Eating and drinking all the food I’ve consumed over the past few years is harder work than it may sound. I’ve had people message me on social media and friends laugh when you say you’re off to review a luxury hotel and while it’s fun, it is tiring – so when looking for a hotel I always make sure it has a spa. It gives me a chance to kick back for a few hours, turn off my mobile reception and simply relax like there’s no tomorrow. Occasionally I’ll also indulge a little extra with a spa treatment, glass of bubbles and a light lunch. With all that in mind I recently made my way to Boringdon Hall in Plymouth. A gorgeous hotel overlooking the rolling hills of Dartmoor and as of August 1st 2016 – launched a brand new spa. It’s one of the biggest new spa developments in the UK over the past few years.
After an almost six-hour car journey from London we were in desperate need of a spa experience and simply being spoilt – which is exactly how you’ll feel when visiting Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall. Upon arrival, after changing into our robes and slippers we popped upstairs to the new Spatisserie. A gorgeous space with two outside terraces, serving a lunch menu designed to nourish the body while being washed down with Laurent-Perrier Champagne or selection of quality teas and juices. The decor is absolutely beautiful too. Everywhere you look is cleanly polished, neatly arrange, bright and open – you feel relaxed just sitting here and it’s oh-so peaceful.
With our glass of bubbles in hand, we toiled through the menu, drooling over the selection of salads, large plates and grazing dishes designed to be shared – though you won’t want to. Our personal favourite was the calming and creamy sweet potato risotto with chamomile marinated red peppers. The chamomile added a unique flavour to this dish which I was a bit sceptical of, yet it worked so perfectly. The crab linguine with tiger prawns and lemongrass bisque is a must order, while the beetroot and lentil salad with hazelnuts and ginger dressing had the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Our least favourite dish was the rosemary marinated chicken breast with polenta cake and caponata. Nothing particularly wrong with it but it simply didn’t quite get us as excited as the other dishes.
A little full and far too anxious to check out the spa we declined dessert, but the staff insisted we took a look – and I’m so glad they did. One word – patisserie perfection. The desserts and cakes here look so good in fact that we had to ask if they were made in-house as they looked too perfect. Of course the food isn’t brought in here, instead they’re made with love under the guidance of head chef, Scott Paton. The three different flavoured eclairs were a dream to eat and the perfectly crafted canele with salted caramel tasted even better than it looked. I imagine afternoon tea here would be a real treat.
After lunch we made our way to the spa reception and was greeted by a fleet of lovely ladies ready to send us into a relaxing state of slumber with our booked in spa treatments. Opting for the signature Gaia Hot Stone Massage, this 40 minute treatment was all about focusing on the back, neck and shoulders. The tranquil sound of music relaxes you as you enter the room and your feet are placed in a bowl of warm water while massaged with a fragrant cream to stimulate the senses. You’re then given a choice of perfumed oils either to relax or stimulate the mind and is breathed in through the nose while laying face down on the massage table. Hot stones then circulate around the back, penetrating the muscles with a mixture of heat and pressure. Oddly the stones are so smooth you never actually feel their physical curves on your body, simply pulses of warm heat. A must book treatment when visiting Gaia Spa and the exclusive range of products, specifically designed for the spa are absolutely incredible. Those of you looking for a little more activity will enjoy the on-site state of the art gym which has everything you need.
Suitably refreshed we then made our way into the main spa area which quite honestly took me back. I’ve stayed in lots of hotels and spent a lot of time in spas but the new Gaia Spa is a five-star experience and utterly faultless – with everything you could ever want or need. Experience showers greet you as you walk in, a gorgeous infinity pool overlooks the grounds and a rather hot, but pore cleansing crystal salt steam room revitalises. You’ll also find a Finnish sauna, Laconium herbal sauna and traditional steam room.
The main highlight yet was the swimming experience. A huge swimming pool and a hot hydrotherapy pool features an array of hydro jets, from gentle and relaxing to hard and massaging. There’s even a swim through window where you can sit outside in the chilly air while the water keeps you warm. Before finishing off and if you’re brave enough, pull the handle on the hanging bucket for an icy surprise.
Before we arrived at Boringdon Hall the hotel had been very secretive to leak any details on this new spa and I couldn’t quite decided if all the wait was going to lead to something spectacular – but I’m so glad it did. It was even better than we anticipated. With delicious food, amazing patisseries and a five-star spa experience this is without a doubt Devon’s best spa and I can’t wait to return for yet another fix of it, more Champagne and seeing just what the afternoon tea here has to offer.
The patisserie is al just dreamy!!
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was SO good!