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Titanic Spa, Huddersfield - 4 bubbles
Titanic is an eco spa that has a good pool and excellent heat and ice experiences. The wide range of treatments, from facials to manicures and massages, include key brands such as Carita, Decléor, Elemis, and Pinks Boutique. Don't miss the stunningly good Pinks Boutique massage! The lack of seating space and the layout that divides the spa area from the pool and gym means the total spa experience is not quite as smooth as it could be. However, the bistro offers food and drinks and there are apartments within the building for overnight stays, so this spa is ideal for friends who want to unwind and catch up together.
First impressions?
What's on offer?
Which treatments did you have?
What were the treatments like?
What else could you have?
Food facts
Was it worth it?
We loved
We didn't love
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
First impressions?
Tucked away in a valley with a stream and a canal running through it, the Titanic spa inhabits a huge, Grade-2 listed building that was once a textile mill. The spa takes up part of the ground floor, and the five upper floors are apartments. Some are very trendy homes, but 30 of these apartments are for spa goers to stay in. A clever combination: you can spa the day away, then curl up in front of a film in the evening if it's just you and your best beloved, or gossip with friends if your group is sharing one of the larger apartments.
Plenty of car parking right outside. The lift to the apartments goes up from the reception area. You can leave your luggage with reception and they will deliver it to your room.
The reception area is large and bright, with a shop area to one side, the bistro and terrace straight ahead. Staff greet guests and take them on a tour to help them understand the layout before they get settled into serious spa-ing.
What's on offer?
The heat and ice experiences are popular and fun. Start with foot-baths to get you in the mood. The idea is to alternate hot and cold experiences. The crystal steam room was nicely hot, the aromatherapy room cooler but fragrant, and the sauna was ideal for those who like it hot (but too hot for this spa spy who took refuge in the timber saunarium, which was delightfully warm). In the saunarium, the air is moist, so is kinder to the lungs. You even get background music and mood lighting. There is also a cold plunge pool, an ice room, experience showers and a bucket shower. You take your pick which order you want to choose and how long you want to spend in each area. It's a fun and sociable way to spend an hour or two. The whole area was clean, everything was working, and there were plenty of hooks for robes. You can also try a hamman and a mud chamber, though you need to book these and pay extra.
The 15-metre swimming pool is "salt regulated". This means that the water is soft and clean without the stinging and irritation that some water-cleaning chemicals cause. The pool is lovely to swim in, or lounge beside. The glass walls mean there is plenty of natural light, and it's the sort of pool area you want to linger in: warm, light, and not too noisy. A small sauna and steam room are beside the pool, too.
The gym is bright and light, if a bit cramped, and has Power Plate and TechnoGym machines. The pool and gym are exclusively for the use of health-club members in the mornings. Spa goers can use both after 11am.
There are 20 spacious treatment rooms plus a VIP suite for couples treatments and a hydrobath. The treatment rooms have air conditioning, wooden flooring and comfortable treatment beds with heated blankets.
The large relaxation lounge has bean bags, beds and seating.
The bistro serves drinks and meals throughout the day.
The terrace has outdoor seating and a marquee with wooden flooring (used for classes).
There is also a shop area and a hair salon just off the reception.
Which treatments did you have?
I had the Pinks Boutique organic massage (55 minutes, £70).
What were the treatments like?
Heavenly. A combination of wonderful products and an amazing massage made this a spectacularly good treatment. I want one every week now!
The Pinks Boutique organic massage is supposed to "balance your body" as well as deal with tense muscles.
The Pinks Himalayan massage oil, which combines peppermint and eucalyptus oils, was just perfect on my dry skin and tense muscles. In fact, all the products were so wonderful that I rushed to buy some and plan to give them to all my friends for Christmas. No stressed out modern miss should be without them!
The treatment was more than a massage, since it involved rolling and realigning my limbs. I drifted off very quickly -- not into sleep, but into a kind of zoned out, relaxed place where I drifted around, while my therapist took good care of my body. At the end, she presented me with a drink and a snack to raise my blood-sugar levels. A very civilised way to finish a treatment.
What else could you have?
One advantage of a large spa (and Titanic is indeed large with up to 100 visitors each day) is that they can offer a wide range of treatments. And Titanic has it all: 28 different facials, half-a-dozen different wraps, a multitude of manicures, plus men's treatments, pregnancy treatments, and alternative therapies. You are spoilt for choice. Just make sure you call ahead and sort out your treatments well in advance. In such a busy spa, it may be hard to change things round on your day.
Food facts
The bistro sits between the pool and gym area, and the treatment rooms and relaxation area. Literally between, as you have to walk between the tables to get to the pool, which is a bit odd. There is a back way through the changing rooms, but most people do go through the bistro. Apart from this, the bistro area is very pleasant: light and bright with comfortable seating. A good choice of hot and cold food and plenty of drinks is on offer from home-made fruit smoothies, single-estate teas, herbal teas, Belvoir sparkling fruit juices, and five different champagnes and sparkling wines. Let's face it, a glass of bubbles just makes a day at a spa and someone at Titanic knows that! If you prefer, you can make your treat of the day afternoon tea, complete with scones and jam.
Lunch is a buffet of salads with jacket potatoes. In the evening, you can go off to your apartment to cook for yourself or stay and have supper. We had a three-mushroom stroganoff, some grilled fish, and a glass of white wine; just the right way to finish a day of relaxing in the spa.
Was it worth it?
Yes! Titanic is a good-value spa and their special offers are worth looking out for. There is plenty to do at this spa, with the pool, gym, heat and ice experiences, and treatments. Treatment costs are about what we at The Good Spa Guide expect, at about a pound per minute. No classes were running when we visited, but yoga, Thai Chi, Pilates, salsa and more are on offer. Check when booking.
We loved
The overall concept of a spa with apartments: You get some privacy, yet all the facilities of a spa are just downstairs. Brilliant! The apartments are modern, clean and well equipped. Breakfast is supplied in the form of tea, coffee, cereals, milk and croissants.
The feel-good effect of going to an Eco-spa: Titanic has its own bore hole to supply water, and uses solar panels to heat the water. Windows are fitted with glass that keeps the heat in and reflects sunlight to prevent overheating.
The ample changing rooms. There are two women's changing rooms at the spa end of the building and another one at the gym end. They were all clean and well lit, with large mirrors, showers complete with shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, and plenty of clean fresh towels everywhere.
The heat and ice experiences: fun and sociable as well as relaxing.
We didn't love
The layout: Most people walk through the bistro to get to and from the pool. It feels odd to wander between the tables in your robe.
The lack of seating: We visited on a sunny day and counted 35 people sitting out on the terrace enjoying the sunshine. If it had been raining, there was little space indoors for people to sit and chat. There are a couple of seats in one of the wide corridors, and a few chairs in reception, but nothing like enough for everyone. Most people would head to the relaxation room, of course, but that wouldn't be very relaxing.
The fluffy brown robes: The synthetic fabric apparently contributes to the eco credentials as the robes can be washed at low temperatures. But I felt -- and looked -- like a teddy bear, and a hot teddy bear at that, and so did everyone else!
Who do you think would like it?
Groups of friends: Titanic Spa is big enough to cope with groups without overpowering couples and those visiting on their own.
Anyone who wants to spa and relax but not have treatments: There is plenty to do at this spa if massages and manicures are not your thing.
Men: Titanic is not a pink and feminine spa. The décor and colour scheme of beiges and browns keep everything neutral and plenty of men's treatments are on offer. There were lots of couples on the day we visited.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave the Titanic spa 4 bubbles; they earned them. Titanic is a big spa that manages to handle large numbers of people every day and does this very well. The spa has good facilities, everywhere was sparklingly clean, and the treatments were excellent. However, the indoor space is limited, and on busy days could feel cramped. The "spa journey" is disjointed because of the layout of the spa.
Titanic is a very good spa. All it needs to be a really great spa is a little more seating space.
Would you go again?
Yes, indeed. I would bring some friends and stay in the penthouse apartment at the top of the building (which apparently sleeps eight). And I would book everyone in for the Pinks Boutique organic massage again.
We visited Titanic Spa in August 2011.
See also:
* Contact Details for Titanic Spa
* Facials: How to choose the right one for you
* Buy Pinks Boutique products at The Good Spa Shop
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