Spa review: the Royal treatment

Kate Gilbert was treated like a queen on her visit to the Royal Day Spa in Tunbridge Wells, with a stay in the princely Brew House hotel to boot!

A mere 30 minutes out of London in Tunbridge Wells lies the urban sanctuary of the Royal Day Spa and the Brew House Hotel. Crowned 'Day Spa of the Year 2009' in the Professional Beauty Awards this year, this small but fantastically formed spa invites you to lose a day relaxing in its excellent facilities. For the ultimate treat, we made a weekend of it, enjoying a combined package with a stay at the fantastic Brew House Hotel. After a very long week, I couldn't wait to hop on a train out of the capital and indulge with a spot of pampering...

 

The spa

 

Walking off the busy road through the big red door felt like stepping into a world of calm. Offering an extensive range of treatments, including tailor-made options through to the more topical Glastonbury mud wrap, the facilities include a large salt-water pool, mud-nutrient Jacuzzi and steam and sauna. It also offers a wide range of fitness classes and has a well stocked gym and personal trainer on hand.

Treatments

After donning my robe, I headed straight for my first treatment, a fantastically named ‘I don't do flats' pedicure. Apt for a girl who regularly crams her feet into unhealthy (but pretty) shoes, I certainly presented a challenge for the poor beauty therapist. I reclined into my big chair as my feet were filed, buffed, scrubbed, exfoliated and massaged before being wrapped in cream and popped into giant heated slippers. They were then buffed some more and painted (and you also get to keep the polish!) My feet were transformed. I was shocked at how good they looked. With my hobbit feet days firmly behind me I went for a lovely swim, then sweated out my cosmos in the sauna.

Lunch

Lunch is provided picnic-style in the spa's ballroom, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and enormous floor cushions a charming backdrop to a shared picnic of salads, poached native lobster and Dorset potted crab, followed by fruit salad and lemon tart.

Smelly Royal Body - the ultimate massage

In the afternoon, the boyfriend went for a 2-hour nap in the 'Bedroom' - a plush area featuring an enormous Tempur mattress for all to crawl onto and sleep at will. I meanwhile enjoyed the best massage I have ever had. The Smelly Royal Body, the spa's signature treatment, combines tissue-relaxing massage with aromatherapy, which developed into an exclusive facial, employing Ko Bi Do, Reiki and Cranial-sacral therapy with products chosen to complement my skin.

 

This massage was amazing and Lizzie (my masseuse) also did wonders for my troublesome back. Having long suffered with carrying tension in my shoulders - I have regular massages to try and help. Without telling Lizzie this she instantly felt how tense my back was and set to work de-knotting. She informed me that I had a lot of very large knots; many of them close to my spine which she suspected would be causing me to suffer headaches and migraines, which was completely true. She advised me to take care of these to prevent further damage, and suggested regular massages and correcting my posture when sitting at my desk.  She applied hard pressure to help alleviate the knots, which, to my shock, clicked as they were worked.

 

The facial part of the massage was so relaxing I think I lost consciousness at one point. After applying some gorgeously-scented products, the treatment progressed to a scalp massage and hot stones were then placed on and under my body. After being left to sleep off the effects for ten minutes, I awoke to instantly feel the benefits. My shoulders had dropped and all my tension had gone. I can only reason that Lizzie is some form of miracle-worker! After being recommended a host of products, we headed to the hotel for our overnight stay.

Settling in at the hotel

A luxurious boutique hotel, located close to the historic Pantiles area of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Brew House Hotel is contemporary and luxurious. This former Subbuteo factory offers 10 rooms, all individually designed and split into three different categories - standard, superior and deluxe.

 

Accommodation

 

The superior room was exceptional with a luxurious glass en-suite. The shower was large enough to fit in a sports team and the Hermes toiletries were a nice touch. The comfortable bed and high-end finishing of the room was completed by a large balcony and great gadgets to keep the man entertained (including a large Bang and Olufsen TV, posh coffee machine and a bathroom sound system, which meant I could drink wine and lounge around in my robe in peace...perfect!) For a full weekend getaway, I would recommend using one day to explore this historic spa town or head out into the gorgeous Kent countryside.

Dinner

The hotel's One Restaurant is in keeping with the contemporary design and is split between an open-plan cocktail bar and restaurant. Focused on producing fresh homemade food, cooked to order, we were definitely in for a treat. Ordering more of the nicely flavoured house red, we started with the confit chicken terrine with cornichons and the crumbled goats cheese and roasted beets salad, both were light and moreish. My partner had the Rib Eye steak with dauphinoise potatoes, spinach puree with a red wine jus, while I opted for healthy cod with giant cous cous and roasted vegetables (having already spied the chocolate fondant on the dessert menu, I was pre-empting my pudding guilt!) Both were superb; the steak was beautifully cooked, while the cod was packed with flavour and delicious.

 

Despite being stuffed, we couldn't resist the made-to-order chocolate fondant with white chocolate ice cream to share, with a healthy dose of cheese and crackers on the side. The dessert was melt in the mouth perfection (and after years as a Master Chef fan, I know only too well the perils of a chocolate fondant) and the fine choice of smelly cheeses were accompanied by home made chutneys. Not wanting to turn in just yet - I decided to test the cocktail bar. They passed the Cosmopolitan test with flying colours; the bar tender certainly knew how to throw liquor together - as the bustling set of locals drinking Mojitos can testify to as well!

More information

The Royal Day Spa and Members Health Club, 12 Vale Road, Post Office Square, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1BP. Tel: 01892 616 191. Spa Day Pass from £90 and Spa packages from £125. Treatments can be booked separately.

The Brew House Hotel, 1 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5TA. Tel: 01892 520 587. Standard Rooms from £130.
Hotel and Spa Packages, including hotel stay, treatments, champagne and breakfast from £354 for two people.

 

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In need of more pampering? Check out last week's review on face mapping here...

 

 

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