Spas in the UK

Finding a good spa in the UK

Spas in Britain are the hotel spas with pools, thermal suites and grounds, open to day guests; the day spas in towns with treatment rooms and a small thermal area; the health clubs with a spa attached; the destination spas for a night or two; and the specialists — head spas, hammams, floatation and salt rooms — that have arrived from elsewhere. A spa day is the standard purchase: use of the pool, sauna, steam room and thermal facilities for a few hours, a treatment or two, lunch or afternoon tea and a robe, booked as a package and priced by what it includes.

Choosing well means matching the spa to the day: a hotel spa for the facilities and the grounds, a day spa for treatments and a quieter afternoon, a thermal suite for the heat, a group package for the hen party and a couples package for two; and reading what the package includes, since the treatment length, the lunch and the time in the thermal areas vary more than the price. Weekday and last-minute deals are real, memberships suit anyone using the pool weekly, and the therapists' qualifications, the cleanliness and the number of loungers per guest are what reviews are for.

The listings here show each spa's facilities and treatments, spa day packages and prices, couples and group options, memberships and contact details, so you can see what is nearby, who has a thermal suite or a pool, and where people in your town go to switch off.

What spas offer

Facilities: pools, hydrotherapy, saunas, steam rooms, thermal suites, ice rooms, relaxation lounges, outdoor hot tubs and grounds, used on a spa day or with membership.

Treatments: massages of every kind, facials, body wraps and scrubs, manicures and pedicures, head spa and scalp treatments, and the brands the spa carries.

Spa days and packages: half and full days with facilities, treatments, lunch or afternoon tea and a robe, for one, two or a group, and twilight and morning sessions.

Stays and memberships: spa breaks with a night's stay, and monthly memberships for the pool, gym and thermal areas with treatment discounts.

Groups and occasions: hen parties, birthdays, mother-and-daughter days, corporate wellness days, and private hire of the spa or a suite.

Before you book a spa day

• Read what the package includes: hours in the thermal area, treatment length, lunch, robe and slippers.
• Book a weekday or a twilight session; they are cheaper and quieter than Saturdays.
• Say any medical conditions, pregnancy or allergies when booking; treatments and heat rooms are adjusted.
• Bring swimwear and flip-flops; robes and towels are usually provided but check.
• Arrive early; the thermal area is the part people wish they had had longer in.
• For a group, ask about the minimum numbers, the private area and what the prosecco package actually is.

What spa days cost in the UK

As a rough guide, a spa day with facilities and one treatment costs £60 to £120 at a day spa or health club and £100 to £200 at a hotel spa, with full days including two treatments and lunch £150 to £300; a couples spa day £180 to £400 for two; twilight or morning sessions with facilities only £30 to £60; individual treatments £40 to £70 for a 30-minute massage or facial and £70 to £120 for an hour; head spa sessions £60 to £120; memberships £60 to £150 a month; and a spa break with a night, dinner and a treatment £150 to £350 a person. Weekday and last-minute deals cut a quarter to a half.

A Tuesday twilight session at £40 buys the same steam room as a Saturday at £120; the treatment is where the money belongs.