Review of Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel and Country Club, Norwich

Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel and Country Club, Norwich - 4 bubbles

A Good Spa Spy had to make a business trip to Norfolk so booked into a hotel where she could get refreshed after a hard day's negotiating. And found herself unexpectedly in the premier league.

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?

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?

Was it easy to book?

It was easy enough to book the hotel a couple of days in advance but the website offered very little information about the spa treatments available so I decided to wait until I arrived and could see what was on offer. Mistake. The treatment schedule was very full and I couldn't get the massage I wanted to de-stress on the first day, so I booked in for a facial with the massage on the second. So if you want to make the most of the treatments, call the hotel, ask to be put through to the spa and book in advance.

First impressions?

The hotel itself doesn't have the most alluring name, but is part of the Marriott worldwide chain and aspires to high standards. The staff were willing and friendly, the room acceptable with standard, corporate paid-for mini-bar and objectionable adult movies, and the setting is in lovely parkland. I took a colleague to dinner in the Manor restaurant on the first night and it was bleak. It calls itself "fine dining" but it seems stuck in a stand-offish 1970s. Frozen monkfish distressed my dinner companion but my soup and beef were fine. (Note, if you're ever in a corporate hotel and you're not vegetarian, go for the soup and the beef. Probably safe as popular choices.)

Golf: If you're a golf enthusiast, you're probably keen to try the Championship standard 18-hole golf course that provides such stunning scenery... but what about the spa and pools?

Facilities: The pool is pleasant. The steam room is large (some steam rooms in hotels resemble cupboards) and so is the sauna, and both were deliciously warm. The changing rooms, however, were filled with shivering women as the air-conditioning system piped in blasts of Arctic air (this was February).

Gym: The gym is small but clever use of mirrors means you don't feel claustrophobic. It packs in a couple each of cross-country skiing, running, rowing and cycle machines, several resistance machines - including the super abdominal crunch - free weights and several TV screens. There was no-one around to induct me as notices warned was necessary, but I considered myself inducted and skied safely away on one of the machines. The gym obviously has local regulars, too, but wasn't crowded at 9pm on a Friday night. Trainers are compulsory - lucky I'd brought my own! I'd also brought my own flip-flops for pool use. The pool was also fairly quiet - there was only me and the entire team of a Premiership football side. (The hotel is often used by teams visiting Carrow Road.) Lucky I'd brought my good swimsuit, too!

How did they welcome you?

Pleasantly. They ask, like all good spas, that you fill in a medical questionnaire.

What happens next?

You're taken to the "Garden Room" where you can relax before and after treatments, and you're provided with complimentary herbal tea and water. The protocol seems to be to have your treatments with your swimsuit or underwear on under your robe - this is Norfolk, after all.

Which treatments did you have?

I had a Guinot Super Hydrodermie and a Full-Body Massage. The facial is described as "a luxury facial that gives special attention to the sensitive eye and neck areas, helping to smooth away fine lines, shadows and puffy eyes". I booked it because I had plenty of fine lines, shadows and puffy eyes for them to experiment on.

What were the treatments like?

The facial was advertised as taking 1 hour and 30 minutes and it was 1 hour 30 minutes of utter relaxation as it mainly involved lying still while the therapist rubbed unguents into my face and neck. The facial involves, I was told, galvanic and high-frequency treatments, provided by a machine. The therapist asked me to hold a bar as electrical current would be passed through this into my body, and also asked that I remove my rings. Half-convinced I would be electrocuted, I obliged, partly because the therapist said she'd done two of these facials already that day, and it appeared the recipients were still alive. I was warned I might feel a metallic taste in my mouth, but, after all this build-up, I was rather disappointed to find that I did not tingle or even sparkle when the galvanic rollers were applied. There is simply a gentle, massaging sensation, which is very soothing. This opens the pores, I was told, then an oxygen and geranium lotion was applied, to deep cleanse. After this, more lotion, gauze was put over my face (little aperture for my nostrils) and the machine turned on again for more massaging treatment.

The therapist had a light touch and didn't require me to talk about my holiday plans. One thing I particularly appreciated was that when I was lying there with eye pads over my eyes and the moisturiser soaking in, she did not leave me to it, but gave a pleasant 20-minute hand and-arm massage. I know this relaxed me because at one point I discovered myself waking up!

This is definitely a facial for those who don't enjoy strong or scalp massage as it concentrates on the face and neck.

I also had a Full-Body Massage, which was a treat after another gym session. It wasn't as strong as some massages I have had, and I could have done with more time on the shoulders. I was also disappointed that I wasn't offered the oils to smell before choosing one. The therapist just went through their names and it was only because I'd been massaged with the "Fitness" oil before that I felt I could make a good choice.

How did you feel afterwards?

My skin afterwards felt supremely hydrated. Later in the day, I went for a swim and the very dry skin of my face is usually almost painful afterwards until I can slap some moisturiser on, but I didn't need any. I also had a rosy glow.

What happens afterwards?

You're taken back to the Garden Room to unwind. I was warned not to wear any heavy foundation for the rest of the day; tinted moisturiser would be fine, but anything heavier might turn orange. So don't book this facial on a day when you need to go out for dinner and are relying on your second skin to make you presentable for the evening.

Long-term effects

Massage: It had been so light, I didn't feel it stayed with me for the long term, but it was very relaxing at the time.

Facial: My skin stayed feeling supple for days.

Was it worth it?

The whole package was definitely worth it and it compares favourably in price with grander spas. Just be warned about the dinner and the possible presence of footballers.

What else could you have?

La Fontana offers "hydrotherm massage" which they recommend as being especially suitable for "pregnant ladies or elderly clients". (Is anyone really going to admit to the latter?) There are also intensive treatments which take more than one visit so you'd have to be local to take advantage of them - a non-surgical facelift with a course of ten treatments, an "inch-loss system" with a course of six, and also reflexology.

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

Top tip: there is a door to the pool at the end of the changing rooms; it isn't labelled "Pool" but, perhaps confusingly, "Pull". It means you don't have to walk down the corridor in your swimsuit, like I did. I only found it on my way back.

I wish I'd brought my own robe - just in case. Robes were only provided, apparently, to those who had booked a day package, so for hotel guests like me, popping down for a bit of smoothing, none were available. I insisted, and one was found, and jolly glad I was of it, too, as the treatment room which contained "the machine" was in another wing of the hotel, and throughout the day newly arriving guests were treated to the unedifying spectacle of women clutching towels round their damp swimsuits and being escorted past the open front doors (and this was February!) on the way to their treatments.

You need to bring £1 for your locker, but you get given towels so don't need to haul any down from your room. There are four showers but, late in the day, they weren't as clean as I would have liked so I showered in my room. There are curtained-off private changing areas if you're shy and hairdryers, a broken (on my visit) swimsuit spinner, shampoos and soap but no body lotion - perhaps what sets apart a dedicated spa.

Any special features?

Visiting football teams, obviously. And the quality of the treatments.

Who do you think would like it?

Anyone on business with an evening or morning to unwind.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

This was a really good-quality hotel spa and I very much enjoyed my time there. But there were a few small touches that distracted me from my good time - they didn't give out robes, for example. It was also very busy and as much as I might have dreamed of sharing a swimming pool with an entire football squad, I would have planned on looking much more gorgeous, and being more prepared when I did. So, 4 bubbles.

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