So spa, so good

Take yourself off to one of these luxurious spa getaways and have a wellearned break from all that wedding planning…

LIME WOOD, LYNDHURST, HAMPSHIRE

The hotel: This is a hotel designed to compete with (if not trounce) all those cool Soho hang-outs in London. But Lime Wood is just up the road from the quaint country village of Lyndhurst and is all about fusing a modern vibe with a bit of country charm. And here it is done absolutely seamlessly. When I arrived I sank into one of its deep, wine-red leather sofas and it was all I could do to ever get out of it again, so content was I to sit and drink in the beautiful surroundings.

The spa: With private bathrooms containing deep copper baths, a pretty rooftop garden and fantastic woodland views from the pools and steam rooms, this spa is the perfect secret garden hideaway. The Full Pedicure, £60, includes removal of dry skin and a foot massage we didn’t want to end. There’s also Raw & Cured, the spa’s food bar, where you can have a Japanese sushi roll filled with veg, or perhaps some cured meat or fish from the hotel’s own Smoke House. Whatever you choose, it’ll be fresh and leave you feeling full of energy.

The price tag: One night for two starts from £345 without breakfast. Facials start from £105. limewoodhotel.co.uk

ST PANCRAS RENAISSANCE HOTEL, KING’S CROSS, LONDON

The hotel: Just under 20 years ago, this building was a disused Gothic pile in the King’s Cross area. Now, after a £200 million refurbishment, this section of the old railway station has been re-imagined as a fabulous five-star hotel. With the West End nearby, it’s perfect for a night away with your bridesmaids.

The spa: The St Pancras Spa retains the Victorian features of the building itself. If you’re after a little pampering along with a light, healthy lunch, book in for The Lunch Escape, which includes full use of the spa facilities, a 60-minute aromatherapy treatment, two-course lunch and smoothie, from £140. Or book in with your fiancé and have your treatments in the couples’ treatment room.

The price tag: One night for two starts from £250 without breakfast. Facials start from £105. stpancraslondon.com

SPA 15, NO.15 GREAT PULTENEY, BATH

The hotel: Bath isn’t short of grand, sweeping streets lined with Georgian townhouses and it is behind one of these beautiful, Grade I-listed façades that you’ll find one of the city’s newest editions to the spa-hotel scene. This is a wonderfully eclectic hotel, where collections of interesting finds from antique fairs, graduate degree shows and specially commissioned pieces of art
give it a gallery feel.

The spa: Spa 15 is hidden in the vaulted area beneath the hotel. The bare, stripped-back stone, marble stairs and hallways, along with clever lighting and pretty pastel fabrics, create fresh, airy surroundings where you can happily slosh around in the cedarwood hot tub, and unwind in the sauna before having your treatment. We went for the Ila Energising & Detoxifying Scrub, £95 for 60 minutes, which uses Himalayan salt crystals to smooth the skin and banish toxins. This is perfect for brides wearing a backless dress as your entire body is impossibly silky smooth afterwards.

The price tag: One night for two starts from £149 and includes breakfast. Facials start from £95. no15greatpulteney.co.uk