, cryotherapy, spa treatments and, along with the plant-based diets and juicing, a positive change can be made for the individual, and quickly, too.
A typical day can be just as unique as the person. The team recommend the set programmes to achieve the best results but it’s entirely up to the guest. Schedules are alternated but there’s lots of free time for pre-booked spa treatments, too. Luxury brand, Germaine De Capuccini products have recently launched and include body exfoliation and body wraps. New IMAGE facials are also available and vary from an illuminating facial resulting in a glowing radiant complexion to purifying facial which uses soothing botanicals for acne-prone skin.
To start the day as you mean to go on, an hour-long countryside walk is on the agenda before breakfast and is the ideal way to fire up your metabolism and get everyone ready for the day. Choice is certainly available where packages, spa breaks and spa days are concerned. The one-night spa breaks include solo self-care, best friend spa break and a couples spa break, along with the Sunday sleepover and mum-to-be spa break…everyone’s needs are well catered for.
Its motto - relax, renew, rebuild - makes it easy for guests to do just that.
glasshouseretreat.co.uk
01708 983590
Bannatyne Spa Kingsford Park, Colchester
Why we love it…the therapeutic Himalayan salt room sauna offers many health benefits.
Located within the Georgian building, flanked by extensive lawns and a beautiful parkland setting, there’s the opportunity to relax the mind, soothe the soul and lift the spirit. Offering a wide range of indulgent day spa packages and treatments, it works in partnership with Elemis to offer premium beauty therapies and spa rituals in luxurious single and dual treatment rooms. The new therapeutic Himalayan salt room sauna is also open. Halotherapy, or salt therapy, is thought to have significant benefits for those with respiratory conditions, skin ailments, anxiety and depression and has calming and detoxifying properties. The new gym floor, with cardiovascular, resistance and functional training equipment suits all abilities and there’s also the added advantage of a café bar. Relaxation areas can be enjoyed by anyone who has booked a treatment, spa day or break pre and post-treatment. Take a break and unwind with a book or magazine or simply just lay and enjoy some quiet time.
spa.bannatyne.co.uk
01206 734301
Greenwoods Hotel and Spa, Stock
Why we love it… spa day or overnight guests can enjoy complimentary use of the leisure facilities.
The quaint countryside village of Stock provides the idyllic backdrop for Greenwoods, where you can escape the hustle and bustle of life. The Grade II Listed 17th Century manor house has been lovingly restored and developed to provide the perfect venue for any occasion and where the spa is concerned, this provides a true sensory experience. The leisure facilities at Greenwoods Hotel and Spa include a fitness suite recently refitted with the latest Life Fitness equipment, a 20-metre lap indoor swimming pool and a studio offering a wide variety of exercise classes. All guests on a spa day or overnight stay can enjoy complimentary use of the leisure facilities (there may be a fee for some studio classes). Treatments available include Greenwoods’ signature full body massage, foot and leg massage with hot mitts, Indian head massage as well as a selection of facials. Elemis treatments such as the pro-collagen age defy facial and super food pro-radiance facial are on offer, as are MEDIK8 Facials including platinum facial, clarity facial and pore refining facial. Manicures, pedicures as well as treatments for men are also available to book, as are the spa days for him.
Food is good for the soul too, and lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are served with care using quality locally-sourced ingredients in the AA rosette awarded Ellis’s Restaurant.
greenwoodshotel.com
01277 829990
BEST OF THE REST
St Osyth Priory, St Osyth, Tendring
Why we love it…nestled in a wonderful landscape with incredible views it’s not quite open so is one to watch for the future!
With more than 1,400 years of myth, legend, history and nature, St Osyth Priory is an iconic landmark with ever-growing wildlife, natural habitats, and developments to restore the estate.
Plans for the wellness brand are currently underway and St Osyth Priory Spa will have multiple treatment rooms, a natural swimming lake and mud baths. The vision will offer a unique experience for the public to relax in the heart of St Osyth.
A farm shop and café are also planned for the 350-acre estate, with the focus firmly on sustainability and home-reared products, alongside locally-sourced produce.
Being a world away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, the team cannot wait to welcome visitors to the estate in the future.
stosythpriory.co.uk
01206 430160
The Roslin Retreat, Thorpe Bay
Why we love it…the vast range of treatments and, of course, the afternoon tea option!
If being just a stone’s throw from Thorpe Bay beach wasn’t enough to calm the senses, then the wide range of luxury treatments offered here will certainly appeal.
With something to suit everybody, there’s an environment of relaxation and rejuvenation which combines all the benefits of health, wellness and beauty with the care of the face and body. Highly-trained therapists help to create the perfect experience for every guest, whether it be for a relaxing afternoon or a weekend away with the girls. Packages include relax and indulge with Elemis, time for two as well as a mother-to-be option.
All those popular brands are available here including Elemis, ESPA, O.P.I and Lava Shells. The Roslin Retreat gift vouchers make for the perfect gift, too, and can be tailormade for the recipient.
roslinhotel.com
01702 586375
Aqua Springs, Colchester
Why we love it…non members can take advantage of the many treats available.
Equipped with a full range of facilities which make for a luxurious day of pampering, the two hydrotherapy pools have hundreds of jets of combined air and water that gently massage the entire body to ease away muscle tension and soothe aches and pains. There’s also the steam, salt inhalation and new aromatherapy room, which is both stress-relieving and uplifting.
Alongside the steam room is a monsoon shower which, ideally, should be used after the sauna or steam room and provides an exhilarating shower and improves blood circulation to the skin. The cool pool or ice-cold plunge provides an intense experience, boosting the cardiovascular system. Those looking for a range of more relaxing body treatments as well as facials and massages, will also be well provided for.
aqua-springs.co.uk
01206 282010
