Review of New Park Manor Hotel's Bath House Spa, Brockenhurst

The main pool at the new bath house spa at New Park Manor

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New Park Manor Hotel's Bath House Spa, Brockenhurst - 5 bubbles

We were invited back to New Park Manor Hotel and Bath House Spa ("The Spa in the Forest") on a cold February day. The perfect sort of day, in fact, to sit in an outdoor hot tub looking at some deer and New Forest ponies. But it's a pretty perfect spa that will look after you no matter what the season.

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?

You reach New Park Manor by taking a track off the A337 in the New Forest. The track is largely unlit (take note if you're arriving at night) and winds past open fields on both sides. There was a sign on one fence warning us to beware of stallions, which is always a clue that you have left the city behind.

If you've seen pictures of New Park Manor, you'll know that it's often presented as a rather grand and elegant country house. It is nicely grand and elegant, but the first view you get from the car park doesn't make it feel that way. You're looking at the back of the house and there seems to be something like a barn attached. (Later, this turns out to be the spa.)

You go in through the glass doors at the corner of the car park, into a small bar area. Turn left and go up a few stairs to reach the reception desk.

How did they welcome you?

Politely and efficiently. In a jiffy, my bag was in my room and I was having a cup of tea. Throughout my stay, all the staff were friendly, enquiring if I needed anything when I looked lost or at a loose end for more than a moment, and more than happy to point me in the right direction.

What happens next?

I was shown up the stairs to my room, through some of the winding warrens of the house. The original New Park Manor was built in the 1600s, and was a hunting lodge of King Charles II. My room, like all of the bedrooms, was named after one of the king's favourite companions -- in my case, Nell Gwyn. Which makes you wonder what sort of hunting was going on.

The décor throughout the house is warm, country-manor style: lots of hunting and country-life paintings on the walls with old, elaborately-curling frames, wood panelling, and leaded windows looking out onto the Forest. There is a nice design touch of acorns throughout, in a nod to the fact that after his defeat by the Cromwell's forces at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, Charles hid in an oak tree to avoid capture.

The room:

My room was a comfortable size, with black floorboards that had a charming unevenness, and high windows that looked onto the gardens and the summertime outdoor swimming pool. There was a tea-making tray in the wardrobe and plenty of fluffy white towels and sweet-smelling Numbers products in the pristinely clean bathroom. (The Numbers products are exclusive to the Von Essen hotels -- the group to which New Park Manor belongs, along with Cliveden, Dalhousie Castle and others.)

The old-fashioned four-poster bed had modern, crisp, white sheets, and the antiquely carved cabinet revealed a TV and DVD player - a lovely mix of traditional and cutting edge. Plus, there were home-made biscuits waiting for me on the bed (Life getting better and better) as well as a plush-toy New Forest pony that you can put outside your room to indicate that you don't want to be disturbed. Cute.

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. You can choose from the Polo Bar menu - plenty of sandwiches and salads, healthy options such as tempura of black tiger prawns, and modern British retro bangers and mash or liver and bacon. This is also the menu available if you want to eat in your room. For something a little more formal and indulgent, the oak-panelled Stag Restaurant awaits.

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.

The food in the spa is cooked in a small kitchen in the spa, and the menu is seasonal to make the most of local produce.

The spa:

The Spa in the Forest at New Park Manor was purpose built and opened in 2005, and has been well thought through. 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 spa may look like a barn from the outside but doesn't feel like one inside. The spa is divided into areas, so that no one area intrudes on another, and each has a separate purpose and slightly different atmosphere. You enter into a spacious, wicker and soft-cushioned reception area where you can browse through papers or magazines while you wait for your treatments. Here also is The Juice Bar, where you can order flapjacks and snacks, and tea, smoothies, juice, of course, and this is where you'll have your lunch if you're there on a spa day. 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.

From the reception room, you go through to the changing rooms and the spa facilities. 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 our spa experience with a workout.

The 16-metre pool sits beside floor-to-ceiling glass windows with views on three sides of the paddocks and Forest beyond. There are swan pipes in this main pool: neck massagers that batter your shoulder muscles into submission for two minutes at a time. There is also, next to the pool, a sanarium, genuinely hot sauna and steam room, foot baths, experience showers, and a hydrotherapy pool. You can dip in and out of the heat and ice experiences randomly or else follow a traditionally designed sequence, heating you up and cooling you down in turn, for ultimate health and feelings of well-being. And, of course, the Canadian hot tub! The tub is great fun, hot and very bubbly. There's something very special about sitting outside in the frosty air and not feeling cold.

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. If you have any queries, or particular needs, call in advance, and the staff will prepare things to suit you. There is also a Rasul treatment room, where you can sit and steam while various muds do beneficial things to your skin.

The wood throughout the treatments areas gives a classy air, while the overall design of the spa takes its inspiration from Nature; the emphasis is on the floral, herbal, natural and fresh. (Each room is identified with a flower when in use, for example). The treatment areas are quiet and the rooms are warm.

There is a relaxed and relaxing atmosphere throughout the spa which is a credit to the manager, Natalie, and her team.

Which treatments did you have?

I had a Restorative Massage and a Fresh Organic facial.

What were the treatments like?

The Restorative Massage was excellent. My therapist, Becky, is not the tallest girl in the world, but she packs a lot of power into her massage. She gave me a selection of oils to choose from, all from the Numbers range. I chose the Julius oil, which had a deep, rich scent of rosemary and bay: a truly warming oil.

Becky massaged my laptop shoulders into some semblance of normality, using strong pressure, but always checking that I was comfortable. It felt fantastic. Becky allowed me to relax and drift away, which was just what I needed.

The massage segued smoothly into the Fresh organic facial. This was indeed extremely fresh! After cleansing and exfoliating, Becky actually prepared a face-mask herself, using fresh strawberries. It smelled so powerful that it had an instant uplifting effect on my mood. While it was doing its work, Becky massaged my scalp and shoulders, so even more tension was drained away. After the strawberries were cleansed away, Becky smoothed warm honey on my skin, and massaged it in using a rose-quartz crystal. Another powerful scent, and the healing properties of the honey left my face restored to a wonderful colour afterwards. The facial was hugely enjoyable and relaxing, and made very special by the use of fresh organic products, and the amount of head and facial massage throughout.

How did you feel afterwards?

Like someone ought to who's had a good massage - slightly tender! I felt the massage had done me a lot of good. My skin felt very smooth after the organic facial, and felt softer, too.

What happens afterwards?

You can relax inside or outside. Upstairs is a roof terrace, which could accommodate post-spa drinks with a few friends, robed up and looking at the stars.

Long-term effects

The massage made me feel looser and less stressed for days. And the visit as a whole was a very relaxing experience.

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?

You could have a different kind of massage every day for a month. The Spa in the Forest offers detox treatments, fresh organic wraps and scrubs, a range of Bath House facials, manicures and pedicures, along with Comfort Zone face and body treatments. Most day packages include lunch, too.

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 hot tub overlooking the forest is pretty special, as is the fact that they cook your lunch in the spa, which means it's nice and fresh.

The staff are young, friendly and very attentive, without being intrusive. Some of them live "on-site" in a house in the grounds, and seem very relaxed with each other; which is a special feature all in itself.

Who do you think would like it?

Anyone with sense. You can get out of it 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 they have thought carefully about the pampering experience they provide: the customer service, food, comfort, treatments, product range, and design of the spa all work well. There is a sunny, relaxed atmosphere that provides a truly relaxing experience.

The changing room is very small, and a little frayed at the edges of the showers; while they can't do anything about the architecture, it would be nice to see this area a little more spruce. But it's not enough of a niggle to hold New Park Manor back from our full 5 bubble rating.

See more on how we rate the spas

Would you go again?

I will definitely be going again.

We visited New Park Manor in November 2008

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