I’ve been lusting after a really chilled spa day recently, and I’ve been dying to see the new refurbishments at St. Michaels since they opened last year!
So I was very excited to be invited along to try the brand new facilities last week, and brought Olivia along with me for a good girly catch up too. Renovated last year, the St. Michaels Spa features the largest hydrotherapy pool in the South West, with 21 massage stations and beautifully hot water to relax in…
I was also booked in for their Elemis Pro-Collagen Facial (having never had a proper facial before!) so arrived at 9:30am for an extra hour of pampering. My therapist was very friendly and professional, and talked me through all the steps of the facial and the products first so I’d know what to expect, and then got to work making my skin GLOW.
It was incredibly relaxing, and I’d definitely go back for a treatment again as it was heaven just chilling there for 60 minutes. Perhaps a massage next time… although I may just fall asleep!
After my treatment, I was lead to their Deep Relaxation room; a darkened, cosy space with loungers and beautiful velvet blue chairs where you can come and rest and maybe even have a quick nap if you wanted to! I loved the ceiling in there – definitely something I’d have in my own bedroom to help me sleep.
Olivia came to meet me after my treatment and we were both shown to the changing rooms to get our bathrobes before heading into the spa area itself (also called the ‘Hydrothermal Experience’). Here, the star of the show is obviously the hydrotherapy pool (as previously mentioned), but there’s also loads more to do too, including:
- The world’s only Cornish sea salt steam room
- An even hotter Rainforest themed steam room that smells beautifully like citrus
- 2 rainfall showers with jets
- 1 ice bucket (we didn’t dare!)
- The herbal Finnish sauna
- 4 heated loungers
- Spa garden with a red cedar hot tub AND Finnish barrel sauna (with glass wall looking over Gylly beach)
Phew!
On the day we visited, there was a pretty incredible storm brewing outside, with wind and plenty of drizzle! We still braved the outdoor hot tub and barrel sauna though (yes, running around in our swimwear squealing in the February cold), but weren’t able to take photos due to the rain.
I do personally love a good outdoor hot tub though (they’re the best kind, right?).
The Hydrothermal Experience and spa garden are available to book for 3-hour sessions (£35 Monday – Friday, and £45 at weekends), with guests getting a £5 discount. I hadn’t realised until now as I write this that the spa isn’t actually included in the price of a stay at St. Michaels, although it does fit with their new resort-like format. As I haven’t stayed in the hotel itself I can’t comment on the price and value of that and whether that’s a good or a bad system to have!
The only thing I would say though is that the spa did feel quite busy when we were there. There are 3 or 4 loungers at the pool area (not including the heated ones) and seating for about 5 more people other than that. We managed to bag ourselves a couple of the heated loungers, but other than that there wasn’t really anywhere to, well, lounge.
However, there really is so much to do here that you actually don’t really need somewhere to lounge for a long period of time; with all the different massage points in the pool itself, plus the huge sauna, spa garden and steam rooms, we did find ourselves moving around to the different bits constantly.
I guess it depends what your preference is with spas! I usually quite like having a lounger and reading my book in-between stints in the pool, whereas other people prefer to always be doing something or ‘experiencing’ something (I know Alex is one of these people). In which case the seating wouldn’t have mattered!
At 1pm, we planned to have our after-spa lunch in the Garden Kitchen – the hotel’s new casual dining restaurant above the spa. I’ll preface this by saying that the above photo was taken in the morning before I went down for my treatment – by the time we arrived for lunch it was much busier (we almost struggled to find a table!).
Luckily, we did manage to get one after a short wait once we’d ordered our food. The Garden Kitchen is open to the public and doesn’t take reservations, so it was likely to have been busy with locals and people walking up from Gylly Beach (it’s just a short walk up the path from there). I know I’ll definitely be popping up after a walk on the beach again soon!
The restaurant offers a range of delicious salads (including gluten free, veggie, and vegan options), as well as smoothies and freshly baked woodfired pizzas too. All the food looked and smelled delicious, but we couldn’t resist some of their incredible salads with pine nuts, sundried tomatoes and lots of other goodies.
Honestly, the busy-ness didn’t matter at all once I had my food because it was so tasty, and we weren’t waiting long for it to arrive either. Clearly this little gem has just got quite popular quite quickly because the food is so good! I can’t wait to go back.
The was such a lovely experience for a Friday chill-out day with Olivia, and I was so impressed with the new spa facilities at the hotel. Every inch of the spa area has been beautifully decorated and every detail has been thought through for a truly luxurious experience. While it did feel a little on the busy side, it didn’t matter to us too much as there really is lots to do here and plenty to feast your eyes on. I’d definitely put it ‘up there’ on the luxury spa day list to treat yourself to!
Also, I have an exclusive offer for you! Book a Rhassoul for only £25pp (usually £30pp) during the month of March when they quote ‘Anna spa’ on booking – to book call 01326 312 707.
Find out more about St. Michaels spa days and experiences on their website.
* I was given a complimentary treatment and spa access for 2 in exchange for this review, but my opinions are honest and my own
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