The Lazy Lake, Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire
Soho Farmhouse was already a preferred rural retreat for stressed-out Londoners, and now it has the added bonus of a newly revamped and extended outdoor spa concept: the Lazy Lake. With four Japanese-inspired, Onsen-style sunken hot tubs that appear to float in the lake, you can personalise your soak by adding soothing natural mineral salts, or hand-harvested detoxifying seaweed – with the option of an organic clay face mask, too. Other noteworthy amenities: infra-red sauna pods, ice Cryo huts, and an outdoor massage pavilion. Relaxation and skin rejuvenation? There’s nothing better.
Treatments from £60 for Soho House members and Soho Friends, sohohouse.com
Guest House No.42 Margate
If it’s a seaside stay you’re after, look no further than No.42, Margate, which is just under two hours by train and car from London. As well as the Turner Contemporary and delicious restaurants like Sargasso, No.42 is a haven situated just off the beach, a few minutes walk from the town. As well as the aesthetically pleasing, coastal-appropriate bedrooms – think natural woods, cream fabrics and traditional rolltop baths – the spa treatments are second to none. Book in for The Copper Cove, a two-person 90-minute treatment which begins with a magnesium salt-infused bath in a huge copper tub, and ends with an incredible massage (scalp included). We guarantee you’ll float out of the doors, without a care in the world.
Treatments from £45, guesthousehotels.co.uk
The Coach House Spa, Beaverbrook, Surrey
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An hour or so from London lies this sublime stately home set in 400 acres of spectacular British countryside. Once the favourite countryside retreat of Winston Churchill, the jewel in its terribly British crown is the sizeable spa that, upon walking through its renowned stained glass staircase, immediately transports you to another realm. In addition to facials and massages (which are excellent, by the way), you’ll find specialist treatments from IV infusions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and naturopathy that rotate seasonally.
The real speciality, however, is the new addition to the offering in the form of the Meadow Hut: a standalone cabin set in one of the property’s wild meadows with a bespoke treatment designed to cocoon and re-energise. Starting and ending with a mind-moving sound bath and including a full body massage, being set apart from the main house and spa makes for an immersive and truly memorable experience. With both full-sized indoor and outdoor pools, it’s an all-year-round, all rounder, too.
Treatments from £150, beaverbrook.co.uk
The HealthSpa, Foxhills, Surrey
Foxhills, in Ottershaw, Surrey, is just an hour’s drive from central London, and has a health and wellness offering that caters to the whole family: five swimming pools, two championship 18 hole golf courses plus a nine hole course, and plenty of children’s activities. The spa offers indulgent Elemis facials and massages as well as more targeted treatments, such as sports therapy. There are steam rooms, Finnish saunas, a yoga cabin and a cycle studio, as well as a spa garden with a chemical-free, natural swimming pool purified by plants and minerals, for an experience akin to open water bathing. The family pavilion has everything you could want to keep children entertained while parents take advantage of the treatments.
Treatments from £40, foxhills.co.uk
The Signet Spa, The Retreat at Elcot Park, West Berkshire
A newly renovated hotel and spa that reopened its doors over summer, this is a retreat steeped in history, having once been the country home of Lady Shelley, mother of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. The water-based pursuits are especially good here: the sizeable outdoor pool is heated, making it available to use in winter as well as summer and inside there is a hydrothermal suite with a “wellness pool” incorporating bubble loungers and water cannons. Treatment-wise, UK-based skincare brand Bramley has an indulgent menu of bespoke massages, radiance-giving facials and soothing whole-body rituals. Treatments are available to non-guests, but Signet Spa Club membership unlocks unlimited access to the pools and complimentary PT sessions in the gym, plus the tennis courts and spin studio.
Treatments from £85, retreatelcotpark.com
Ragdale Hall Spa, Ragdale Village, Leicestershire
Nestled away in rural Leicestershire, Ragdale Hall hits the sweet spot as a picturesque escape from the city without an arduous travel time. Its unique approach to health, beauty and wellbeing delivers a laid back and truly bespoke experience for every guest, whether you’re staying overnight or simply enjoying the spa for the day. The spa offering is vast and includes a number of pools each offering a unique experience. The rooftop infinity pool offers massage jets and rolling countryside views, whilst the candle pool is a haven of lights, warmth and water, offering your mind the chance to fully unwind.
The thermal spa also delivers a world of ways to regularise your mind and body with spaces including the ‘Colourflow Cave’, a volcanic salt bath and rose sauna. Looking for something just a little bit different from a treatment? We recommend the Balinese massage, bespoke to Ragdale Hall but originating from Indonesia, the treatment is 90 minutes of long and strong movements, perfect for those looking to boost poor circulation, release toxins and improve energy levels.
A two night weekend stay starts from £554, ragdalehall.co.uk
Sequoia Spa, The Grove, Chandlers Cross
Less than an hour’s drive from central London, the luxurious Sequoia Spa has plenty to satisfy spa regulars and newcomers alike. Highlights include the inviting black mosaic tiled pool, the Bamford and QMS treatments, and a rotating programme of wellness programmes and residencies.
They’ve also introduced Western and Eastern massage techniques such as shiatsu, Swedish and Ancient Thai into treatments for the ultimate massage experience. The gym, meanwhile, has the latest equipment from Technogym and Peloton, and classes in the fitness studio. The recently renovated Mansion suites by Martin Hulbert Design compliments the Georgian features elegantly. Be sure to leave time for a stroll around the walled garden before you leave – in the summer it plays host to an Everyman outdoor cinema and a beach.
Spa days from £240, thegrove.co.uk
The Cottonmill Spa, Sopwell House, St Albans
You can reach Sopwell House in about an hour from London by car, and even faster if you take the train. The Cottonmill Spa has recently had a glow-up, while the members-only addition The Club has an indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy pool, a spa garden with cabanas and hot tubs, saunas, a salt steam room and more. In the main Cottonmill Spa you can enjoy Elemis and Aromatherapy Associates treatments, two vitality pools, an indoor pool, sauna and steam rooms. The private Mews Suites – set within their own landscaped gardens with access to the hydro pool – are a great home from home for families staying overnight. Dining options include the Omboo restaurant, which offers sushi and Asian-inspired sharing dishes or just relax in your robe in The Pantry. A perfect weekend escape.
Treatments from £60, sopwell.co.uk
The Little Bothy, Heckfield Place, Hampshire
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Just over an hour from London, you will find a beautiful Georgian stately home that has undergone an impressive nine-year restoration project, which incorporated a makeover for the Little Bothy spa. Bringing new meaning to the term creature comforts, the treatment rooms have the look and feel of the chicest of living rooms, that just so happen to have super luxe massage beds nestled inside.
Boasting bespoke Wildsmith face and body treatments (the house’s excellent homegrown skincare line, named for the house’s original horticulturist, William Wildsmith), there are also Bodyism gym training facilities and classes, as well as an array of alternative treatments spanning osteopathy, psychotherapy, reiki and craniosacral therapy. If you are looking for a truly relaxing getaway, spa breaks don’t get more indulgent than this.
Treatments from £160, heckfieldplace.com
Hartwell Spa, Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire
At Hartwell House’s Spa in Buckinghamshire, you’ll find an enticing mix of the old and new. A stay here means checking into the Georgian, National Trust-owned manor house where Louis XVIII, exiled King of France, and his wife Marie Josephine held court from 1809 to 1814. So expect a couple of days of full period drama pomp; maximalist sitting rooms, vast grounds full of follies, un-completable afternoon teas. And all of that historic grandeur is contrasted with the hi-tech treatments on offer. This is one of just a handful of spas in the country offering treatments from celebrity-beloved 111, from cryotherapy to quartz stone massage to a redness-eliminating Signature Harley Street Facial. Then of course there’s your steam room, sauna and extremely stylish swimming pool.
111 treatments from £110, hartwell-house.com
Herb House at Lime Wood Hotel, New Forest
Nestled in the New Forest, amidst protected ancient forest and farmland, is Lime Wood Hotel, a gorgeous 33-bedroom house that marries delightful interior design with unparalleled comfort, food by Luke Holder and Angela Hartnett, and friendly staff. Its dreamy Herb House spa makes use of biophilic design to assist in a speedy relaxation process – trees can be glimpsed from the sauna and pool, and that’s just the start of it. With bespoke treatments from Bamford, Sarah Chapman, Voya and Ground, there is a muscle-melting massage and glow-enhancing facial for everyone. We recommend Ground’s The Cleansing Ritual, a two-hour treatment which stimulates the lymphatic system to promote healthy digestion, release stagnated energy and encourage gut harmony. Perfect for an autumn reset.
Treatments from £65, limewoodhotel.try.be.
Elan Spa, Mallory Court Country House, Warwickshire
It takes less than two hours to get to Mallory Court from central London, and yet the journey is long forgotten once you arrive at the country house’s storybook halls. It’s a quintessential wellness oasis (with fairytale interiors to match). Not only boasting top notch facilities at Elan Spa, like the high tech hydrotherapy pool and skin-healing salt sauna, Mallory Court’s exciting fine-dining restaurant, The Warwick, provides a masterclass in ingredient-led, bold cooking. At its helm is head chef Stu Deeley, who began his career in this very kitchen; his return, now seasoned with experience and acclaim, brings guests classy dishes with a contemporary flair. Don’t miss the crispy Burford Brown egg.
Spa days from £169, mallory.co.uk
Cliveden House, Berkshire
Calling all Bridgerton lovers, this one’s for you. Hidden away in the heart of Berkshire is Cliveden House, a five-star hotel with a luxurious spa to match, set in breathtaking grounds that make you feel you’ve just stepped off the set of the Netflix period drama.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, famously spent the night here before her wedding to Prince Harry, joining a long list of royals (including Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II) who favoured the hotel.
Perfect for all types of weather, the spa offers both indoor and heated outdoor pools, hot tubs and saunas, as well as a fully equipped gym to enhance your experience. If a heavenly massage is what you’re after, Oskia ask you to choose between two signature scents at the beginning of each treatment which instantly help to relax and unwind even the most wound up. The spa is also home to Decree facials and includes a signature treatment designed specifically for Chewton Glen and Cliveden House featuring gentle exfoliation, microcurrent tools and plumping red light therapy.
And, if you’re visiting with children, the spa caters to families, with specific times for little ones to splash around in the pool.
Spa days start from £245 per person inclusive of one treatment and access to the spa facilities, clivedenhouse.co.uk
PennyHill Park, Bagshot
Situated in the heart of Bagshot, Pennyhill Park Hotel is a quaint, quiet escape, just a stone’s throw from London. Nestled within 120 acres of woodland, the 19th-century country house is separate from the spa, offering ample opportunity to unwind, relax and dine after a cosy winter day spent swimming in their heated pool or indulging in a pre-booked treatment.
Collaborating with renowned, luxury skincare brand 111Skin, Pennyhill Park offers the coveted ultra-anti-aging facial, for a radiant and sculpted appearance. The 90-minute session includes gentle exfoliation, their signature deep facial muscle massage, as well as calming face masks to finish.
Our top tip? End any frosty getaway with a visit to their rose steam room – the floral aromas are so soothing that they’ll send you straight to sleep.
Spa days from £295, exclusive.co.uk/pennyhill-park
