Review of Hartwell House Spa, Aylesbury

Hartwell House Spa, Aylesbury - 4 bubbles

This is where Jane Austen would have come for her manicures, had hot mitts been in fashion in Regency England. We packed off Sybaritic Spy to Hartwell House, as she was flying from Heathrow the next day and needed an hour of pampering. She was bowled over by the rather grand hotel and its grounds, but found the spa a pale shadow in comparison.

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?

Long-term effects

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?

That we'd stepped into a Jane Austen novel and were visiting the moneyed cousins. Hartwell House is an elegant grey stone seventeenth-century house with a huge circular drive and parkland suitable for driving through in a carriage. There is even a folly and an ice-house in the grounds. The spa is tucked away in converted outbuildings.

How did they welcome you?

As if we were frequent visitors. We were greeted and checked in at reception. A member of staff offered us tea, and took us to our room, which overlooked the formal gardens.

What happens next?

We followed the footpath to the spa; this is in the stone outbuildings we had passed as we came through the gate. It's a five-minute walk... but not one you would want to do in a robe as you're exposed to the elements. A member of staff immediately greeted us at the spa and whisked me through to a treatment room. My husband went off to the pool.

Which treatments did you have?

I had a very competent Luxury Jessica Manicure (£40). On previous trips, I have had an exfoliation, tanning treatment and a facial. All have been well delivered, but none have felt particularly special.

What were the treatments like?

My manicure took place in a pleasant treatment room with the nail station very sensibly set up so I could look out of the window while having my nails done. The spa overlooks a courtyard rather than the imposing grounds, but the buildings have been well renovated and the area is very pretty with flowering shrubs. The therapist cleansed my nails, and neatened my cuticles. She reshaped my nails, then treated me to plenty of massage and moisturising. The manicure ended with hot mitts and colour.

How did you feel afterwards?

My hands looked good. I was en route to the USA and felt that I could hold my own amongst all those US businesswomen who are always ultra-groomed.

What happens afterwards?

Since I needed to let my nail polish dry, I went upstairs to the café and ordered some coffee. The waiter not only made the coffee, but brought it over and poured and stirred it for me so that I didn't smudge my nails. Very thoughtful! From the café, I could see into the pool area where my husband and just one other person were doing a few energetic laps. Later, I went down to join him. The pool area has a Roman theme with pillars, and sculptures in niches on the walls. The pool room is double height so it's light and airy. It's a smallish pool with a Jacuzzi and steam room at one end. The seating area around the pool is quite narrow. It's just wide enough for a row of wooden loungers down one side. In each changing room, there is a small, single-sex sauna. I like saunas in changing rooms. It's a good place to finish getting dry after your shower!

Long-term effects

Well, I only had a short visit to the spa so it wasn't likely to do much in the long term. However, it was a peaceful hour in my hectic preparations for that business trip abroad.

Was it worth it?

Hartwell House is pricy. I confess to squeezing my eyes shut when I signed the credit-card bill. But it's not every day that you get to live amongst fine oil paintings and antique furniture, or eat food cooked to the AA 3-rosette standard that Hartwell offers. And Hartwell House is a wonderful antidote to the hustle and bustle of modern life for anyone about to get on a plane at nearby Heathrow.

What else could you have?

Hartwell House offers a range of Clarins and ESPA facials and body treatments, including a Clarins Fruit Salt Scrub & Detox Wrap and an ESPA Oshadi salt scrub. There's a small range of massages -- choose from a Clarins Signature Massage, a full-body massage, or a back, neck and shoulder massage. Indian head massage and reflexology are available, along with waxing, tinting, and St Tropez tanning. Hartwell House offer five spa-day packages, including one for mums-to-be and one for men.

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

That the grounds are so lovely and so large. We didn't allow time for a good long walk and there were all those 90 acres laid out before us...

Any special features?

Hartwell House feels pretty exclusive. Rooms are comfortable country chintz, and the main drawing room with its open fire is huge, elegant and welcoming all at the same time. The grounds are special. There are acres to explore and plenty of walks to enjoy. The gardens have that carefully planned and tailored look that the English gentry of a certain era worked so hard to create: a new lake here, a carefully placed tree there, a hill just over there. And here it all is, still looking stunning a few hundred years later. It's amazing to think that this was once someone's home. The exiled King of France, Louis XVIII, held court here for five years, so you are getting a good dose of history at Hartwell House, as well as a comfortable hotel and a spa.

Who do you think would like it?

Jane Austen addicts! And romantics... it does feel very special. It's also quite formal, so pack your glad-rags for dinner in the candlelit and rather hushed dining room. Even breakfast is the full silver teapots and starched linen service. Which is always wonderful as long as I don't have to polish the teapots or starch the linen! If you want something rather grand for your hotel experience, then Hartwell House is the place to go.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

It's 4 bubbles for Hartwell House. While the hotel is very grand, the spa is less so. It's not all hushed luxury spa-side. The emphasis is more practical and the atmosphere certainly more relaxed. The service is very good, towels and robes are fresh and fluffy and the staff are helpful. However, the changing rooms feel rather like health-club changing rooms and are quite basic and small. There are no lotions or potions on offer, although the mirrors are large and the hairdryers are powerful. In parts, the spa is looking a bit jaded. There are places around the pool which need some work, especially the pillars and the wooden areas around the windows. However, the upstairs food area is nicely done. It has two outside terraces, so in good weather you can sit in the sun whatever the time of day. Hartwell House has a good spa for a swim and a treatment or two, but it's not as special as you would expect from such a lovely hotel. While it may have been state-of-the-art a few years ago, the spa market has moved on a great deal over the last few years, so the spa looks and feels slightly dated.

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