Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall Hotel

This is a first for TLE so please do not click away when you read the words about to follow but this review is actually centred on a da da dah……HEN PARTY. However, this is a hen party with a difference – it was luxurious, indulgent, highly civilised and from start to finish epitomised class.

The location that played host to this girly gathering was the serene Seaham Hall Hotel; a Georgian country estate overlooking the rugged Durham coastline.

Arrival

Just a short drive off the A19 behind an old stone wall lays a short winding road which leads to the hotel and spa. As we had arrived prior to our room check-in time (3 pm) we decided to head straight for the spa.

Greeted by a friendly reception team at the Serenity Spa we quickly completed the admin part (whilst sipping on the most refreshing homemade lemonade) and were given a tour of the spa facilities. There is a strong Asian theme running throughout the building in which houses the spa (it stands alone from the hotel) with bamboo and Asian-style decor and statues adorning the open spaces; extremely stylish but relatively simple and most definitely creates a tranquil ambience. Just as a spa should be.

Upon familiarising ourselves with the facilities and layout we had time for a spot of lunch before our treatments and set up camp in Ozone; the pan-Asian style restaurant within the spa building.

Lunch at Ozone

Again, the team here were extremely friendly and very obliging and upon realising that we were there to celebrate the send-off for our bride-to-be (posh for a hen do!) the Spa Director, Davina, not only presented us all with a glass of Prosecco with her compliments but also personally wished the bride to be all the very best – an extremely nice touch which was to set the tone of our stay.

The menu here included a range of light salads and sharing dishes through to more substantial main meals – all of which were Asian fusion.  Small dishes started from £6 and I opted for the prawn satay salad (small) which was absolutely scrumptious. However upon reflection I could have probably eaten a bit more so I should have chosen the large salad option or two of the small dishes would be a decent order for a light snack. Complimentary crackers and dipping sauces (with a good chilli kick) were also served with our drinks.

Serenity Spa

Suitably satisfied on the food front we quickly donned the obligatory robes and slippers ready to indulge in an afternoon of pampering and relaxation. The relaxation room with heated and reclining seats that overlooked the hotel grounds was the perfect country setting to ease us into a peaceful frame of mind.

Stepping into the treatment room was similar to being transported to the far-east; almost hut-like with wooden floors, subtle pink and purple lighting and water features created a soothing ambience. I opted for a full body massage (50 mins) which was great. The right level of pressure was applied and after a few crunches my masseuse had worked out all the knots in my body and I was enjoying that tingly feeling that comes with ultimate relaxation. The massage was £45 and lasted approx 50 mins.

Following our treatments we headed to the spa where we flittered from sauna to steam room to hydro pool to Hamman to plunge pools to outdoor hot tubs. My favourite was definitely the Hamman room with snail showers and a Jacuzzi. Although the out-door hot-tubs nestled in the heart of the countryside were pretty special too. One of my friends had been here on a winter twilight spa experience which she said was just magical sitting outside on a starry night.

The Feng Shui-inspired layout of the spa ensures that you don’t ever feel like you’re intruding into any other guests’ experience and although it was relatively busy it still felt like we were the only ones there.  Clean and extremely well maintained with Elemis products and regularly replenished refreshments you can see why this is award-winning.

As I mentioned the spa building stands separately to the hotel however (and I absolutely love this clever design) there is a tunnel that leads from the spa to the main hotel so that guests can easily and comfortably access the spa facilities – in their robes if they wish. The word tunnel doesn’t do the underground boardwalk that covers a trickling waterway justice, I’m not even sure my photograph does. A practical idea turned into a beautiful magical feature.

Spa time done we headed to the main hotel to check-in.

Read my next instalment for the Seaham Hall Hotel review.

Summary

I highly recommend this either as a stand-alone spa experience or part of the entire hotel package (see my hotel review). It was everything that a tranquil and indulgent spa day should be located in beautiful surroundings.