Review of The Haven at the Lodge on Loch Lomond

The Haven at the Lodge candlelit massage

The steam room at The Haven at the Lodge at Loch Lomond

The Haven at the Lodge on Loch Lomond, Luss - 4 bubbles

The Haven at the Lodge at Loch Lomond Hotel offers good-value and professional treatments. It's not the largest or most luxurious spa in the world, but the friendly staff offer perfect packages for relaxation, whether you're a hotel guest or not.

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?

We were invited to visit The Haven at the Lodge on Loch Lomond, and the staff were very accommodating working round our travel times.

First impressions?

How can a hotel set on the edges of Loch Lomond not be a great first impression? With sunlight sparkling off the water, wind in the trees and a sky of many colours overhead, the location is a dream).

The family-run hotel itself is not an architectural wonder, but fairly functional and lodge-like, as the name suggests. The Lodge is divided into two buildings, both facing the loch, separated by a car park.

How did they welcome you?

Politely. I went straight to the spa, leaving my spouse in the restaurant overlooking the loch until our room was ready.

The spa is at the far side of the far building (Munro Lodge) which houses some bedrooms and the pool, as well as the spa.

What happens next?

I admired the sun-filled large and light reception area, which was welcoming and spick-and-span. There are just three treatment rooms in this spa, alongside the reception area and a shopping section.

Which treatments did you have?

I had an ayurvedic journey (150 minutes, £145). The Haven at The Lodge was the first spa in Scotland to offer the La Sultane de Saba range, and I found the treatment and products both distinctly different and delightful. La Sultane de Saba is a Parisian-based product house founded in 1995, "inspired by the beauty rituals of the mystical Orient"; the products are natural and organic, paraben-free, do not contain any animal ingredients, and are not tested on animals. They certainly smell divine, though.

What were the treatments like?

My ayurvedic journey was very relaxing. I stripped down to almost nothing and lay under towels, with my modesty preserved at all times. My therapist, Ailie, used a very warm and spicy blend of almond, apricot, ginger and patchouli to exfoliate my skin. The scents were delicious.

Ailie applied a blend of amber body oil and orange-blossom shea butter to create a soothing and relaxing body massage. Allie was quick to diagnose tension in my shoulders and the right side of my lower back. She had a firm but effective touch when it came to easing out stress, and also used herbal poultices for a direct swoop along the knots. Warmth seemed to penetrate deep into my muscles, in a very soothing fashion.

At the end of the dreamy massage, Ailie offered me a glass of water. She suggested I take a few minutes to gradually get up.

I am not sure time has ever passed so quickly! I certainly emerged from the treatment blissfully relaxed, with the added bonus of softer skin and shoulders that weren't actually painful any more.

Ailie gave me the poultices used in the massage treatment, so I could take their lingering scent away with me.

Ailie was a finalist in the UK Body Therapist of the Year category at the 2009 British Beauty and Spa Awards; anyone who made it to the final 5 out of over 1,000 entries must have a little magic in their hands, and it was a pleasure and a privilege to get the benefit of some of that magic myself. I wish she lived next door.

How did you feel afterwards?

Quite the Queen of Sheba. Very relaxed but with enough energy to make the most of my surroundings with a walk. I also smelled absolutely gorgeous.

What happens afterwards?

Allie gave me an aftercare and recommendations form, where she had noted which products were used in the treatment, and penned some advice on using shea butter to ease my dry skin.

Spa treat over, I went and found my spouse, who had found our room. This was also in Munro Lodge. The room was very smart and modern. There was an HDTV, surround sound for your DVD, a comfy sofa, flowers, and you could make your own tea and coffee with UHT milk. The separate bedroom was a nice touch, and the bed soft and comfortable.

The bath and shower use eco-logic controls, which look quite daunting at first but are actually very easy to operate, so you get a bath or shower at the temperature you want without wasting water. The room had a balcony all of its own where you can sit and look at the loch to your heart's content.

We went for a short walk along the beach to the small village of Luss, visited the church, and marvelled at the florally bedecked and picturesque cottages until it was time to eat. Dinner was in Colqohoun’s, the 2-rosette restaurant in the main building, which is obviously very popular. The food was fresh and much of it locally sourced -- my local lamb was delicious. Breakfast is served in this restaurant, too (and was also delicious); eating while gazing out of the windows at sparkling water is always a good start to the day.

The next morning, I went along the corridor in my swimsuit and robe, and went for a swim. Through the door on the first floor, you'll find the steam room, sauna and sanarium. Follow the spiral staircase down, and you'll reach the main pool area, which is on the ground floor. The pool is large enough for a proper swim and is bright and airy, with glass windows letting in the reflected loch light. I also checked out the blue-and-white tiled heat areas, which were all suitably hot, and reasonably large, so good for a long de-stress with friends. There is a water dispenser outside the heat rooms, too, so you can stay hydrated.

Was it worth it?

Indeed. The costs of the treatments available at The Haven at The Lodge on Loch Lomond compare very favourably to others in the area and to spas in Glasgow -- a 30-40 minute drive away.

What else could you have?

For such a small spa, The Haven at The Lodge on Loch Lomond offers a variety of interesting and different treatments. The La Sultane de Saba "journeys" take you to exotic destinations, but all have relaxation as a focus: the Japanese journey features exfoliation using Japanese brown sugar; the Balinese journey features a rice and coconut scrub; the Moroccan journey uses organic black-olive soap.

You can choose from several varieties of massage including Swedish, aromatherapy, hot stone and shea butter, and lava shells. You can also try Indian head massage and other therapies such as reflexology. There are specific treatments for mums-to-be and for men. You can try salt scrubs, wraps and a variety of facials, including one with repairing argan oil. Beauty is not forgotten, with waxing, nail care, and wedding make-up trials and applications on offer (many, many couples choose to get married in this romantic setting each year).

Any special features?

Being on the shore of the largest area of fresh water in the British Isles, obviously.

Who do you think would like it?

Hotel guests and locals (and hotel guests can often get a discount on the treatments).

Why did you give the spa this rating?

We gave The Haven at The Lodge on Loch Lomond 4 bubbles. It isn't a luxurious, large or over-the-top spa. But it is clean, friendly, and delivers enjoyable treatments in expert hands. Well done to Debra Bell, the owner, for experimenting with such distinct and different therapies, bringing a flavour of the East to the shores of the loch.

The spa treatment rooms are separate from the hotel pool area, so your treatment is quiet, but there's no relaxation area to recover post-treatment, so you have to return to the real world rather quickly. One reason why this spa is very suited to hotel guests, who can drift back to their room.

See more on how we rate the spas.