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Sensitive Spy and spouse (a spa virgin) were invited to the cosy cocoon of spa that is Lansdowne Place in Hove. There's a hushed and peacock-feather world hiding inside this Regency hotel. Not to mention hot-stone heaven.
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?
Any special features?
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
First impressions?
Lansdowne Place is a huge Regency hotel just off Hove seafront. It's grand and imposing, and a little run down on the outside. On the inside, it's been decked out in a funky, quirky style. Dark, opulent fabrics and oriental touches abound. Very boutique hotel.
How did they welcome you?
When we arrived, the hotel receptionist was busy on the phone trying to guide a lost soul through the backwaters of Hove to the safe haven of the Lansdowne. But, within a minute, a friendly concierge spotted us waiting and showed us down the stairs to the basement spa.
The door to the spa is white and unassuming, and decorated with a peacock feather. Once you open the door, the white and unassuming ends. The spa reception is purple, lavish, and opulent. Biba meets Zen. There's a grey slate floor, and dark wood shelves laden with purple-packaged ESPA products. Tea-lights twinkle within amethyst candle holders. A pretty fish tank is set into the front of the reception desk. The effect is really spectacular -- like stepping into a gothic grotto.
What happens next?
Michelle, the spa manager greeted us with a genuinely friendly welcome and gave us our health forms to fill in. Michelle took time to explain what to expect from our treatments before giving us a quick tour of the spa so we could get our bearings.
The changing rooms: These are smart but a little on the small side. There's only one loo, and I had to wait both times I needed to use it. I loved the unique lockers: tall, imposing, dark-wood vintage lockers from the Lansdowne's previous incarnation as The Dudley Hotel. They locked with a reassuringly large brass key. There are similar antique dark-wood shelves and drawers in the treatment rooms. A nice touch, and a million miles away from mass-produced spa-by-numbers.
Inside my locker, I found a generous amount of towels, comfy white spa slippers and a large, soft robe. On closer inspection, the robe had a large purple stain on the collar. This was the first time I'd seen staining that matched the spa décor. A designer somewhere has an eye for detail.
Which treatments did you have?
I had an ESPA Aromatherapy massage with hot stones (70 minutes, £64) and my husband had the spa's signature treatment, Holistic Total Body Care with hot stones (115 minutes, £86).
What were the treatments like?
Aromatherapy massage with hot stones: My therapist, Charlotte, began the treatment in the time-honoured ESPA fashion of asking how I would like to feel after the massage and offering me a choice of two ESPA oils to sniff. I wanted to feel more energised, so she offered me the choice of "Detox" or "Fitness". I opted for the zesty, citrus Detox oil.
I had very tense shoulders and Charlotte targeted these perfectly with deft strokes of the hot stones. It was a good, focused massage.
Holistic Total Body Care with hot stones: My husband reports: "As a Spa virgin who had never had any kind of treatment, or knowingly gone within 100 yards of a spa, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. My two-hour treatment was less a baptism of fire, and more a baptism of hot stones. After a while, I found myself forgetting about the cares of the outside world and drifting off into an almost trance-like state. For someone like me, not used to having quiet 'me-time', this was a very rewarding feeling. For once in my busy week, I allowed myself the luxury of losing all sense of time."
How did you feel afterwards?
After my aromatherapy massage, I felt pleasantly relaxed. My husband felt incredibly chilled after his Holistic Total Body Care treatment, and very, very thirsty.
What happens afterwards?
After my massage, Charlotte brought me a glass of water and left the room while I donned my robe. She met me outside the treatment room and took me to the relaxation area.
The relaxation area: As you walk in to the relaxation area, there's a table laden with fruit, teas and coffee. (Instant Nescafe? In a spa? Surely not!) Annoyingly, there's no water. You have to walk out to the water machine in reception to get your hot or cold water. This is irritating.
In the main relaxation area, there are six stylish wooden loungers, very dimly lit by tea-light candles. There was a poor choice of reading materials. Only Cosmo or Easy Living while I was lounging there. By the time my husband finished his treatment an hour later, he could only find Grazia. He wasn't happy.
The relaxation room also houses the sauna and the steam room. Both were a good size. The steam room was white, and suitably steamy. It had a pleasant eucalyptus and mint aroma. The sauna was immaculate, and very hot.
Long-term effects
This was the first time my husband had experienced a lengthy spa massage and, for weeks afterwards, he drank twice as much water as usual, and couldn't face drinking coffee or alcohol. That was an extremely effective massage!
Was it worth it?
Yes. It was really good value, especially the Holistic Total Body Care -- £86 for nearly two hours of treatment time. If you added up all of the lattes and Pinot Grigios that hubbie didn't consume in the following weeks, it more than paid for itself.
What else could you have?
Lansdowne Place offers the full range of ESPA treatments: massages, facials, wraps, and scrubs. You can have reflexology, Indian head massage, reiki, or Hopi ear candles. There's Jessana manicures and pedicures, the usual beauty treatments, and microdermabrasion. Spa days start at £95 and they all include lunch in the stylish Lansdowne Place dining room on the ground floor of the hotel. During my visit, two ladies were lunching there in their robes, and very contented they looked, too.
Afternoon Tea sounds like a perfectly civilised way to spend a weekday afternoon. For £75, you can enjoy a back, neck and shoulder massage and an express facial, followed by traditional afternoon tea in the dining room.
Any special features?
Each of the eight treatment rooms has a different coloured ceiling. The jewel-like colours are inspired by the shades of a peacock feather, which is the hotel's logo. When you're lying on your back for half an hour during a treatment, you appreciate this level of detail in a ceiling.
The music used during our treatments was great! Groovy, cinematic electronica. Very unusual and not a peep of a pan-pipe.
When we visited, they were in the process of creating a new Jacuzzi, in what used to be the gym. Customers rarely used the gym, apparently, so this seems like a great use of space. Heat experience fans will be able to hop from sauna to Jacuzzi to steam room. Very appealing. There will be a very limited amount of gym equipment available, in a tiny room leading off from the Jacuzzi room. This could be a contender for The World's Smallest Gym award, so not the place to visit if you like to combine a workout with your spa.
Who do you think would like it?
The rich décor is stylish without being girly. It appeals to both sexes, so Lansdowne Place is a good place for couples, or men wishing to spa without any pink fluffiness. There are two generously sized dual treatment rooms for couples.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave Lansdowne Place a high 4 bubbles. It's a fantastic space -- an opulent cocoon of spa in the heart of Hove. They've worked with their basement rooms to create an intimate and cosy spa, rather than trying to create the illusion of light and space. Having said that, no amount of groovy electronica could hide the sound of the air conditioning in the treatment room -- always a problem with a basement spa. There was a little wear and tear in the changing room showers and loos. That aside, the spa is immaculately well kept. The quirky, opulent style perfectly complements the Lansdowne Place boutique hotel.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
Definitely. I'll book a spa day to catch up with a friend over lunch, have a couple of treatments and then do retail in Brighton.
We visited Lansdowne Place in April 2008
Like the sound of this? You're in luck.
Follow this link to book a special spa offer at Lansdowne Place with our partners lastminute.com
See also:
* Details of Lansdowne Place Hotel
* Massage
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