USP Wyckhill House is a 60-room hotel sitting in 100 acres of private estate, which means that perhaps its greatest selling point is space – green, rolling space which adds greatly to one’s spa-induced tranquility. Even if that only means looking out of the window onto a great view and pouring rain.

AMBIENCE Space, unfortunately, is far less abundant in the spa itself, which you could certainly describe as “compact” despite there being seven treatment rooms. Although the spa was built as part of a new wing of the hotel, and opened two years ago, there is no pool, which is a real shame. The changing rooms are also very small.

The sauna and steam room did their jobs well, however, and both the reception area and treatment rooms were attractively decorated in the same minimalist fashion seen throughout the hotel in the wake of a £3.5 million refurbishment. The spa is the latest addition to the Cotswolds mansion house that has stood in the Gloucestershire countryside since 1722.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE I opted for a back and shoulder massage and my therapist, Sarah, cautioned me at the beginning that she also performs sports massage and I should tell her if she got too vigorous. She didn’t. Although my massage certainly was forceful, my shoulders felt like they needed it. It was perhaps her sports massage training that helped Sarah identify and really work hard on the knottiest and achiest parts of my back, making this one of the most effective massages I have had without compromising on the relaxation factor.

Bamford Hay Barn Spa, Gloucs

Is this Cotswolds retreat Britain's best new day spa? Armed with a video, Alice Fishburn finds out

• The Good Spa Guide: Day

BACKGROUND

• Aquae Sulis Spa, Worcester

• Ragdale Hall, Leicestershire

• Bamford Hay Barn Spa, Gloucs

• Thoresby Hall Hotel and Spa, Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire

• Macdonald Albrighton Hall Hotel, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

BACKGROUND

• Cowshed at St Moritz Hotel, Cornwall

• Chi Mind, Body and Spirit, Devon

• Ocean Spa, the Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Cornwall

• St Michael's Hotel and Spa, Falmouth, Cornwall

• Downe Health Spa, Bideford, Devon

Related Links

• Chapel Day Spa, Cheltenham

My friend, on a nearby treatment bed in a dual room, had an Indian head massage. I took her spaced out expression upon its conclusion to mean that she enjoyed it.

PRODUCTS Elemis products and treatments are the order of the day – in my case relatively straight-forward aromatherapy oils. Other treatments promise the inclusion of “targeted enzyme serums” (to smooth skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines as part of the “Tri-enzyme resurfacing facial”) or potions containing “an exotic blend of mungbean, coconut, lavender and spices” (the Elemis exotic coconut rub and milk ritual wrap). St Tropez tanning, Ariane Poole make-up and Jessana manicures are also on offer.

FOOD There was no food on offer in the spa itself, just teas in the relaxation room. The hotel restaurant upstairs boasts two AA rosettes and delivers high-quality and delicious, if not particularly spa-virtuous, cooking. The three-course set menu is just under £30, or you can spend considerably more going a la carte. My butternut squash risotto starter with cajun spices was ideal November night fare, although the squash was not roasted quite thoroughly enough for my liking. The sea bass with chorizo was fantastic. There is also a cheaper lounge menu.

IN-CROWD There was nobody else in the spa at the same time as us, partly because many of the hotel guests were busy getting drunk at a wedding reception upstairs. Given that Wyckhill is a popular wedding venue there is a good chance that future weekend hotel guests will find, as we did, that they have the sauna and steam room to themselves. However, the spa is trying hard to attract local people as day guests and members, offering good-value packages for those who can stretch to regular pampering (see below).

WALLET WATCH A one-hour deep tissue massage costs £60, as does a “skin specific facial”, while a half-hour Indian head and scalp massage is £30. There are a number of packages, such as the “Time to Detox” (£145 for two treatments and use of the spa facilities plus lunch and some Elemis samples). Residential upgrades can be tacked onto these. The spa also offers annual memberships with benefits including 120 minutes of treatment per month along with use of the sauna and steam room, discounts on products and food. A limited number of memberships, via the “onehundredclub”, are available each year at £500 (or £925 per couple). Prices for those who don’t manage to snap up this bargain reach a maximum of £938 (£1875 per couple). Rooms in the hotel start at £185 for a standard double.

NEED TO KNOW Wyckhill House, Stow-on-the-Wold, Glocestershire GL54 1HY (01451 831 936; www.wyckhillhouse.com)
E-mail: spa@wyckhillhouse.com.

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