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Amida Day Spa, Beckenham - 4 bubbles
Our Good Spa Guide reviewer - and Mother - headed off to Beckenham in Kent to sample the delights of the high-tech and totally vast Amida health club and spa. Jam-packed with high standard facilities, the range of sports, treatments and activities on offer made for a very pleasurable spa day. With some 7,000 members and 600 lockers in the changing room, let's hope they remember where their one is...
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?
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?
Amida Beckenham is a suburban health club tucked into some well-designed modern buildings that somehow look streamlined from the outside, but hide vast high-tech spaces inside. The first thing you approach is the huge car park - the first sign that this is a health club with a lot of members! It was easy to park right outside the entrance.
How did they welcome you?
As this is a health club with some 7,000 members, there is a large entrance with more than one friendly person at reception to help.
What happens next?
The spa manager gave us some information on the spa and the health club, so we could find out exactly what members and day-spa guests had on offer and gave us a tour of the main building. There is a lot to do here, so it helps having someone run through all the facilities and treatments!
The swimming pool: As you walk though the main entrance, the first thing you see is the glass-sided pool area, where some enthusiastic members were partaking in a class of some sort. Not too bad as long as you don't get too big an audience!
The gym: The gym is just above the pool, and is sensibly divided into spacious sections for treadmills, stretching, weights, and so on, with so many machines that it would take an awful lot of gym-goers to make it seem busy. The equipment was also top-of-the-range.
The food: There was a café and bar next to the pool, and a menu with both light bites and filling meals, so there was something for everyone. The menu was reasonably priced, too. I had Thai fishcakes for a starter, and a tuna steak with couscous and roasted vegetables, both of which were very tasty (and healthy). The café has an adults-only section, and there is a terrace outside to enjoy the sun and fresh air (luckily, I visited when it was still warm enough to eat outside).
The changing rooms: As with every other part of Amida, the changing rooms were huge, with plenty of space for health club members, and spa visitors. The only problem was that, with over 600 lockers, all in a similar dark wood, and arranged in aisles, it was a bit hard to find your own locker! There were hairdryers and plenty of mirrors, and seats to get yourself ready for the outside world. However, as these were health club changing rooms, there weren't any nice products to use in the main showers, only in the treatment room showers. There is an adults-only area and one private changing cubicle, but otherwise, the changing rooms are shared with other health club members, and their children.
The wet spa: The wet spa was in a large, tiled room with wide windows that let in the natural light, but had atmospheric twinkly lighting that would have looked great by night. The large hydrotherapy pool had a range of different jets and showers, and plenty of room for a fair number of people to relax in at the same time. I gladly tested all the zones (just to be thorough with my review, of course), and gave my back a good pummelling with the water jets. There were five heated loungers around the cold plunge pool and, at the other end of the room, there was a steam room, sauna, and sanarium, and some showers to rinse off before and after getting in the pool. Everywhere was spotlessly clean and still looked new.
Although there was plenty of space to relax in the water, or in a heat room, there were no other seats to use beside the pool, and no quiet relaxation area, which would have been nice if you wanted to spend the day in the spa.
The treatment rooms: The spa treatment area is round the corner from the wet spa, with a spa reception with products displayed for sale, a waiting area with magazines and product brochures, and large glass windows onto the hallway. The area is still spacious, though, and each of the eight treatment rooms looked a fair size, and was well presented. The spa has a slick, modern look, with simple lines and gentle colours; we couldn't hear any noise from the health club at all. We sat down with a cup of herbal tea and filled in our health forms.
Friendly therapists welcomed us into our respective treatment rooms where the lights were dimmed, and candle flames were flickering in all corners. There was plenty of room to get changed, the treatment bed was comfortable, and there were soft towels and covers to wriggle under.
Which treatments did you have?
I started with the Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow, followed by the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial. Shy Spy Senior had the La Therapie Hydralift Facial, with an Elemis Amida Stone Back Massage.
What were the treatments like?
Both Mother and I really enjoyed our facials. Shy Spy Senior reported that the Hydralift facial was very relaxing, and the electrodes were far more enjoyable than she first imagined they might be, feeling like a de-stressing facial massage. The Elemis Amida Stone massage concentrated on her tense shoulders. I hear that this worked a treat to get rid of the aches and pains from a weekend gardening.
The Elemis Salt Glow was pleasant, but not quite what I was expecting. Instead of an all-over scrub, this was more of a body ritual. My therapist smoothed the products on the sides of my arms and legs, but not on my back. The treatment started with body brushing, followed by warm oil massaged into the skin (which was the gorgeous-smelling Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt), and zingy crystals of salt in the Lime and Ginger Salt Glow. I was left to shower, in a good size, clean shower, complete with Elemis shower products. To finish, I had an application of the Exotic Island Flower Balm, which smelt lovely, too.
The Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial was a fragrant ritual of serums and masks, which sounded rather harsh, but didn't involve any major roadworks. My skin was cleansed, then a combination of serums and masks were combined with a relaxing massage. The scents of lavender, rosewood, and lime essential oils are wafted under your nose to help you drift away. As the 'resurfacing' suggests, this facial exfoliates with such products as the Papaya Enzyme Peel mask and the Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum, promising to leave your skin softer, smoother, and more even-toned. I could feel a little tingling from a couple of the products, so I knew something was working away on my skin, but didn't get any irritation or redness, so the products weren't abrasive.
Both therapists explained what products they were using, what the treatments involved, and were polite, friendly and professional. The treatments were of a high standard, and did have noticeable results. The combination of gorgeous scents, relaxing massage, and a pleasant treatment-room environment made this a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
How did you feel afterwards?
I was pleased with how my skin looked afterwards - it felt very smooth and soft, and I definitely had a glow, although I think you'd need more than one of these facials to achieve any evening-out of skin tone, or smoothing of marks. I do have to say that Mother's skin looked fantastic, too. She suffers from rosacea, and the facial had calmed a lot of the redness on her cheeks, and her skin looked incredibly smooth. We both felt relaxed and glowing all the way home.
Was it worth it?
The Elemis facial was very good, and I think that if you followed the recommended course of treatments, you would have a more noticeable and long-lasting effect. The scrub was an enjoyable ritual, but not a particularly thorough exfoliation. Despite that, the treatments both smelt so wonderful that I would be happy to have them again anytime! The club is just jam-packed with facilities of a high standard, so I think the membership would be worth it if you live close enough to use it frequently.
What else could you have?
The spa's treatment menu consists of a range of Elemis and La Thérapie treatments, alongside Futur-tec and CACI regeneration therapies, and treatments designed for pregnancy, and for men. I understand that complementary therapies can also be arranged, and they can even recommended somewhere to get Botox, if that's your cup of tea.
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
To have left even more time for making the most of the hydrotherapy pools! And to take some shampoo and conditioner as there wasn't any in the main showers.
Any special features?
The unending list of facilities. The gym was very well-equipped, the hydrotherapy pools were really enjoyable, everywhere was spacious, and the range of sports, treatments, and activities on offer would be enough to keep you busy for some time!
Who do you think would like it?
You don't have to be a member to use the day spa, and the treatments and wet spa are worth spending a few hours over. It's really convenient if you've got a family, as they have a crèche and activities for kids, and it would be a good place to meet friends as there's plenty of room to sit and chat there. Sporty types would love it.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Amida is a very good all-round health club, and I can see exactly why it's so popular. However, as it is purpose-built, and packed with facilities, I felt it should really have a quiet relaxation room. I didn't really miss it while I was there as I stayed in the hydrotherapy pool and the café to chat to Mother, but if you wanted to chill out, then you would probably miss that peace and quiet. Also, although there are adult areas, children are allowed in the club changing rooms and café, so it may not be for every spa-goer. For these reasons, Amida Beckenham gets 4 bubbles. I must point out that Amida didn't need me to highlight their omission - they've included a relaxation room in their more recently built club and spa, Amida Hampton.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
If I lived nearby, yes. This is a day spa and a health club so you'd make the best use out of Amida if you lived locally.
We visited Amida in August 2007
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See Also:
* Facials that require specific equipment
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