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The Spa at Hoole Hall, Chester - 4 bubbles
A well-thought-out modern hotel spa that is worth a visit for the classy thermal experiences and relaxing treatments. Schedule your spa-time to avoid the toddlers in the pool and you'll de-stress fine. Great for spa days and spa stays.
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?
Single Spy and friend were invited to try out the spa at Hoole Hall when it was still quite new, but the staff were very accommodating with the treatment times to suit our schedule. The receptionist was also very understanding and helpful when Friday night traffic caused us some delay.
First impressions?
The hotel is a modern Doubletree by Hilton, easy to find, just off the M53. The hotel is enlivened by a fountain in the gardens, and was very busy the day of our visit. There's a futuristic feel to the approach to the Reception area, where silver spheres glint in the grounds (and the trees are illuminated after dark).
How did they welcome you?
Through the wide glass doors is a desk with friendly staff waiting to check you in. Our room was *miles* away (it seemed), down lengthy corridors, so we suspected that going to and from the spa might keep us fit as an activity in itself.
Our twin-bedded room was smallish, but clean, with a view of the car park. The staff organised our cases to be sent to the room as we had to make a dash for the spa.
What happens next?
We got changed in the changing rooms which are shared with the pool and health club. Beige towelling robes and plastic-wrapped spa slippers awaited us in our locker. The robe was definitely too small for one of us.
The changing rooms are large, divided into separate areas with banks of lockers, and were reasonably tidy and kitted-out. More health club than spa, with unidentifiable hair and body wash in the showers, the area was not at its cleanest late on a Friday.
The waiting area for your treatments is called "The Before", which distinguishes it from "The After", where you can relax post-treatment in a state of meditative bliss. The Before contains seven white hessian chairs, and it was here that we filled in our consultation forms, to the accompaniment of some herbal tea. Stacey, my therapist, arrived to collect me and took me to one of the 12 treatment rooms off a curved corridor. The room was minimalist, with a treatment bed centre stage, a warm wooden floor, and soft lighting.
Which treatments did you have?
I had the Anti Stress Back Therapy by Anne Semonin (45 minutes, £55 during peak times and £50 off-peak) and my friend had a French manicure (45 minutes, £38 during peak times and £35 off-peak).
What were the treatments like?
Very good, in the end. I wasn't sure at first, as the treatment table had no face-holder and lying with my head to one side was not very comfortable. I was also initially worried that the pressure of the massage wasn't going to assault the tension in my shoulders, but Stacey's fingers mapped their way along my muscles to hunt out the knots very admirably.
I also loved the feel of the bubbly mud as it got to work cleaning and smoothing my back. Stacey got me to sit up, she put the mud on a sheet underneath my back, then I lowered myself into the bubbliness. The mud gradually warms up underneath you, bubbles away, and takes away stress with every pop.
Stacey completed the treatment with a soothing foot massage. She used eucalyptus oil on my back and feet, which was enlivening, whilst also coaxing me to set off for the Land of Nod. The only reason I didn't was that I was getting stressed over my de-stressing eye pads, which threatened to fall off whenever my head tipped slightly to one side.
Mud removed, and while I put my robe back on, Stacey went to fetch me a glass of cool water.
How did you feel afterwards?
Nicely massaged.
What happens afterwards?
I went to the relaxation room with my glass of water (where my friend awaited with shiny and nicely rounded fingernails).
The relaxation room is divided into two areas, with a row of loungers against one wall, then a bunch of beanbags around the "Dreamwave". The Dreamwave is a circular water-filled device, which reflects images onto the ceiling. When the water ripples, you watch from your beanbag as those ripples translate into light patterns above your head. All very psychedelic. Also, very therapeutic if, like me, you are seized with a desire to dance around the Dreamwave to see just how many ripples you can make at any one time (a bit like two competing discos, in silence).
The loungers had no side tables to put your glass of water on, which was odd. And there were not many magazines about. You're obviously encouraged to watch the ripples.
That evening we ate in the Marco Pierre White restaurant at the hotel. I had the ribeye steak with spinach and triple-cooked chips, which were interesting: much firmer than I was expecting. My friend declared her fried haddock excellent, and announced that the mushy peas were the most delicious ever, as was the Eton Mess.
The next morning, after a buffet breakfast, I went to the gym, The gym is fairly large, air-conditioned, with a wealth of TechnoGym machines and a separate area for weights. All the cardiovascular equipment includes flat-screen TVs and headphone channels. Bring your iPod. There is a water fountain in the gym as well as just outside, which is good news.
The 18-metre swimming pool was roped off into lanes to allow for some serious swimming, as this is also the hotel pool and, on a Saturday morning, it was busy with children. I think there was music playing but one family was hosting The World's Noisiest Toddler contest, so I couldn't actually hear over the din.
The water was turquoise and very appealing, with graduated steps down into the pool. There are several loungers in the pool area, but they were all occupied and I did wonder whether the spa would have a lounger crisis at busy times.
I also wasn't too sure about the outdoor thermal pool. It's a nice idea: you can swim from the separate hydrotherapy pool outside into the fresh air, and then sit on bubble seats relaxing under the sky. But this outdoor thermal pool has been built in a strange sort of concrete pit with high walls, I suppose the idea is to make the walls high enough so that you can't be overlooked, and also so that you could imagine you were in some rather more exotic location than Cheshire, but I couldn't shed the notion that I was in a Jacuzzi prison.
The heat experiences are excellent. They are purpose built, large and finely finished with floor and wall tiles. A wonderful change from the usual steamy plastic cupboards next to a hotel pool. There's an aroma room, which was nicely scented on my visit, gently heated, and a good place to start if you're just getting used to the thermal lark. The steam room was hotter, and had large tiled benches to relax on. The hammam has more steam, and felt slightly more intense. Before any more warmth, I cooled down in one of the shell-shaped showers, and felt ready for the dry heat of the glass-fronted sauna. The thermal experiences are a fantastic addition to the spa.
Thoroughly relaxed, I headed for the changing rooms. The showers in the changing rooms are extremely ecologically sound, with something like nine seconds before they switch off and you have to blink through soap suds to find the button to press them on again. Green? Yes. Loveable? No.
Was it worth it?
The treatments are very reasonably priced for the facilities and the area.
What else could you have?
You can have face and body treatments using Anne Semonin and Pevonia products, as well as more cosmeceutical facials using the Murad range.
You can book in for scrubs and wraps, manis and pedis in the dedicated "polish" room, and some complementary therapies such as reiki and reflexology. There are specific treatments for men and for mums to be, and a series of treats you can enjoy if there are two of you. There's also a mud room or rasul, so you can have your own private steam with therapeutic muds -- especially fun for two. Plus, you can enjoy beauty finishing touches such as St Tropez tanning, waxing, and brow and lash treatments.
The spa offers a variety of spa day-packages, all of which include use of the pool, gym, heat facilities, lunch and the wave room, and also some spa stays overnight in the hotel.
Any special features?
The Dreamwave, obviously. There is also a large private couples' suite you can book, which has its own separate balcony, spa bath and sauna. The glass to the suite is one-way so no-one can see in. Great if you like to do your relaxing without an audience.
There's also an accessible treatment room, so you're not excluded from spa-ing if you have mobility problems.
The Terrace Cafe in the spa is for spa-goers only, so you'll feel quite at home eating your sandwiches, soups and salads in your spa robe.
Who do you think would like it?
Anyone who likes to combine efficacious treatments with relaxing dreamwaves.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave The Spa at Hoole Hall 4 bubbles. The spa was still fairly new at the time of our visit, and the dark wood floors and walls looked shiny and stylish. Let's see how this decor fares over time.
When you visit any spa that shares its pool with a hotel or a health club, you run the risk of sharing your swim-time with families and children, as I did. However, this is offset by the fact that the spa treatment rooms and relaxation areas are on a separate floor, so you can retreat to spa-only areas. I also felt that the lacklustre changing rooms let down the overall spa atmosphere.
However, we loved the idea of separate relaxation areas for before and after treatments (so many spas get this wrong), and mud is always good. The Dreamwave is an imaginative touch. The star of the show is the thermal experiences; make sure you schedule in enough time for a steam and chill on your visit.
See more on how we rate the spas.
Would you go again?
If I lived locally, I'd certainly visit for the Anne Semonin treatments and to try a pamper day. I'd also like to visit the pool and thermal experiences off peak, when I might have them to myself!
We visited The Spa at Hoole Hall in June 2010
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See also:
* Contact details for Hoole Hall
* How much does a residential spa stay cost?
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