Being a local journalist certainly has its excellent perks. After being invited to try out the outstandingly luxurious Gainsborough Bath Spa a few weeks ago, another one followed for the nearby Thermae Bath Spa.
Having been there a few years ago with my mum, I had good memories of this Bath city centre spa and was excited to be going back with a friend in much need of some me time and self-care. The journey to Bath felt more straightforward than usual – particularly given we were aiming to be there for 9.30am – and we easily got a spot at the central Avon Street car park.
We parked just a couple minutes away and we didn’t have to queue to get checked in and get our wristbands either. However, we had a few teething issues on arrival when we asked to add a treatment for my friend, but this was worth the wait as she was given a 25% discount as it was a quiet day for treatment bookings.
This is a very big spa, spread across several floors. There are hundreds of lockers – which made me worry a bit as to how busy this place may be – but thankfully on the Monday we visited it was fairly quiet.
As per usual in most spas, you are asked to bring your own slippers and swimsuit, but you get given a lovely robe and towels. They also give you fresh ones without any issues if you need them.
We worked our way up, starting our journey on the lower ground floor where the Minerva bath is. Named after the Roman Goddess of health and wisdom, this is the largest of the thermal baths.
We were both impressed by how spacious this floor felt. After a bit of time, we made our way up to the wellness suite which is split into different areas.
A big fan of saunas, I enjoyed the large infrared sauna and I spent quite a bit of time going between there and the invigorating ice chamber; rubbing ice all over my skin felt so good after a hot sauna. I also tried the steam rooms, but I found these to be too steamy and not hot enough for me.
However, it is certainly good to cater to different tastes and the steam rooms were clearly very popular as we couldn’t find a seat when we tried at one point. The spa also has a relaxation room with heated beds which was a nice touch.
The absolute highlight of Thermae Bath Spa is – without a doubt – the open-air rooftop pool, which must be an outstanding experience whatever the weather. On the day we visited, it was quite foggy which made it more atmospheric and it was hard not to relax in the naturally warm, mineral-rich waters.
After a couple of hours in the spa, it was time for our treatments. I was recommended the Roman Trilogy (85 minutes – £165) so went for this trio of treatments. I was particularly curious about the salt, lime and ginger body scrub as I had never been scrubbed before.
While the whole treatment was terrific, I was surprised that the scrub turned out to be my favourite section. Being scrubbed all over your body by someone felt so good on your skin, making me feel so clean and fresh.
We then had a quick pause to the treatment so I could have a quick shower, which was then followed by a body massage all over my body. Applying just the right amount of pressure, I got so relaxed I was very close to falling asleep at more than one point.
The last element was a delicious facial using a variety of products, which left my skin feeling radiant. Leaving the treatment room as if I was floating, I then enjoyed spending some time reading my book over a cup of lemon and ginger tea covered in a blanket. My only regret was I wish I could have stayed that cosy for longer, but we had two toddlers to pick up from nursery.
The cafe had changed significantly since last time I was there, being much quieter. The food options had changed from a menu to mainly cold food like sandwiches.
Sharing a small rice box with Bombay potato and mango chutney, we also had a couple of sandwiches and cakes, which were all of excellent quality and certainly of above average quality. I went for a katsu wrap while my friend had a pesto croque monsieur, which we followed by a lemon cake, a chocolate one and a slice of chocolate tiffin.
We had a revitalising and calming day at Thermae Bath Spa; I don’t think I have ever seen my friend looking that relaxed so we are already talking of where our next spa day should be.
The ReBalance Bath – Festival of Wellbeing runs until February 16. You can find out more here.
You can find out more about spa offerings in Bath here.