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Hoar Cross Hall, Yoxall - 4 bubbles
We were invited to "the spa in a stately home" to sample its residential charms. Our Spy loved the seawater pool, the surprisingly effective treatments and the serious approach to health concerns. But she found herself yearning for natural daylight...
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?
Long-term effects
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?
Hoar Cross Hall calls itself "the spa in a stately home". Certainly the building and grounds are stately. You drive through impressive gates and through trees and fields to a huge red-brick building. It's a pastiche of styles inside: medieval baronial hall in Reception, panelled public rooms with ornate ceiling bosses, Regency-style furniture and Victorian oil paintings.
How did they welcome you?
With enthusiasm. They whisked us off to our room, which not only had a sitting room but also a terrace, and a bathroom with its own sauna, no less.
What happens next?
We went down to the basement, which is where you find the pools and the treatment reception area.
We checked in. As I ticked the allergies box on the health-consultation form, I was scheduled in for a session with the resident nurse. There was a time when all trips to a spa began with a health assessment (and the dreaded weigh-in). Few spas offer this now. Not surprisingly, since a spa trip is more about relaxation and rest than losing weight these days.
But my session was worthwhile. The team of nurses at Hoar Cross are very used to dealing with health concerns and advising guests which treatments to have or what precautions to take. My allergy to lavender oil has caused disbelief and hilarity at some "spas". One or two have even denied there was any lavender oil in the products they used. Throwing up in their reception area usually convinces them that I really do have a problem tolerating it. At Hoar Cross, the nurse took me seriously and went off to search her excellent card index system. She came back with a list of products that contained lavender and that I should avoid. Brilliant service.
Hoar Cross is definitely the place to come if you have health worries, are post-operative, or have a chronic condition and want advice and support about which treatments to have.
Which treatments did you have?
You get a half hour treatment with each night's stay. I opted for a facial while my husband had a shoulder and neck massage.
What were the treatments like?
I was sceptical about how effective a 30-minute treatment could be. I was tempted to trade in the quickie facial for a longer session. But I went with the flow and was pleasantly surprised. In half an hour, my therapist managed to cleanse, tone, put on a peel, do a wonderful neck and shoulder massage, take off the peel, and moisturise.
How did you feel afterwards?
My skin was glowing and my shoulders were less hunched. A bargain! My husband hates massage that is too light but therapists often find it hard to cope with his large shoulder muscles. But his therapist managed to untie the knots in his shoulders and he was as pleased with his treatment as I was with mine.
What happens afterwards?
We went down to the pool for a swim and an explore of the hot and cold areas. There are two pools. The newer and much larger one was built around 2005 when the Eden Day Spa was launched next door. While Hoar Cross Hall is all antique stately home, the day spa is modern and sleek. Both day-spa visitors and residential guests can use the new pool. The pool is huge (50 feet long) and the changing rooms are massive; even with the day spa full, there will be room for everyone. The pool is warm saltwater; it's not too strong but concentrated enough so that you feel the water all smooth and silky against your skin. Underwater jets and two whirlpool areas make sure you are massaged as you swim. There are great hot and cold areas around the pool. The two "detox" areas have a sauna, steam room, sanarium, hot and cold showers, and water jets. Footbaths with a little bridge over a pebble stream at one end of the pool give a modern, Japanese feel. You walk in the cold-water stream on the pebbles to stimulate your circulation. I wandered around in the cold water to try to reduce the puffiness of my ankles. There is a smaller pool with similar "detox" areas for residential guests only. This area is older and is showing signs of wear and tear. We could also have gone to the garden room to laze around in large armchairs or on one of the half a dozen massage chairs. Or the quiet room for a quick doze. There is plenty of space and plenty of choice.
Long-term effects
A day of relaxing together was undoubtedly good for our relationship. Maybe regular spa visits should be part of any pre-nup agreement!
Was it worth it?
Hoar Cross Hall offers very good value. For £172 each, you get lunch and dinner the first day, the overnight stay, breakfast and lunch the next day, and you can use all the facilities until 7pm. Oh, and you have a 25-minute treatment session and can go to any of the many classes on offer. So while it is not luxurious, and it's pretty busy and crowded, this spa is good value indeed.
What else could you have?
There are over 100 therapies on offer, as well as a "natural healing centre" which specialises in complementary therapies such as Reiki, herbalism, iridology, and Ayurvedic therapies. Plus, of course, the usual massages, facials, manicures and pedicures. There is a hairdressing salon, too.
There is also a gym and classes in Tai Chi, yoga, meditation and outdoor sports such as tennis, croquet, archery or golf.
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
That there is so much on offer at Hoar Cross Hall; we only scratched the surface. You could be busy for days in this spa.
Any special features?
Dinner in the grand dining room; it has white-panelled walls, a ceiling that looks like the inside of a chocolate box, and you can enjoy a four-course meal with waiter service. Everyone dresses up a bit. You can even have a cocktail or a glass of champagne in the bar. On the evening we were there, live music drifted in from the bar while we ate.
Who do you think would like it?
Hoar Cross is a good couples destination, and it's popular with groups of friends as well.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Hoar Cross Hall rated 4 bubbles. Much of what they do at the spa is very, very good. The seawater pool is great and the hot and cold detox areas fun to use. You could spend all day in the pools. The rooms are good; we had a lovely big bed but, sadly, rather hard foam pillows and cellular blankets.
The treatments are excellent and there are plenty of them on offer. But... The main spa reception, the pools and the dining areas used during the day are all in the basement. There is no natural light and the space feels quite cramped, notably in the dining area. The layout is also rather confusing, with large areas of corridors and staircases to navigate.
Generally the hot food at lunch was good but the salads were dull (a bowl of wet iceberg lettuce, with some under ripe tomatoes and thickly sliced cucumber). The breakfast hot food had been kept warm for far too long with watery scrambled eggs and sausages with a strong cereal taste. This was a contrast with the evening food, which was good.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
I would if I was looking for a bargain spa break. I would book just one or two treatments and then spend my time in the fantastic pool and the hot and cold detox areas.
We visited Hoar Cross Hall in February 2008
See also:
* Contact Details for Hoar Cross Hall Spa
* I have diabetes. Can I still go to a spa?
* Massage
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