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Boscundle Manor - The Zento Room, St Austell - 3 bubbles
One treatment room does not a spa make. If you're staying at the lovely Boscundle Manor, you may indulge in a little me-time in The Zento Room, the hotel's single treatment room, and also enjoy splashing about in the indoor pool and Jacuzzi. You may equally enjoy the hotel and its fresh cuisine, plus their family-friendly approach. But we see no spa.
Was it easy to book?
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?
Any special features?
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
Was it easy to book?
Not exactly. Spa bookings are made via the hotel. The staff were friendly but it took me several phone calls and some email confusion before my arrangements were confirmed.
First impressions?
Relief that Boscundle Manor wasn't where my sat-nav initially directed me: a 1970s close just before Boscundle Manor's actual location. The hotel itself is a pretty building, draped in wisteria (at least it was when I went in June). There are compact but well kept gardens on three levels, with a small outdoor pool.
How did they welcome you?
We went past a row of Hunter wellies and a baby grand piano in the yellow-carpeted foyer. A friendly receptionist greeted us, and went off to get us coffee while we completed our registration card. Then she led us along a couple of narrow, low-ceilinged corridors to our room.
What happens next?
We made ourselves at home in our room, the Scarlett Suite. It was as red as the name suggests, with gilt and feather lampshades, a mahogany sleigh bed, and a second lounge room.
I was travelling en famille so the lounge had been converted into a second bedroom with a sofa bed, two snuggle-sac sleeping bags for the little ones, and miniature white fluffy robes. There are Molton Brown products in every room at Boscundle Manor, including a lavender sleep mist to spray onto your pillow at bedtime, which is a nice touch.
Having settled in, I made my way to The Zento Room. It's in the main hotel building, accessed via an ochre-carpeted corridor with a low ceiling.
Which treatments did you have?
I had a one hour aromatherapy massage (£50, 60 minutes).
What were the treatments like?
The Zento Room -- Boscundle Manor's sole treatment room -- has a mosaic floor with dark stained wood and recessed fairy lights. It was vaguely reminiscent of a Mediterranean cocktail bar.
The massage treatment used Molton Brown products. My cheerful therapist, Vicky, chose to go with the relaxing lavender and ylang-ylang oil to meet my mission of emerging more laid back than invigorated.
My massage was very relaxed and relaxing. Vicky had a smooth touch and easy manner. She soon soothed me to the brink of sleep... but no further.
How did you feel afterwards?
Content. Vicky's massage had been a perfect medium pressure to suit my mood. There were no surprises or gimmicks in the treatment and it left me feeling happily relaxed without feeling dazed and confused.
What happens afterwards?
I made my way back to my room, about a minute's walk away. There's no relaxation room at Boscundle Manor. The spa is literally made up of the one treatment room, the swimming pool and a toasty outdoor Jacuzzi just outside the swimming-pool doors.
Was it worth it?
My 60-minute massage cost £50, so treatments at the Zento Room are good value in the spa world. I could have had a 75-minute massage for £60, a rate that compares favourably to spa treatments elsewhere.
What else could you have?
A prescriptive, express, or hot-stone facial. Wraps and massages: you can try Indian head massage or LaStone hot-stone massage. Pedicures, manicures and beauty treatments.
Spa packages start at £75 for a "Bronze" experience, including two hours of treatments for £75. You can splurge on a full-day £225 "Platinum" spa day, and enjoy a body exfoliation, wrap, facial, Indian head massage, hot-stone massage, mani and pedi and lunch, with champagne and strawberries. That's a lot of spa-ing in one day
Any special features?
Boscundle Manor is a quite small hotel with just 14 rooms, but this belies the fact that it has a good-sized indoor swimming pool. I had it all to myself on the two occasions I went for a swim.
The restaurant at Boscundle Manor is larger than you would expect for a hotel of this size and type. The cuisine was lighter, and more modern than I'd expected, with a fresh and interesting modern British menu and locally caught fish.
Who do you think would like it?
Anyone looking for a traditional west-country hotel with a massage and swim on the side.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave The Zento Room 3 bubbles. Boscundle Manor is definitely a hotel that offers treatments rather than the hotel with a "day spa" that it aspires to be. My massage was good but the treatment room didn't have a "spa" feel. Although it was perfectly comfortable and clean in appearance, I couldn't allocate more than 3 bubbles. The Zento Room is literally just that: a room, rather than a true spa in the way that most people expect.
The indoor pool, which has been carefully accessorised with seaside-themed trinkets, was a pleasant surprise for a small manor-house hotel. The fact that it was carpeted around the edge did set it apart from a standard hotel pool. There's just one makeshift Punch and Judy-style changing booth in the pool area, but as there are robes in all the rooms, it makes sense to change before heading down for a swim.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
If I were staying in St Austell again, I probably would.
We visited Boscundle Manor in June 2008
See also:
* Contact Details for Boscundle Manor
* Aromatherapy
* Massage
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