Review of The Treatment Rooms, Brighton

The Treatment Rooms, Brighton - 5 bubbles

Inside this modest-looking Brighton townhouse, you'll find an ambient atmosphere, fabulous facials, wonderful wraps and possibly, still, our Swedish Spy. She was very reluctant to leave the fluffy cloud of bliss that The Treatment Rooms created for her. There are no pools or heat facilities here, but you will find a relaxing atmosphere as well as effective treatments for beauty and well-being.

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?

Who do you think would like it?

Why did you give the spa this rating?

Would you go again?

First impressions?

My invitation led me to a relatively modest townhouse, handily situated in the centre of Brighton. The reception area at The Treatment Rooms doubles as a bright and spacious shop. There are tempting products from Aromatherapy Associates, Dibi, Refinery, Eve Lom and other sophisticated brands which focus on natural ingredients.

How did they welcome you?

One of the bright and pleasant receptionists greeted me and took me upstairs to be introduced to my first therapist. On the first floor, where the treatment rooms are, the light atmosphere switches to intimate. Dark woods, muted lighting and subtly exotic, woody aromas set the tone.

What happens next?

My therapist showed me to the changing rooms. These are modestly sized, and somewhat back-to-basics, but were spotless. There was no particular reason for me to linger there beyond getting changed. I slipped into a dark-brown dressing gown and slippers and then padded to the small upstairs reception area to meet my therapist again. She was waiting for me with a glass of herbal tea, which I sipped while I filled in my health consultation form. Then she led the way to the treatment room. I followed her down a long corridor that cleverly created an illusion of spatial depth well beyond your common-or-garden Brighton townhouse.

Which treatments did you have?

I had been invited to try the Aromatherapy Associates Enrich body wrap (£85, 85 minutes) and an Eve Lom facial (£115, 85 minutes).

What were the treatments like?

The Aromatherapy Associates Enrich body wrap: My therapist led me to a treatment room lit only by small candles. She washed my feet in a bowl of warm water with petals floating on it before I took to the couch. The couch was heated from underneath for welcoming warmth.

The treatment started with a full-body scrub, using ground coffee beans in macadamia and coconut oil to exfoliate and prepare my skin. I cleaned off this luxurious scrub in the shower in the corner of the room. It was thoughtfully set to just the right temperature.

After the scrub, my therapist massaged me and anointed me with a serum, followed by a beautifully scented patchouli and geranium massage oil. She topped this off with a body butter containing shea and mura mura butters, and then tucked me in under dark brown cotton sheets and a cotton blanket. As I rested there, safe, snug and warm, the therapist gave me an expertly delivered scalp massage. This was the coup de grace for me. I have had quite a few scalp massages in my time, and this one was up there with the best of them.

My therapist's timing and handling of personal space was exquisite: important for such a nurturing treatment. I had all the space and time I needed to relax and let my senses expand.

A nice touch that added to the sense of safe intimacy was that my therapist padded softly around on perfectly groomed bare feet during the treatment.

Between this and my next treatment, I decanted myself back into my robe and slippers for a spell in the beautifully lit and subtly fragrant relaxation room. The furnishing is inspired by South East Asia, and the low (but dramatic) lighting is cleverly created by using drapes with hidden lights. I relaxed on one of the comfortable loungers and enjoyed a refreshing snack of fruit and herbal tea. The therapist for the second treatment - the Eve Lom facial - collected me when I was done. She brought me upstairs to a treatment room with a somewhat brighter atmosphere.

The Eve Lom facial: They do seem to pay attention to their couches at The Treatment Rooms. This one was so luxuriously made up with bedding that even a princess on a handful of peas would be able to lie back and enjoy her Eve Lom facial.

The facial started with a deep cleanse and a paraffin mask to open the pores. Warm, but pleasant, the mask made short work of the extractions that I needed. Although I probably winced on one or two occasions, I really didn't find it that bad at all.

A seemingly endless, blissful massage of face, neck and chest followed. After a little while, I lost track of time and entered some sort of alpha state. It was the most pleasant and thorough lymphatic drainage I have ever had!

The ensuing camphor-based face-mask gently brought me back to planet Earth. After removing it with exfoliating muslin cloths, my therapist plunged her hands into an ice-cube bath for a little while and then held my face, rather than applying a cold compress as described on Eve Lom's website. Much, much nicer.

To finish, my therapist applied moisturiser and gave me some good, straightforward skin-care advice, commendably free of sales pitches.

How did you feel afterwards?

I felt like the clichéd million dollars: blissed out, soaked in TLC and pampered to within an inch of my life.

What happens afterwards?

Once my therapist had ensured that I had all that I needed in terms of drinks and general well-being, I changed back into my clothes and went back downstairs.

Was it worth it?

Very much so. I would recommend the comforting body wrap to anyone with a spare £85 who feels a little bruised by the big bad world. The wrap is a deeply soothing and nurturing treatment.

At £115 - not a trifling amount - the Eve Lom Facial is a very thorough treatment. I was left looking and feeling radiant in a way that people commented on for quite some time afterwards.

What else could you have?

A good range of massages and wraps, including Sundari Ayurvedic massage and LaStone therapy. There's an equally wide array of facials on offer. Choose from aromatherapy facials, specialist facials for delicate skin, or a booster facial for a pick-me-up. The sebo-control facial offers a way to beat shiny oily skin. There's oxygen therapy, microdermabrasion and Restylane.

You can try a half-day ritual to beat the Brighton blues. The Romance Ritual promises candlelight and soft music, along with two therapists offering you and your partner a full-body exfoliation, soothing massage and an aromatherapy facial. There are half-day rituals for mothers-to-be, chaps, and those seeking stress relief and rejuvenation. That'll be most of us, then.

Waxing, Aculight permanent hair reduction, manicures and pedicures, eyebrow and eyelash fripperies complete the menu.

Who do you think would like it?

Anyone with a vaguely hedonistic streak, regardless of age, shape, denomination or gender. You'll all feel equally at home here. The Treatment Rooms caters to a modern, discerning customer base.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

We gave The Treatment Rooms 5 bubbles. If muted, soft atmospheres, woody fragrances, and slow, deep, soothing massages are your cup of tea, then The Treatment Rooms is next door to heaven.

I loved the confident yet relaxed atmosphere of The Treatment Rooms. Their skilled, attentive therapists also justify this well-earned 5-bubble rating.

There was only one thing that detracted from the ambience of the spa: I could hear the sound of footsteps up and down the long corridor outside my treatment room. They did not belong on the little fluffy cloud where I was lolling. I appreciate that it is difficult to control how people walk, and carpets would look and feel odd in such a stylish spa. Maybe the floors could be insulated somehow, or perhaps slippers with more padded soles would work?

See more on how we rate the spas