50 BRITAIN http://www.britain-magazine.com
PLACES TO STAY
ippocrates knew how to live. The ancient Greek
philosopher declared that “the way to health is
to have an aromatic bath and scented massage
every day.” Alas, we cannot all indulge so
frequently, but increasing numbers of us see regular spa
visits as essential to wellbeing. In Britain, around 6 million
a year don white robes to be soaked, soothed and slathered
with lavender oil – and, fortunately, a host of luxury hotels
offer the most attractive surroundings to get wet in.
The home of the British spa experience is Bath, taking
its name from the Roman-built hot baths established there
in 60 AD. Visitors looking to ‘take the waters’ today could
do no better than head to the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa.
Arriving at this grand arc of buildings feels like falling
through the pages of a Jane Austen novel; the sun lighting
its Cotswold stone in hues of honey and gold, while liveried
concierges leap from the building to take guests’ bags.
Inside, the hotel has embraced the grandeur of its
setting, each room a study in period elegance. No
minimalism here; instead suites are plush with deep sofas,
thick carpets and old-fashioned wallpapers (though
modern touches such as Nespresso coffee machines are
very welcome). At the end of the hotel’s charming garden,
in what looks like a sunken chapel, sits a spa containing
a tranquil, warm swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms.
Opt for a treatment using Herbology products: rich,
organic and smelling as sweet as the owers outside.
Another spa hotel steeped in history – this time a little
more salacious – is Cliveden House in Berkshire. It was
here in the 1960s that a high-society party saw the PHOTOS:© HUGH MOTHERSIDE