HEALTH: And Relax… In the UK and abroad, our spies have been sleuthing the best spa options

Best for: invigorating and re-energising the natural way  

Kurhotel Skodsborg, near Copenhagen, Denmark

Who’d have thought that a pulverisingly hot sauna followed by a dip in the chilly Baltic sea would be the highlight of a weekend at the Kurhotel Skodsbog in Denmark? On paper it sounded very off-putting, but when our tester tried this hearty spa treatment known as a SaunaGus last September, she felt truly invigorated and re-energised. Here’s her report:

‘The Kurhotel Skodsborg is in an affluent coastal suburb of Copenhagen, just a 15-minute train ride from Copenhagen. Originally built as a sanatorium by Dr Carl Ottosen in 1898, it is now a luxury hotel with a state of the art hydrospa spa and two restaurants serving first class food.

‘I love the way Danish people make the most of any good weather by spending it outside’

The spa continues the philosophy of its founder by focusing on light, air, water, diet, exercise and rest. And being in Scandinavia, the sauna is central to its wellbeing programme. You can choose between a ‘soft’ sauna or a hot one, wet or dry heat or retreat into the salt ‘cave’ (good for your sinuses). The idea is you heat up your body, then cool it down by taking a cold shower or dip, and repeat several times to cleanse your body and strengthen your immune system.

‘The spa’s signature therapy is the SaunaGus, which at 90 degrees is not for the faint-hearted. Our Gus master Tina Andersen built up the heat by putting ice mixed with essential oils (eucalyptus and bergamot to refresh; later lavender and sage to soothe) on the hot stones of the stove to create a hot mist or ‘gus’. We then sat on a bench as it got hotter and hotter while Tina twirled a towel in the air to disperse the heat so it blasted into my face, which I could feel getting sweatier and redder.

I’m not very good with heat and after a few minutes I was ready to bolt, but Tina suggested I sat on the floor where it was slightly cooler and I managed to stick it out for the allotted ten minutes. Afterwards, we put on towelling robes and went outside, crossing a busy road to reach the Oresund, the strait that separates Denmark and Sweden. There, on a small jetty, we stripped down to our bathing costumes and lowered ourselves into the water, which after the searing heat of the sauna was surprisingly soothing. Tina said she was expecting us to scream because it’s so cold, but I found it refreshing and even had a little swim.

Then it was back to the sauna for rounds two and three, this time cooling off in the outside tub, which at just ten degrees was colder than the sea. Afterwards, my skin looked all red and blotchy for several hours, which Tina said was excellent because it showed my circulation was being woken up. I felt fantastic though, less stressed, more energetic and later that evening my skin was glowing.

Judging by the fit and healthy-looking local people who use the spa, regular saunas definitely work. I’d recommend it for any stressed out woman as long as she likes heat! (Perhaps I should add that there’s also a more tranquil version of the SaunaGus…)

There are plenty of other activities on offer at the spa, too. You can relax in the 21-metre swimming pool or Jacuzzi, have a foot bath or Nordic beauty treatment, consult a nutritionist or stress coach for lifestyle advice, or eat lunch (try the paleo smorebrod – rye bread with picked herrings or smoked salmon) outside on the terrace.

I love the way Danish people make the most of any good weather by spending it outside so I did what all Danes do and hired a bicycle from the hotel and rode along the cycle track that ran behind the hotel and in the local woods. I also loved relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi, enjoyed a yin yoga class and after a de-stress massage I slept like a baby.’

A B&B double room at the Kurhotel Skodsborg with use of the spa (including SaunaGus sessions) starts from £167 a night (skodsborg.dk/00 454558 5800).

Best for: intensive detoxing, rebalancing and de-stressing

Palace Merano – Espace Henri Chenot, northern Italy  

The six-day (seven night) Detox Programme is the most popular of the health-enhancing programmes offered at Palace Merano. Many devotees come two or three times a year to rebalance. Some are recovering from illness, others work in a high-stress environment and feel they’re under-performing physically or emotionally and many also realise the benefit of a full and thorough health check to sound the alert before disaster strikes. Here’s our tester’s report:

‘I am reclining in a hot tub in the semi-darkness, jets of water gently massaging my back, legs and stomach while the aroma of peppermint and eucalyptus rises in the steam. Soft music plays and lights tint the water from blue to green to fuchsia pink… I’ve embarked on the mud hydrotherapy treatment, an essential daily ingredient of the detox programme.

The six-day (seven night) Detox Programme is the most popular of the health-enhancing programmes offered at Palace Merano

The six-day (seven night) Detox Programme is the most popular of the health-enhancing programmes offered at Palace Merano

Beside me, on the rim of the tub, stands a nutrient cocktail – a magnesium and potassium mix, designed to help my body absorb nutrients from food.

After 20 minutes relaxing in the tub, I move to a waterbed, where my body is slathered with warm mud, rich in micro-algae, combined with essential oils. Then I’m wrapped up and left to snooze for 20 minutes before a brisk lady leads me down the corridor to the high-pressure shower where she sprays my body all over with invigorating jets until every trace of mud is removed. My skin is pink and tingling, and I feel fresh as a daisy.

Everyone following the detox programme undergoes a full battery of tests based on both Chinese and conventional medicine before a bespoke schedule is drawn. The tests started with bio-energetic testing of my acupressure points to find out which internal organs may be screaming silently and which emotions you may be ignoring.

I think of myself as calm and balanced. I eat healthily, enjoy my high-pressure job, and sleep very well. I have my vices (wine and cake), and I don’t take enough exercise, but I have never suffered from major illness.

But when the doctor, Frank, applies his acupressure wand to an area between my big toe and the one next to it, I let out an involuntary scream of pain. Tentatively, Frank continues, but that whole foot is sensitive.

When he looks at the computer print-out, Frank mutters, ‘Oh là, là!’. He explains that for good overall health, the results need to be consistent but mine are wildly erratic. My kidneys are weak, my small intestine is squealing for help and lymphatic system on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My body is struggling to deliver the constant output of energy I demand, and my reserves are depleted. And another thing: according to my small intestine I’m always in a hurry and I eat too fast.

It’s true, I’m usually rushing but not in this calm tranquil environment. Lulled by lack of caffeine (the only available drinks are water three ways – straight up, with fresh lemon juice or cold-pressed apple cider vinegar – and herbal tea), it is impossible to do anything in a hurry.

Next day, electrodes are fixed to my head, and I sit for 15 minutes while electrical impulses uncover my body’s deepest secrets. ‘You are extremely emotionally sensitive.,’ Frank says. ‘And people make too many demands on you. If you continue this way, you could become ill – maybe seriously. Your body is saying, “ease up”.’ I need to slow down, take time over my meals, chew properly and relax.

These are not comfortable things to hear, but the whole point of Henri Chenot is preventing – or at the very least, delaying – bad things happening in the future.

To counter these difficult emotions, they keep you busy. By the end of the first day, I’ve had my bio-energetic assessment, the mud hydrotherapy treatment, a body composition check (involving more electrodes and computers), a conventional medical assessment, a full body bone-density scan, and an intense deep-tissue lymph-drainage massage.

Day Two starts with the facial energising treatment; I could feel the frown lines smoothing out, and when I looked in the mirror afterwards my skin was line-free. Better than Botox!

Later, in my second assessment with Colomba, the conventional doctor, we talk hormones. I am 60 and post-menopausal, but have been not taking much care of my health. A bone density scan reveals I have osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis) in my lower spine and left hip.

A blood test shows I am low in several hormones, and I’m advised to see an endocrinologist in London. For the bones, it’s calcium and Vitamin D, and upping the exercise level – walking, swimming, cycling – to at least 20 minutes a day.

The programme now includes a daily deep-tissue massage – working on meridian lines, and using the cupping method for maximum detoxification – that is also a daily essential, concentrates one day on my kidney area, another on my heavy legs, and another on my shoulders and upper arms where I hold a lot of tension.

By this point, I am fasting on an organic, plant-based diet of salt-, sugar- and dairy-free dishes. Breakfast is a fruit platter, lunch and dinner three courses on the first two days. On Day 3, you consume only fresh vegetable broths to allow your body to cleanse and regenerate. On Days 4, 5 and 6, food is re-introduced until you are back to the regular light and healthy diet.

This takes place in the splendour of the Merano Palace – with its huge rooms and peaceful, lush gardens. The town of Merano – overlooked by the mountains of the Tyrol – is famed as a wellbeing centre, offering pure fresh air, and 300 days’ sunshine per year.

By the time of my departure assessment with Frank, I am truly rested and restored and I have lost a whopping 2.5kg. As I left Henri Chenot, I made a vow to come back as soon as I could.

One week in a deluxe double room including the Detox Programme, all meals, consultations and treatments, from around £3,803; palace.it

  

Best for: a luxurious spa day (or a two day break for two):

ESPA at Lucknam Park, near Bath  

So swish it could have been named Luxenam Park, this exquisite five-star country hotel – a Palladian mansion dating from 1720, set among 500 acres of listed parkland and stunning gardens – has recently become home to only the third ESPA-branded spa in the UK. It goes without saying that the treatments are second to none, with a range of mind and body options that make you feel hopeful just contemplating them.

ESPA treatment categories include Wellbeing, Body Therapy Collection, Manicure and Pedicure, Beauty Essentials, Facial Treatments, plus Mother to Be, Men’s’ Therapy and Little Miss (for eight to 16 year olds).

The state-of-the-art facilities at ESPA include a 20-metre indoor swimming pool

The state-of-the-art facilities at ESPA include a 20-metre indoor swimming pool

Our pregnant tester’s Nourish and Nurture Pre-natal Massage was ‘the ultimate in relaxation, soothing away those annoying pregnancy niggles and leaving my aching limbs recharged’.

The state-of-the-art facilities include a 20-metre indoor swimming pool, a linked indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool, experience showers, eight treatment rooms and five thermal cabins (including Japanese salt, aromatic steam and sauna). There’s even an ESPA skincare ‘mixology bar’, so your treatments can be tailored to your specific skin type.

For those who like to exert a little more effort, Lucknam Park also offers a fitness suite, yoga and Pilates classes, walking trails, cycling, a five-a-side football pitch and floodlit tennis courts – not to mention an extensive equestrian centre with more than 30 horses (check out its ‘Saddle & Spa’ package to combine riding and relaxation).

You certainly won’t go hungry during your visit. Enjoy a light lunch at The Brasserie adjoining the Spa, take afternoon tea in the library or drawing room, or stay for dinner at the elegant Michelin-starred restaurant. Executive chef Hywel Jones serves up a seriously impressive menu, enhanced by herbs and other produce picked from the hotel’s kitchen garden.

For added indulgence, cap off a blissful day by retiring to one of the opulent bedrooms or suites, which blend historic charm with contemporary comforts.

You’ll go home feeling utterly rejuvenated – and desperate to book a return visit…

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Lucknam Park, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire T: 01225 742777

www.lucknampark.co.uk

Secluded Escape SPA Day £165 per person: including a 60 minute ESPA treatment, two course lunch with wine or soft drink, full use of facilities, use of robe, slippers and towel

A two-night spa break for two people starts from £1,135, which includes a one-hour ESPA Inner Calm Massage each, 30-minute Haslauer Reflective Sunlight Therapy each, a Michelin-starred dinner for two in Restaurant Hywel Jones, a dinner for two in The Brasserie and daily full English breakfast.

 

  

Best for: rebooting mind, body and soul 

The Ananda Wellness Centre in the Himalayas, Uttranchal, India  

It may seem unlikely but I now have something in common with Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Melinda Gates, Brad Pitt and the Duchess of Cornwall. Because we’ve all spent time in the misty Himalayan foothills enjoying a genuinely ‘life-changing’ experience at Ananda – the award-winning mind-and-body spa based on Ayurveda, the ancient Indian philosophy of life.

Ananda is part lifestyle reboot (daily yoga/meditation sessions), part hospital for the soul (twice-daily optional philosophy classes) – and importantly, for someone who’s often felt deprived at a spa, all the meals are gourmet deliciousness, personally prescribed and prepared for your own individual dosha (body type).

'Afternoons were devoted to restorative Ayurvedic pampering – including some of the best massages of my life'

‘Afternoons were devoted to restorative Ayurvedic pampering – including some of the best massages of my life’

Your dosha is established at your first consultation with the resident Ayurvedic doctor, whichever package you opt for, which include Wellness /De-Stress/Fitness/Ayurvedic Rejuvenation and more. Or, in my case, Yoga, which meant hour-long one-on-one lessons with inspiring teachers. Despite having practised from my teens onwards, I basically re-learned yoga from scratch – and so much for the better. I loved that I could choose to have my classes outside on a stone amphitheatre, in the hazy late winter Indian sunshine.

Afternoons were devoted to restorative Ayurvedic pampering – including some of the best massages of my life, concluding with an Amethyst Rejuvenation facial that literally took off ten years. Cleverly, my muscle-releasing Thai massage was specifically scheduled to follow a 7 a.m. mountain trek to a Hindu temple – two and a half hours of what felt like a vertical climb, but worth it for the views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

With 24,000 square foot of soothing Oriental décor and dozens of rooms designated for specific treatments – from traditional Shirodhara (in which warm oils are poured onto the forehead to revitalise mind and body), through to quiet meditation spaces – just stepping inside the spa seems to lower the blood pressure. ‘Now, that’s gorgeous spa music,’ I thought to myself when I first visited – only to discover a real, live flautist playing soothing Indian music around the next corner.

Every day at 4pm, post-pampering, I’d power up the steep, exquisitely landscaped hill from the spa complex to the Viceregal Palace – built by the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwhal for a visit by Lord Mountbatten a century ago – for a cup of Lapsang Souchong and a cookie, prescribed for my ‘dosha’.

Each of my daily three full meals was a delight (and a surprise): fruit and perhaps a dosa pancake for breakfast, a three-course lunch that included dessert, and an equally yummy lighter supper. (Even my seriously detoxing friends were never hungry or light-headed.)

I really don’t use the phrase ‘life-changing’ about Ananda loosely because, at the end of a week, I returned home armed with in-depth knowledge about myself, how to eat healthily (and what to cook), and which times of day are best for me to schedule different activities. For instance it turns out that my love of being in bed by 9pm at night chimes perfectly with my pitta dosha.

At my check-out consultation with my Ayurvedic doctor, he handed me a detailed ‘prescription’ for life back home that is basically an easy-to-follow – and surprisingly achievable – prescription for a healthier life.

Yes, it seems pricy – but for the amount of personal TLC and the number of treatments/lessons, it actually offers amazing value. Looking at it as an investment in longevity, I now have a special Ananda piggybank – and I will be back. 

MAKE YOUR ESCAPE

Wellbeing Escapes offers a 7 night Yoga programme at The Ananda from £4,215 pp double occupancy, £5,245 pp single occupancy. Prices are based on a February departure and include flights, transfers, full board spa cuisine, private yoga, Pranayama & yoga Nidra sessions, spa treatments, personal fitness consultation, hydrotherapy facilities access, daily group wellness activities. 

Contact Wellbeing Escapes (www.wellbeingescapes.com on 020 3735 7555 or info@wellbeingescapes.com 

 

Always consult your doctor if you have a medical problem

 



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