Review of Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa, Formby

Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa, Formby - 4 bubbles

Single Spy set off to England's "golf coast" and found a good-value spa with friendly staff and interesting Phytomer treatments. There were some small points that didn't feel quite right, but the spa offers enough to keep you happy for a spa day, and the locals obviously love it!

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?

Any special features?

Who do you think would like it?

Why did you give the spa this rating?

Would you go again?

First impressions?

Formby Hall is a large, modern hotel just off the Formby by-pass and surrounded by, naturally, a car park and a golf course.

How did they welcome you?

Very efficiently, and pointed me in the direction of my room, 125, which was down a bit of a mazy corridor. When I got to the end of the corridor, 125 was nowhere to be seen. 124, 126... I had to ask a member of staff and she didn't know, either. Eventually we found someone who did; 125 is tucked away in a surprising corner.

The room itself was large, clean and comfortable. It was furnished in muted browns: a swirling brown carpet, soft brown stripy sofa, a huge and inviting bed with brown cushions and a view of the golf course, dark-wood furniture, and a large spick-and-span beige-tiled bathroom (shower and bath). There was also a business desk to work at, but the wireless signal was very low, so I couldn't log on to check my emails. However, I popped back to Reception and borrowed a cable, which worked a treat. I could see both golf going on and ducks scurrying about, right outside my French windows, which opened onto a patio area.

What happens next?

I changed into my gym stuff and followed the signs for the spa up the stairs to the first floor. There is a glass corridor which leads to the spa area, overlooking the swimming pool. At the end of the corridor, I found the gym. I also found someone to show me how to use the gym; you need a yellow programme key to plug into most of the machines so that they will work.

The gym is bright and airy, looking down onto the pool on one side, and out over a practice range to the other. It was quiet at that time of the afternoon and I had my pick of the equipment. There is plenty to choose from: running machines, cross-trainers, cycles and resistance machines. There is also a range of Kinesis equipment in the weights area, which uses weights and cables to help you build your body in a balanced way. I worked out, stretched my hamstrings, then went for a swim.

Perhaps at this point, I should have gone downstairs, made my way across the car park, and come in at the main spa entrance. But, resolutely, I pressed on.

I needed a code to get through to the changing rooms and pool area. I did not have one. Someone knew the code and let me through, but then another member of staff said, "But do you have a towel?" I explained that I had come straight from my room and had no towel of any description. She looked nonplussed, as if this were an occurrence heretofore unknown. Although I should have read my Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy with more attention, she set off to find me a towel. Find me one she did, and delivered it to me personally in the changing rooms. Great customer service!

The 20-metre swimming pool is large and very blue, with light and dark blue mosaics, and a ceiling in the shape of a wave. There are windows down one side so it is light and bright, and there were six or so loungers at the side of the pool for, obviously, lounging on, and a couple of tables and chairs for sitting more upright on.

There are graduated steps down into the pool, which is always nice. The water was not too chlorine-y, and had a warm patch in the middle, which was interesting. There are three swan pipes at the far end of the pool, and these deliver a thumping pressure across your shoulders.

There is a Jacuzzi, which I didn't visit because it was occupied and a steam room, which I did visit, even though it was occupied. The steam was nicely hot.

I then made my way up the stairs to the spa. Here, there is a whole new set of changing rooms and heat facilities to enjoy!

I went to spa reception, looking like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards after all that cycling and swimming. Thankfully, they were expecting me, and sat me down with some water and a consultation form. Equally thankfully, I had none of the allergies they enquired about.

The reception area consists of several tables, clustered around a bay window, each with a vase containing a small gerbera. There is coffee available here, as well as fruit juice and teas, but no small snacks or fruit. There were several people sitting in robes and relaxing.

Consultation complete, I went through to the spa changing rooms. These are quite small, and could feel crowded at busy times. I had a choice of towelling or waffle robe, and spa slippers.

Which treatments did you have?

I had the Phytomer hot stone facial (£80 for 90 minutes), which used the gentle Phytomer Fleurs products.

What were the treatments like?

My therapist showed me through into one of the large treatment rooms, the "Elegance Suite". The room was dimly lit with candles, and contained a massage table with a soft brown covering. There were sparkly speckles shining in the shower walls, which added to the pleasant effect.

My therapist began the treatment by "walking" around my body and applying pressure at various points. She also placed a pebble into each of my hands. I don't know how the pebbles were connected to the treatment, and they were removed halfway through. The rebalancing neck and shoulder massage was very pleasant, but in places simply felt like someone rubbing oil onto my skin, not scolding my muscles the way I would have liked.

My therapist was also very quiet. I would have liked to know more about what cold unguents were coming at my forehead next. It wasn't until the end of the treatment when she said, "You might find some poppyseeds in your hair" that I had any idea the exfoliant she used had contained poppy seeds. There were two lots of cleansing and exfoliation, one with a heavy cream, that felt almost like clay, which my therapist washed off with warm mitts. There was also a gauze mask, onto which she applied something that was quite creamy and heavy, and which set solid. I had no idea what it was, but on reading up about the treatment later, I discovered it was hibiscus.

The mask was a very soothing part of the treatment, as I also enjoyed some scalp massage, which was again quite light.

Although my therapist was very quiet, the music wasn't. The treatment started with some very soothing rippling piano music in the background. Then there was a silence. Then there was a rather unexpected and deafening eight seconds of Enya. Which then stopped. Then someone put on a bit more Enya, which is what we listened to for the next hour. Which is great if you're a fan of Enya.

How did you feel afterwards?

Relaxed. My skin looked brighter, too.

What happens afterwards?

I put my robe back on, went through to a table in the reception area, and drank a refreshing cafetiere of rosehip tea.

I also took a little time to explore what else the spa had to offer. Through a door announcing "Thermal heaven", you will find a beige-tiled steam room and a wooden sauna, both quite compact but nicely hot. Four ceramic loungers in this area are also warm, but quite close together, so perhaps best visited with a friend.

In this area, there are also two footbaths. However, on my visit, at the end of busy day, they were both filled with water, and the chains on the plugs were broken so that you'd have to put your hand into someone else's ex-foot water if you wanted to use them. That wasn't very appealing.

I went back to the changing rooms to find the single shower in use, and the area a little the worse for wear; there was a large mound of used robes and slippers awaiting laundry collection.

Later, I met my friend who lives not too far away for dinner in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant and function areas are cleverly positioned on a completely different side of the hotel to the bedrooms, so you are unlikely to be kept awake by partying. Her steak was cooked just right (kudos to the chef, as she is hard to please) and we both enjoyed the fresh mushroom soup, too.

Was it worth it?

The treatment offered good spa value for money. The spa-day packages at Formby Hall are particularly good value as they include a wide variety of treatments as well as lunch.

What else could you have?

You can choose from a range of Phytomer treatments, including facials, wraps, hot stone therapy, and massages, including a four-hands massage. You could also rasul with a friend or treat yourself to a Leighton Denny mani or pedi.

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

To have brought my own hair conditioner. There is no conditioner provided in the shower, just a Gilchrist and Soames two-in-one, which just doesn't cut it with long hair, and caused me ten tearful minutes with my hairbrush. It would be lovely to have brackets with Phytomer products in them instead, to send you home with that spa-skin softness and scent.

Any special features?

The staff were all extremely helpful and friendly throughout my stay. As I was leaving, I asked for directions to Anthony Gormley's Another Place, which I planned to visit as a moment of pause before I hit my next spa. The receptionist drew me a map (the directions worked -- thank you!) and made sure I knew where I was going.

Who do you think would like it?

Golf widows; ladies who lunch in Southport; anyone on a business trip who needs some R&R; anyone local who needs a little pampering.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

We gave Formby Hall 4 bubbles because the facilities are good, if a little disjointed. My experience was of rooms along corridors, codes to press into doors, and stairs to climb up and down. There are seven treatment rooms, five with showers, and there are also a couple of manicure stations, a Yoga studio, and a bistro for lunch. On the other side of the spa reception area is a relaxation room with four loungers, which seems curiously cut adrift from the treatment rooms. You want to slide straight onto a lounger, not pick your way past people having cups of tea. That said, the spa is still expanding and there are plans to open a hair salon, so perhaps the experience will become more seamless as the spa evolves.

Also, the spa changing rooms could have been cleaner, even if it was the end of the day.

I enjoyed my (quiet) treatment, though, and felt that you could get good value for your spa money here. What clinched the rating at 4 bubbles in the end, though, was that all the people I spoke to while I was there had raptures about their day! So Formby Hall obviously delivers a package that's finding local love.

See more on how we rate the spas.