Review of The Club Hotel & Spa, St Helier

The Club Hotel & Spa, St Helier - 4 bubbles

This central St Helier hotel spa has a small salt-water pool, heat experiences, Rasul, and a couple of treatment rooms. The spa menu is varied, with an emphasis on the holistic. Good for hotel guests looking for a pick-me-up and locals who want to feel restored or look polished.

First impressions?

How did they welcome you?

What happens next?

Which treatments did you have?

What were the treatments like?

How did you feel afterwards?

What happens afterwards?

Was it worth it?

What else could you have?

What do you wish you'd known before you went?

Any special features?

Who do you think would like it?

Why did you give the spa this rating?

Would you go again?

First impressions?

The town-house hotel is in the centre of St Helier, so very handy for the shops just round the corner. The entrance is none too imposing from the outside, with steps up from the small car park, but the atmosphere gets better as soon as you walk in the door. The décor throughout is gold and brown tones, with some vibrant multi-coloured rugs that lend a colourful air.

How did they welcome you?

A bit disjointedly. My room wasn't ready (true, I was early) but instead of sitting me down with a cup of tea, a member of staff gave me a "show round" of the hotel and then left me to wander about until it was time to report to the spa. Later, when I went back to see if my room was ready, the (new) receptionist asked if I'd had my complimentary welcome glass of champagne. No, I hadn't! The promised bubbles were soon delivered to my room, which made me feel much better.

What happens next?

I went to the spa, up some steps just past the hotel reception desk. Spa reception is a small but light area, lined with product shelves. I wanted to swim and use the heat experiences before my facial, so the receptionist gave me a locker key and pointed me down the stairs to the basement.

The changing rooms are compact. There are eight wooden lockers in the women's changing area - though you wouldn't want eight people in there at once. There is one shower, through some saloon-style wooden doors, with Aromatherapy Associates shampoo and conditioner. There were some towels to hand, but not many, as well as a locked cupboard that made a mysterious humming noise. Two huge bottles of cleansing milk and toner sat by the mirror, their brackets long broken so unusable, with congealing cream in evidence, and there was no body lotion on offer.

In your locker are your re-usable plastic spa sandals and deliciously soft beige robe, which I donned. In the pool area, all is subdued lighting, which does give an atmosphere of calm, but some may find it too dark. The salt water pool is small but large enough to have a small swim. The water was the right temperature for swimming -- not too hot -- but some of the mosaic tiling round the pool could have done with a deep clean on my visit. A "hydro-bench" in the corner of the pool provides some bubble therapy. While I was swimming, people kept being brought into the pool area on their "show round", so I felt like the hotel's demonstration swimmer.

The wooden sauna was hot but small: two people could fit in it so, if you go with a friend, the two of you will get nicely hot close together.

There's a not much larger steam room with five white plastic bucket seats, but it was satisfyingly hot. You can also sit in the "salt cabin", look at the twinkly stars and inhale salt vapours, which can help clear congested sinuses.

The experience shower was a little mystifying. There are some buttons to press, but the lettering has worn away, so you're not sure if you're going to get a balnea calda (warm mineral-water shower), or something startlingly colder.

After I had had a fun time exploring everything, I went to shower properly. The shower I didn't like. The fact that you have to step over a ledge into it, and it was a bit chipped, and the plastic curtain surrounding it, just didn't have the feel of "luxury" that the rest of the hotel manages so well. There's nowhere nearby to hang your towel, either, which is awkward. Also, there's no spinner or plastic bags for your damp swimming costume.

By the time I got to the relaxation lounge, where there are four loungers, and water and tea on offer, it was mid-afternoon. The hot water to make grapefruit tea was lukewarm. I wondered how long it had been since fresh hot water arrived. There was music playing on the headphones attached to the loungers (one choice) and some glossy magazines such as Harper's and Elle to leaf through. I struggled with the dimness to complete my consultation form.

Which treatments did you have?

I had a Club Signature Facial (80 minutes, £90) which promised lots of eye massage.

What were the treatments like?

Very good for my skin. Louise collected me from the relaxation area and took me upstairs to one of the softly-lit treatment rooms which had a flower on the treatment bed.

We began with me lying on my back on the heated bed, while Lucy took my hair plaits out for the treatment. She performed a double cleanse, tone, and massaged a gentle peel into the skin around my eye area, and rubbed away any left over, to exfoliate and brighten the under-eye area without pulling. Louise gave me lots of lymphatic drainage massage on my face, which was very enjoyable and relaxing, as was the pressure-point massage on my shoulders. I never knew that extracts of horsetail and deepsane could smell so pleasant, either.

I am definitely a fan on Indian head massage, which completed this massage-focused facial. All very soothing, and I know I drifted away at a couple of points, which proves that I had achieved a state of ultimate relaxation.

How did you feel afterwards?

Soothed; the facial certainly made me look more radiant than when I went in, and the treatment was carried out very professionally.

What happens afterwards?

I went back to my room, where I discovered that the turndown service leaves you Ty Nant water and some fresh-baked shortbread. How delicious is that?

I was visiting The Club Hotel on my own so didn't want to sit alone in the Michelin-starred and undoubtedly delicious Bohemia restaurant. I went to The Club Cafe instead, a light and bright informal restaurant where the food was good but not exceptional. I ordered the steak sandwich, only for someone to return and tell me that "Chef has taken the steak out of the fridge and doesn't like the look of it." Well, at least he was honest!

And so to bed... My room had a lovely big bed, desk, all spotless and beautifully appointed, although not much they can do about the view of the car park. In the granite bathroom were L'Occitane en Provence products (which I love). I could possibly live in that bathroom, except the Frette bedlinen means you have the softest sleep imaginable, so tempts you out again.

The next morning, I had breakfast in the Club Café again -- plenty of fresh fruit and juice on offer as well as a cooked breakfast if you want one.

Was it worth it?

The Club Hotel is not cheap but would make a special stay or spa day.

What else could you have?

The Spa at the Club Hotel offers a range of restorative treatments, and you can enjoy Rasul mud, too, either alone or à deux. Try the aromatic fusion or hot-stone massages, or a range of facials including ayurvedic or lifting. You can have several ayurvedic body treatments, as well as complementary therapies such as Indian Head massage and reflexology. There are treatments specifically for men and for mums-to-be. Product houses on offer include Clarins, Carita, and Yon Ka.

Outer as well as inner beauty is not forgotten with manicures and waxing on offer as well.

There's a range of day and half-day packages to choose from (all of which have the most inviting names: Recovery Spa Day, Joyful Spa Day, Peaceful Spa Day... can you feel yourself relaxing already?)

There's no gym, but you can walk to the beach in minutes for fresh-air exercise.

What do you wish you'd known before you went?

What you do need to know if you're staying at The Club Hotel is that the spa is very much a separate area of the hotel and is a spa rather than a hotel swimming pool. Hotel guests can use the pool between 8am and 10am each morning, but if you want to swim outside of those hours, you need to pay a day rate (currently £30). If you book 1 hour and 40 minutes of spa treatments, though, this charge is redeemed against that cost. This keeps the small pool crowd-free and allows for an atmosphere of calm and relaxation, but you need to manage your swimming expectations as a hotel guest.

Any special features?

The hotel has an honesty bar and a library, so you can relax into the late hours outside of the spa. The free wireless internet access throughout the hotel is a real plus if you're there on business as well as to spa.

There's an also an outdoor pool, which I didn't have a chance to try but I'm sure would be lovely in the summer sun.

Who do you think would like it?

Anyone looking for a restoring treatment, half-day or spa-day.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

We gave the spa at the Club Hotel 4 bubbles because although it is small, the spa is a great pick-me-up and reviver. What kept it from the fifth bubble? Well, access to the spa isn't easy (up and down all those stairs) and the one plastic-tray shower felt skimped. The treatment I had was pleasant, and not spectacular. There were too many little things not quite perfect -- the empty bottles in the changing room, the experience showers in need of a spruce-up, for example -- to achieve perfection this time.

See more on how we rate the spas.