Mummy Diaries | Baby-Free at The Day Spa, Whittlebury Hall

Monday 27 February 2018

I absolutely love spa days and being a busy mum – and hard-working dad – we were in need of some relaxation. As the title suggests, we left the munchkin with my first choice babysitter (read: my mum) and head off early to Whittlebury Hall – not too far from Towcester. We had been before, back in December 2016, so knew exactly what to expect – and booked a day pass, upgrading to receive a much-needed treatment.

On arrival, we received our welcome packs and locker bands. The welcome packs included the relevant health & safety information, as well as the times for our lunch sitting (1pm) and treatments (3pm, but to arrive 15 minutes early). It was then off to the changing rooms, to get changed, dump our bags and collect our robes and towels. One thing I forgot from before was that footwear is not provided and while you can purchase flip flops, I stayed in my Sketchers – keeping them away from the wet areas... yep, it made life difficult! Equally difficult was getting the lockers to open and shut and after 15 minutes, I gave up and gave all my belongings to Ash to look after.

It was straight to the showers and then the hydrotherapy pool for some chill time – and as it was still early, the pool was empty. In fact, you never notice the amount of people actually at the spa until lunch time and you’re queuing up to enter the restaurant or choose your food. None of the pools, steam rooms or lounge areas are ever overly busy, making it so easy to relax. I love the Sanarium, a great alternative to the traditional Finnish Sauna... it isn’t as hot or dry. That said, we did go in both rooms. There are also two different steam rooms: crystal and salt. I definitely prefer the latter – unfortunately it was closed before midday... apparently, someone weed in the corner!

After getting hot and steamy, it was time to cool down and the ice cave is perfect for that. Ideal for stimulating circulation and regulating body temperature, the ice cave is a hole in the wall full of crushed ice – and you’re recommended to take handfuls to rub on your body. There are also cold showers and the ‘cold bucket’. By the entrance, there’s a bucket of ice cold cucumber water and fresh flannels and we couldn’t help but take one and give ourselves a mini facial. Throughout The Day Spa, there are water machines, as well as jugs of flavoured water (lemon/lime, cucumber or orange); and you’re also able to help yourself to as much fruit as you like.

Midway through the morning, we ventured over to the cafe for a smoothie and lemon & poppy seed muffin. There is a really beautiful terrace area (pictured above), which is great for sitting and relaxing with a book or magazine and cup of coffee. But let’s talk about lunch! It’s a buffet, with three different sittings – and you can go up as many times as you like. Iced water is on each table, but any other beverages have to be purchased separately – and it’s London prices, so there was no glass of bubbles for me! I tucked into a cold feast: lemon & herb chicken breast, mixed salad, giant cous cous and chunky coleslaw. There was mushroom soup for starters and plenty of hot options – but I wanted to go healthy. The only dessert available is fruit salad and natural yogurt, but we had a bowl of that, too.

With full bellies, we were tired and with just over an hour before we had to make our way to the treatment area, we went to the relaxation room. It was exactly that: a dark room, with beautiful music and loungers, padded with towels and duvet. As soon as we lay down, we were relaxed and it wasn’t long before we fell asleep. Not only that, but we returned after our treatments for another hour kip.

We booked our treatments in advance and as I’d never had one before, I opted for a manicure. However, being an express treatment of 25 minutes, I was given two options: cuticle work and massage, or filing and paintwork. As I can paint my nails at home and generally don’t care for them, I went for the former. My therapist Susan was so chatty and friendly, but also so knowledgeable. She actually said my cuticles were perfect, so I was pretty pleased about that – and as there was some extra time as it didn’t take as long as she’d anticipated, I even had them filed. She asked what shape I’d like and I had to go for almond! I was really pleased with the outcome, but next time, I’d rather pay a little bit more and upgrade to a 70-minute treatment.

In all, it was a really good day and I felt so good when I got home – and still felt alright the next day! For new mums, some time away from your baby may feel strange, but I felt the time did me – and us as a couple – some good. I couldn’t recommend a spa day more.

Love, Lucy xx

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