I love nothing more than when one of our visits to somewhere in the Cotswolds becomes something more than we expected… for instance when what promises to be a perfectly lovely spa day delivers beyond all expectations and becomes a fabulous and wonderfully luxurious spa experience. That was exactly what happened on our spa day at Cowley Manor’s C-Side Spa.

 

A very special spa treat

We arrived at wonderful Cowley Manor near Cheltenham on one of the most beautiful, cool March mornings, ready for a day of pampering and spa luxury. Cowley Manor is in my Top 5 of Favourite Hotels, it is beautiful, elegant, luxurious and modern, 5-star and pure style from top to bottom. I have been to Cowley Manor many times but this was my first time at their C-Side Spa. Not surprisingly, the spa is as fabulous as the rest of the hotel, so from the moment we stepped through the doors, we knew we were in for a very special treat.

 

A day of pampering, relaxation and luxury

For many of us, the mere thought of a spa day make us feel more relaxed, and the thought of this particular spa day was no different! I had invited one of my loveliest friends to enjoy it with me and we had really been looking forward to a day of pampering, relaxation and luxury.

 

A ‘Next Generation’ Spa

The C-Side Spa at Cowley Manor is a ‘next generation’ spa, it is the epitome of luxury alongside a holistic approach to wellness and when you add the outstanding, professional and friendly service, the end “product” becomes an experience like no other.

 

Every inch of this spa is fabulous

We arrived at the C-Side Spa and were each offered a lovely gift bag with slippers, plush robes, magazines and some of their lovely own-brand moisturizer, Green & Spring. Every inch of this spa is fabulous, from the gym and the treatment rooms to the changing rooms and the wet areas. Throughout, the design embraces the surrounding landscape with the use of Cotswold stone and floor to ceiling glass walls, offering inspiring views from nearly every vantage point. With natural springs and a series of lakes found in the grounds, water is at the heart of this spa with a spectacular 15 metre outdoor pool and a 17 metre slate lined indoor pool.

 

C-Side Spa therapies

The C-Side Spa offers a vast range of treatments and therapies, which also extends to a selection of mindfulness therapies. The tradition of using herbs for health and beauty has a long history in the British Isles. With their wonderful range of beauty and wellness products, Green & Spring, the Cowley team have tapped into this rich legacy using the abundance of natural resources to be found locally at Cowley Manor and the surrounding British countryside, including the natural spring waters and herbs found in the grounds. Green & Spring has sourced many pure and natural ingredients indigenous to the British Isles combining them to create efficacious synergies, organic wherever possible.

 

Blissfully relaxing massages

For our treatments, we opted for the most relaxing and wonderful massages. Pure heaven and blissfully relaxing, the most wonderful way to finish a day of swimming, lounging, chatting, reading, eating and drinking. I don’t think we could tell you what the stand-out element of the day was, because each element was wonderful and just right, so what stood out at the end of the day, was the experience as a whole.

 

A wonderful lunch with a view

In the middle of all the spa relaxation, we found time to nip across the courtyard for a spot of lunch in the hotel. We were offered the choice of lunching in the beautiful restaurant, the stylish and soulful bar or the lounge with the incredible view of the grounds, and this is where my many visits to Cowley Manor came in handy, because I knew exactly where lunching for two at Cowley Manor is just perfect, and this is, of course, the perfectly positioned tables for two by the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake, the terrace and the grounds – with choices from the delicious bar menu and a side of good old-fashioned girl’s gossip, that’s about as good as a lunch can be.

 

A spa day at Cowley Manor’s C-Side Spa is an experience I’m very happy to recommend. We were so well looked after and left happy and excited to come back another time in the not too distant future.

Visit www.cowleymanor.com for information on spa days, packages and treatments.