Having had a memorable meal at this 5* hotel in Bath city centre, I was very excited to be returning to the Gainsborough – but this time to try its unique spa. After the usual fairly busy journey to Bath – which took about 45 minutes – I was very ready to enjoy a morning of total relaxation.
My stay started with a short tour of the facilities by Hana, who would later be doing my treatment. She told me about the different areas, as well as the interesting history of the spa. The Gainsborough has access to natural thermal waters, which are believed to come from rain falling thousands of years ago seeping to beneath the earth’s surface.
The water is heated up by hot rocks and Hana told me they actually have to cool it down. They also found several rooms belonging to an ancient Roman spa complex and there is a beautiful Roman mosaic in one of the rooms which is an exact replica to one found beneath.
As I walked around, I was impressed by how clean and modern it all felt. As the rest of the hotel, the facilities at the spa are stunning and follow the Gainsborough’s trend of understated luxury.
When I visited on a weekday morning, there was only a handful of people there – making the experience feel even more luxurious and exclusive. No overcrowded unpleasant spa here, that is for sure.
The spa itself has different areas, including thermal pools heated at different temperatures, two different types of sauna, a steam room and an ice alcove. The area is not very big and it was easy to go from one to the other, giving me plenty of opportunity to try all of them.
My favourite was, without a doubt, the water jets in the main pool; this felt like a massage already and having the water fall on my head really helped me quieten my mind down. I also enjoyed the traditional sauna – I found the infrared one, which I hadn’t tried before, not hot enough – and the hot water bath (heated at 40C).
As I was waiting to start my treatment, I enjoyed some of the Georgian hot chocolate and I was immediately blown away. A big fan of hot chocolate, I often British hot chocolates too milky (or even worse, watery), but this one was so thick and yummy.
I loved the hints of cardamom, chilli and cinnamon, giving it a unique taste. Who knew hot chocolate could taste this good (and no, I definitely didn’t go back for seconds…).
In terms of the treatment, I went for ‘Back to Vitality’, a fifty-minute treatment which consisted of a back and shoulder massage followed by a facial. Hana was an excellent therapist and her massage is one I will remember for a long time.
A fan of deep massage, I often find therapists don’t apply enough pressure – but that was certainly not the case here. Hana used a wide range of touches, of different strengths and feels, but all throughout I felt very looked after and cared for.
Had I known how good her massage skills were, I would probably have gone for a 50-minute massage but I also enjoyed the facial as I had not had one for a long time. Having eight different Elemis products applied to my face felt like such a treat when, being a mum of a young child, I often forget if I have even washed my face that day.
Hana was perfectly able to feel and sense what I needed, and I also enjoyed the aftercare tips she gave. I will try and moisturise my face once a day again; it is not a treat, it is maintenance, as she told me.
Having had a difficult past few weeks, I left that spa feeling much more balanced and at the same time relaxed. I finished off my time at The Gainsborough with an Afternoon tea with a glass of prosecco, which was the perfect ending.
There was a variety of sandwiches and sweat treats, and I particularly enjoyed the cheese and chutney sandwich. Moving over to the cakes, I loved the white chocolate ball (so deliciously sweet) – but my favourite was the pastry filled with chocolate and a pandan tree.
So distinctively nutty, I fell in love with this plant when I first tried in a Crème Brûlée at the very same hotel a few months ago. I truly felt leaving like a new woman; there really is nothing like a spa day for me to feel like I have truly pampered myself.
You can find out more about Spa Days (from £195, including afternoon tea) at the Gainsborough here.