Review of Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel (Marriott Day Spa), Manchester

Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel double treatment room

Manchester Airport Marriott relaxation area

Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel (Marriott Day Spa) - 3 bubbles

Single Spy and Teen Spy took time out to visit the spa at the Marriott Hotel near Manchester Airport. So convenient for a treatment before or after a flight! They loved the small spa, enjoyed their treatments very much, but were unconvinced by the join between the noisy health club and the haven of tranquillity.

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?

Who do you think would like it?

Why did you give the spa this rating?

Would you go again?

First impressions?

I was delighted with my invitation to the spa at the Marriott Hotel near Manchester Airport, not least because I had a flight to catch from said airport, and wanted to check out the facilities for travellers.

The hotel itself is very easy to find; it's actually on the roundabout of Junction 6 of the M56, so it's pretty hard to miss. The first impression is of car park; there's a lot of car park. And you have to buy a ticket to park as you arrive. Not surprising, perhaps, in an airport area.

The hotel is a large, low-rise, red-brick building which, on our arrival, had a lobby full of confetti from a wedding that had just taken place.

How did they welcome you?

Efficiently and politely. A helpful young man took our cases along to our room, down seemingly miles of corridors (no doubt why they issue you with a map). The hotel is built around two courtyards, and each courtyard is a small garden with fountains and statues (with a real heron in one of them). Gardens are a nice idea as they add some rural charm in a built-up airport environment.

We checked in on a Saturday, and my spa treatments weren't till the Sunday, so I used some time on the Saturday to enjoy the gym and the pool. I followed the signs through the hotel -- along corridors, down stairs, along some more corridors -- and found myself at the leisure club reception. Here, on production of my room key, I got a towel and the secret number code to get into the changing rooms.

What happens next?

The changing rooms: The changing rooms are large, but definitely more health club than "spa", with long banks of wooden lockers (which you open with a card that you're given at check-in), two tiny private cubicles for changing, and a bank of curtained showers at the far end. The primary purpose of the place is a health club, and this is reflected in the facilities on offer. There is wash, shampoo and conditioner in (most of) the showers, and two brackets in the changing area containing cleanser, toner and moisturiser.

The beige floor tiles were a little worse for wear at the end of a busy Saturday, but a member of staff was pushing a broom about and gathering up mountains of used towels.

The gym: The gym is impressively large for an airport hotel, with rows of running machines, cross-trainers, resistance machines, an area for Swiss balls and mats, and another for free weights. Many of the machines have their own TV screens, so bring your headphones. There's a good choice of equipment, so you should find something to exercise you, even when the gym is busy.

The pool: Worked out, I went back downstairs for a swim. The first thing I noticed about the pool, before I even opened the door to get through to it, was the noise. This is a leisure club that is obviously very family-friendly. There were a lot of children in the pool, and the currency of communication was The Shout, and, occasionally, The Scream. If you're after a quiet swim, you'll fare better after 6pm, when it's adults-only in the pool, but this may not be of much use to you if you're visiting the spa for a pamper day.

The pool itself is large at 20 metres in length, with blue mosaic tiles, six or seven loungers around the edges, and draped Roman maidens holding up the pillars in the centre. There is a roped-off area for lane swimming, but there were children in it on my visit, including one very energetic young lady sporting a snorkel, which limited her vision somewhat, to the detriment of us lane swimmers.

After a while, the din got to me and I escaped to the sanctuary of the steam room. This is large, with room for about 16 people on white plastic seats. It was satisfyingly steamy, and those who take their heat treatments seriously could get properly hot, then cool off in the plunge pool just outside the door. The sauna is similarly large, but I can't report on the Jacuzzi that sits between the sauna and the steam room as it was occupied the entire time I was there by five rather large middle-aged men who gave no sign of shifting.

That evening, Teen Spy and I ate at Mendelssohns, which was very pleasant, and offers standard fare of the sort that Teen Spy will eat (burgers, pasta and meatballs, fish and chips), as well as of the sort that I will eat (crab cakes and salad). The kitchen is open, and watching the chefs toss things about in their pots and pans is very entertaining. The next morning, we checked out of our room and went downstairs for our spa day.

This time, we reported to the day spa reception desk, where Harriet welcomed us warmly and took us through to the changing rooms, Here, she had set aside two lockers for us, each containing a small towel, a large towel, a robe and a set of spa slippers. The lockers were obviously designed for the tall women of the north-west, as we had trouble even reaching the hanger to put our day clothes on.

We went through to the pool, which was just as noisy as the previous day. In fact, little had changed, except that the Jacuzzi now had a baby in it, and one of the small pools off the main pool had obviously been designated The Pool For Throwing Children Into, as that was what was mainly going on in it. Still, we managed a swim and a steam, did a bit of lounging, then showered in time for lunch.

The lunch: Between the spa reception and leisure club reception desks, there are four or five tables in a roped-off area, each with a label "Reserved for spa dining". There were a few other pamper-day guests in their robes, so we didn't feel conspicuous, which we might have done if we had been alone. As the tables are effectively in the main traffic area between the changing rooms and the way out, there is a constant stream of people walking past you as you dine. There are salad, soup and sandwich options, as well as sterner stuff (the steaks and burgers again). As the food has to come from the main hotel kitchen, it may take some time to arrive, as ours did, so we ended up being late for our treatments. Profuse apologies.

Which treatments did you have?

I had a Murad facial with hot stones (£55 for the Murad facial for 1 hour, and £45 for the hot stones, 45 minutes), and Teen Spy had an Essentially Yours Decleor facial (£45 for 55 minutes).

What were the treatments like?

We went through heavy doors and into the spa area, where the atmosphere is very different to the leisure club. The lighting is dim, and there are little candle-like lights on each step of the curving wooden staircase that takes you up to the relaxation area, where we filled in our health consultations forms. I say relaxation "area" rather than "room", because it is just an area partitioned off from the manicure and pedicure stations. There are five beds in a row, with tea-making facilities and jugs of water tucked onto a table between two of the beds.

My therapist, Rachael, took me through into one of the six treatment rooms, which has a large gold baroque mirror on the wall, dim lights and a brown treatment bed. Rachael talked me through what would happen during my treatment. She also asked if there were any specific areas I would like to target, and I mentioned my left shoulder, which was suffering from the demands of dragging suitcases around Wales.

Rachael left me in privacy to take off my robe and jump up (and it was a bit of a jump) onto the treatment table. The massage started with me lying face down, with my face in a face-holder, and covered in a warm brown fluffy blanket.

The hot-stone treatment involved Rachael applying hot pebbles and her massage skills to my back and shoulders. She didn't do a deep-tissue massage, but it was a very relaxing sensation to have the heat of the stones combined with rhythmic movements. I could feel my muscles unknotting and my mind drifting off. Rachael did some careful movements around my neck, into my shoulders and my spine, and had a good touch. I particularly liked the way some of the movements got lighter and lighter before fading, instead of just stopping.

Once my back, shoulders and mind were relaxed, it was time to turn over for my facial. Rachael placed a pillow under my head and covered my hair with a hairband. The scalp massage usually involved the application of oil, she explained, but I asked for the oil to be omitted, as I didn't want to have to get back in the shower and wash off all the lovely body oils before catching my plane.

The facial started with a double-cleanse and tone, then Rachael applied a Vitamin-C mask and explained that it would feel "quite tingly". She also said that she would ask me at intervals throughout the ten minutes that the mask would be on to rate my sensation of comfort or discomfort on a scale from one to ten. So I was in a state of slight trepidation as she mixed the mask and began to apply it to my skin.

It was tingly, and might have felt uncomfortably so if Rachael had not continued to massage my face (wearing disposable gloves) while the mask was on. This prevented any part of my face feeling too tight or tingly. I shouted out a high of "four" at one point, but that really was it.

Once the mask was all cleansed away, Rachael applied a second set of masks -- clay around my eyes and a fruit gel. Sadly, there was no massage involved in this part of the treatment, but Rachael used the time to write up all her product recommendations.

With a final application of moisturiser, I was done.

Teen Spy's aromatherapy facial started with a back massage, she reports, which was so relaxing, she nearly went to sleep. However, she had to wake up when it was time to turn over for the facial. After some cleansing and exfoliation, the therapist applied a mask, which felt soft, and some soothing eye pads. She certainly came out with her skin bright and glowing.

How did you feel afterwards?

I enjoyed the hot-stone treatment very much, and my skin looked pinker and brighter.

What happens afterwards?

Rachael took me through to the dimly lit relaxation area, where Teen Spy was already relaxing, and brought me a small glass of goji-berry smoothie and some dried goji berries as a snack. We also got a crystal each, to complement the treatments; mine was a rose quartz, to help with destressing, and Teen Spy was very taken with her piece of clear quartz.

We were the only ones there, so were able to chat a little about our treatments. It would be hard to talk and not disturb anyone else relaxing, as the space is so compact.

We then went downstairs to change back into our day clothes, and it was a wrench to leave the peace of the spa for the noisier real world.

Was it worth it?

We felt the treatment prices were very competitive for the area; they make a spa experience an affordable experience. The massages alone make a visit worthwhile, but the spa days offer good value, too.

What else could you have?

The spa offers a range of treatments at very reasonable prices. There are several types of massage to choose from, Decleor and Murad facials, plus some holistic therapies such as reflexology and aromatherapy massage.

There are also treatments specifically for men and mums-to-be, as well as a wide range of day-spa packages. You can also have Jessica manicures and pedicures, waxing, and St Tropez tanning.

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

If swimming in peace is important to you, take advantage of the child-free early mornings or evenings.

Who do you think would like it?

The leisure club is obviously very popular with local families, and people travelling via the airport. For an airport hotel, this Marriott offers excellent gym and swim facilities. The spa will appeal to anyone who needs to take a bit of time out from busy lives and enjoy some tranquillity.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

We gave Marriott Day Spa a creditable 3 bubbles. Considering what the staff have done with limited space, they have managed to create a calm environment within the spa, and the treatments are excellent.

The join between the spa and the leisure club is noticeable; it is not a seamless experience and there are pinch-points. You use the leisure club changing rooms and pool, for example, and your lunch is in an area which can never be relaxing. If you go for a specific treatment in the spa, however, you'll have a more self-contained and peaceful experience.

See more on how we rate the spas.