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New Park Manor Hotel's Bath House Spa, Brockenhurst - 5 bubbles
New Park Manor is an old country-house hotel with a modern barn-style extension, in the heart of the New Forest. This means New Park Manor offers the best of both worlds: historic charm in the cosy hotel, and slick, contemporary design in their Bath House Spa. "The Spa in the Forest" is a delightful addition to a welcoming hotel, with excellent facilities and customer service. Perfect for a relaxing spa day; after all, what could be more serene that watching deer from an outdoor hot tub?
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?
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?
You reach New Park Manor by taking a track off the A337 in the New Forest. There is currently an equestrian centre next door to the hotel and not much else -- the hotel really is nestled in the heart of the forest in very peaceful surroundings.
Don't be confused if at first sight the hotel building doesn't match the pictures you may have seen of New Park Manor. The car park and entrance are at the back of the building, so you don't see the manor-house shown in their images. From the back, the building looks more like a large modern barn conversion than an historic hunting-lodge.
How did they welcome you?
Once through the glass door, we found ourselves in a small bar area with contemporary furnishings. To the left, up a couple of steps, we found the small reception desk where a friendly receptionist greeted us. We had arrived early; as our room wasn't quite ready, the receptionist asked if we would like to have tea or coffee in the lounge.
The lounge area, decorated in a traditional English country style, was warmed with an open fire. Coming in from the cold on a November day, this cosy room was the perfect place to relax after our journey. We sat up on a mezzanine level, reclined on a deep, soft sofa, and looked at the view of the countryside from the long barn-style windows.
What happens next?
The spa manager, Natalie, came to introduce herself. Natalie suggested that we try the spa facilities while waiting for our room, advising that we were welcome to leave our bags at reception. She then took us on a brief tour of the spa.
The spa is in a modern extension; being purpose-built, it doesn't suffer from any design quirks brought about by trying to squeeze modern facilities into an old building. The spacious reception is also the spa café and retail area. The reception desk is immediately to your left as you enter, so you can first sign in with your room number and collect your locker key. All guests at the hotel have free access to the spa facilities. As a guest at the hotel, you're encouraged to wander from your room to the spa in your robe.
The reception desk curves round and becomes a juice bar at the far side. At the back, in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, there were a few tables and chairs. In front of these were a couple of large, striped sofas with newspapers and magazines laid out on a wide table. From this room, you can look outside to the wooden decking and people lazing on loungers in the summer, and enjoying the outdoor hot tub. The décor of the spa is far more contemporary than in the rest of the hotel, which tends towards gilt-framed country-life paintings, tapestry fabrics and dark-wood furniture. The spa is all about clean lines and light, with pale-wood panelling, neutral walls and a splash of colour in the upholstery. However, the spa doesn't feel at odds with the hotel as it has quite a natural feel. The barn-style building blends into its surroundings, and the many windows make you feel like you're in the midst of nature (while inside keeping warm).
We left the spa café and went through a door to the side of the sofas, into a quiet hallway. Shelves displayed lots of white, fluffy towels, and the doors to the changing rooms were to one side. There is also a small gym, with a couple of running machines, a cross trainer and cycles, as well as free weights -- always a plus for those who like to start their spa experience with a workout.
The changing rooms:
A hen party was in the spa when we arrived, so the conservatively-sized changing rooms were a bit of a squeeze, as there are only a couple of benches on which to rest your accoutrements. I found my soft robe and slippers in my locker. The showers were stocked with wash products, and were nicely hot and powerful (which the hen party seemed to be finding fun).
The pool and thermal area:
The 16-metre pool sits beside floor-to-ceiling glass windows with views on three sides of the paddocks and Forest beyond. Even on a grey November day, there was something wonderfully serene about being able to see the outdoors whilst having a swim. My partner headed straight for the swan taps in the pool as I'd extolled their virtues in shoulder-pummelling. The four taps were as powerful as promised and it was hard to prise my partner away, but there were plenty more facilities to try.
The sauna was nicely hot but, as I am more of a fan of steam rooms, I stuck to sitting in the (also properly hot) steam room and sanarium. The hot steam cleared my sinuses and my winter-worn skin started to feel softer again. To get a balance, I braved the cold setting of the experience shower, with a few winces under the icy rain. The two bubbly foot baths, with heated tiled seats, had jets strong enough to massage the soles of our feet, so we sat for a breather before trying the small hydrotherapy pool.
It was a cold time of year, but the wooden Canadian hot tub on the spa terrace didn't look like too much of a sprint. We wrapped ourselves in our robes and ran outside. Once we were up to our necks in warm water, we were content, and sat spotting the antlers of deer from behind hedges.
The treatment rooms:
There are six treatment rooms on two wood-panelled floors; three have showers for messy treatments, and one is on the ground floor for easy access for people with mobility problems. You can also access the spa without needing to tackle any steps, direct from the car park. There is also a Rasul treatment room, where you can sit and steam while various muds do beneficial things to your skin.
I met my therapist Louise back at spa reception, and she took me upstairs to my treatment room -- a comfortable size room in calm, neutral tones. The high, angled ceiling of the barn-style building gave a feeling of space. Louise left me to change after giving me an overview of my treatment.
Which treatments did you have?
I had the Herb and Hay Detox, the spa's signature massage (85 minutes, £80); the following morning, I had a [ comfort zone ] prescriptive facial (55 minutes, £60).
What were the treatments like?
The Herb and Hay Detox is essentially a hot-poultice massage. Louise made sure I was comfortable and warm enough before uncovering my back. She applied a decent amount of sweet-smelling vanilla-ish massage cream and began massaging using gentle strokes. The Herb and Hay Detox promises relaxation, so I advised Louise that she could increase the pressure, but didn't request a firm massage. Louise continued to massage using long, smooth strokes and some medium pressure on key points, then introduced the poultices.
The small muslin bags containing (obviously) herbs and hay had been heated, so Louise tested one gently on my skin to see if the temperature was fine. It was a little hot, so she waited a minute or so before pushing them gently onto pressure points, followed by more massage. By the time she had finished, I was completely limp and barely awake; the treatment lived up to its promise.
The [ comfort zone ] prescriptive facial is tailored to your skin type. Before beginning, Louise chatted to me about my skin-care regime and my concerns. She then chose products for my combination skin and winter dehydration.
I was very relaxed, horizontal on a warm treatment bed, tucked under covers, but the products Louise used were particularly memorable for one reason: every one of them was a cream of a similar consistency. First came a cream cleanser, followed by a cream exfoliator, a creamy mask, and cream moisturiser. Not the most exciting of facial routines, but no surprises either, so it was easy to relax. Louise gently applied and removed each product in a streamlined routine before leaving me to change back into my robe.
How did you feel afterwards?
Louise was waiting for me outside the treatment room, and took me along to the quiet relaxation room. Inside were more bright stripey sofas, and two long beanbag-beds. I helped myself to a glass of cold water and a glossy magazine, then abandoned them for the sake of a full stretch on a beanbag. I didn't have a care in the world.
What happens afterwards?
I met my partner back in the spa cafe, where he'd been catching up on the day's papers, and drinking one of the best coffees he'd had in ages, no less. We returned to the hotel reception and a cheerful member of staff took us upstairs to our room.
The original New Park Manor was built in the 1600s, and was a hunting lodge of King Charles II. Our room, like all of the bedrooms, was named after one of the king's favourite companions -- in our case, Nell Gwyn. It was a romantic room, so I guess the name was quite fitting.
The room:
The room definitely had an air of Tudor grandeur, with the carved, dark-wood antique furniture including a substantial four-poster bed with red-and-yellow flag-like drapes, and a wardrobe topped with heraldic crests. The long sash windows revealed views of the lawns, the outdoor pool, and the Forest beyond.
The bed had modern, crisp, white sheets, and atop the carved wood cabinet was a TV and DVD player. There was a tea-making tray in the wardrobe and plenty of fluffy white towels and [ comfort zone ] products in the bathroom. Whilst the bedroom was grand, the bathroom actually felt quite homely, with stone-effect tiles, Victorian-style fittings and illustrations of English blooms that wouldn't look out of place in a country cottage.
Your bathrobe and spa slippers await you in your room, too.
The food:
The food at New Park Manor is fresh, locally sourced wherever possible and GM-free. The Polo Bar menu offers plenty of sandwiches and salads, healthy options and more hearty snacks. This is also the menu available if you want to eat in your room. We ate a three-course meal in the wood-panelled Stag restaurant. Although this is a more formal room, New Park Manor has a relaxed atmosphere, so you won't need your pearls to dine, though there would be nothing to stop you if you fancied feeling glamorous after a facial!
An attentive waitress made sure we were never left wanting for anything, and was polite and friendly without ever being overbearing. I chose an unusual artichoke confit to start, with tender pheasant breast for my main, while my partner chose a goat's cheese and mushroom terrine, followed by corn-fed chicken with pancetta. Every dish was of a very good standard. The desserts -- a pear tatin and a trio of cooked-apple desserts -- were absolutely delicious, and the mid-range Pinot Noir we drank was excellent for the price.
Breakfast is a buffet of cereals, fruits, juices, breads and pastries along with cooked options. The New Forest breakfast features local sausages, eggs and bacon, but you can also order porridge, poached eggs and kippers, cooked to order.
Was it worth it?
Yes. New Park Manor offers great value. The atmosphere is soothing and the day-spa packages are genuinely a bargain. There aren't many places where you could get such good treatments, range of facilities, high quality of service and pampering environment for a similar price.
What else could you have?
A full range of [ comfort zone ] treatments, as this is the spa's main brand. You can choose from various facials, massages, and exfoliating and conditioning body treatments.
Mama Mio treatments, so if you're pregnant, or you've recently had a baby, there are plenty of luxurious treatments to try. There are also Mama Mio Bootcamp treatments for those not in the family way. Choose from a range of treatments that aim to tone your bust, tummy, or derriere!
Last, but not least, the spa offers a range of fresh, natural treatments, using hand-blended products created in the spa from ingredients such as fruits, honey, yoghurt, salt and oil.
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
That the modern rooms in the new Forest Wing have LCD TVs in the bathroom so you can watch your favourite soap in the bath! These rooms are also a great choice if you're at New Park Manor to focus on spa, as you can go straight down the stairs to the spa in your robe. You can walk through the hotel in your robe, of course, but you might be shy.
Children are allowed in the pool between 3.30pm and 5.30pm, so if it's peace you're after, arrange your massage for then.
There is broadband access in the bedrooms for a charge. So if you can't be away from your laptop, you can still stay in touch.
The Spa in the Forest also offers membership to people lucky enough to live close enough to go regularly, but there aren't so many members that they bump up against the day spa guests. The spa never feels crowded.
Any special features?
The staff. Every member of staff we encountered was friendly without being fake, and polite and efficient. As my partner commented: "It was like they really enjoyed working there."
Who do you think would like it?
Anyone with sense. You can get out of your New Park Manor stay or day what you want to. The Bath House Spa is a great choice for a day to catch up with a friend, or for mums and daughters, as it's informal and unintimidating, and offers a wide enough range of treatments to keep all ages happy.
New Park Manor is also a good choice for a break with your partner -- try the romantic four-poster room. Even if you're never going to persuade him to have a herb and hay detox massage, he might enjoy the gym and a swim, or simply sitting before the real fire in the library with the papers while you bliss out.
You can book the whole spa for the day if there are 12 of you, which is great because you'll have it all to yourself; you won't worry about annoying anyone and your group won't be intimidating to anyone else. You would have a chance to relax and hang out with your friends, and be pampered at the same time.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
The Spa in the Forest retains its 5 bubbles because our stay at New Park Manor was delightful, from the moment we entered the hotel to the moment we left. The customer service was excellent, the spa is well-designed and the treatments of a good standard for the price, and the hotel and dining areas simply enhance the experience.
The changing rooms are small and there were some tiles in the steam room that needed a scrub, but these were very minor points.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
Absolutely. With New Park Manor making some changes to the spa over 2011 -- to include more spa space, spa accommodation and a spa garden, we hear -- we'll just have to return!
We visited New Park Manor in November 2010
See also:
* Contact Details for New Park Manor
* See New Park Manor's latest offers and packages at The Good Spa Shop
* Relaxation massage
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