Since purchasing Wickham’s Old House Hotel in 2022, vineyard and hospitality owners Rob and Tracy Terry have been busy updating the historic venue to include stunning boutique suites, dining area and now, opening just before Christmas last year, the brand-new Rose Spa and state-of-the-art gym.
Mirroring the luxurious surroundings of Quob Park vineyard, situated just a five-minute drive from the hotel, or, if you fancy joining in with the Nordic walking class, a 40-minute stop across the Meon Valley countryside, the hotel and spa are a wonderful addition to the medieval town square.
Whether you’re looking for somewhere for an indulgent overnight stay or would like to have regular access to the facilities, you can experience the hotel as a guest, or as a member by joining the Quob Park wine, dine and spa membership.
We had the pleasure of visiting in the new year, the perfect time to experience the spa’s inside/outside design. There’s nothing quite like warming up in a bubbling hot tub on a crisp winter’s day. Rose Spa is a small but perfectly formed oasis, hidden completely out of view of hotel guests thanks to the clever screens and sunken design. With two outdoor areas, front and back, as well as three spaces to relax inside and a wet area, the spa feels spacious and inviting despite its size.
With its wooden clad and stone walls, there is a definite ski chalet vibe that really suits these colder months. Our favourite area to relax was the cedar beds, with manual heat lamps to warm you up and a flickering fire, you can happily drift off here, or, like us, enjoy a natter with a glass of something chilled.
That’s the benefit of visiting a spa linked to a vineyard, wine is on hand at the touch of a button. Whether it be a glass (or bottle) of Quob Park Classic Cuveé from the electronic buttons found dotted around the spa areas (one press and someone will appear to take your order) or for those wanting to explore something new, head to the wine vending machine in the bar area outside and use your pre-loaded card to choose from eight different bottles.
On warmer days, you can relax here in the outside space with your chosen glass and admire the koi carp tank before heading into the barrel sauna to warm up again. Or if ice is your thing, there is a cold-water tank and ice bucket to shock the system as well as a large hot tub with a cover if the weather turns.
Back inside there is a wonderful steam room with ice chute and experience shower for those who like it hot, or if you’re looking for somewhere to relax and take a nap, then the waterbed platform is a cosy sanctuary for grabbing forty winks complete with comfy pillows and blankets.
Head back down the spiral staircase and another surprise awaits in the form of two state-of-the-art massage chairs, which are included in your visit. Following a complete body scan, the chairs perform a personalised massage based on your own needs. We were amazed at how effectively it removed knots and tension, feeling more like a qualified masseuse than a machine.
At the back of the spa, another outside relaxation area can be found complete with barrel sauna and hot tub which is great to retreat to if the front space is being used. During our visits however, despite there being other users, we never felt crowded and always found spaces to retreat to which we had to ourselves.
To further indulge, Rose Spa has partnered with some really fabulous companies to offer luxury treatments to suit every need. With massage therapies and facials on offer from brands such as Caudalie, Espa and Aromatherapy Associates you can benefit from full mind and body relaxation. We experienced the Claudalie 60-minute facial in the double treatment room and felt utterly spoilt. The therapists were attentive and understanding of our individual needs, talking us through the process with ease and the delivering a relaxing and uplifting treatment which left our skin glowing and feeling smooth and hydrated.
If all this relaxing gives you an appetite, you can head up to the dining room within Quob Park Old House Hotel for a lunch or dinner menu filled with seasonal produce and locally sourced ingredients. Lunchtime diners can choose two-courses from £33 or three-courses from £42, while dinner menus start at £43 for two courses and £52 for three. There is also an indulgent nine-course tasting menu to explore for those celebrating a special occasion. Here, there are also further opportunities to sample some of Quob’s wine cellar with further vending machines offering the chance to explore unfamiliar wines by the glass.
With use of an exclusive gym and refurbished suites offering wonderful views out over the historic square, Quob Park Old House and Rose Spa is somewhere you could really get used to staying a while.
Visit quobpark.com/spa/ for the latest offers on membership and booking details.
