Escaping London with Grayshott Spa
A few weekends ago, the YCB beauty team piled into a car, sunnies on, Kiss FM playing the hits of the nineties and proceeded on a Thelma & Louise style road trip from London down to the beautiful country town of Grayshott. Two hours, several flooded roads and navigating windy country lanes complete with fallen trees, we arrived at Grayshott spa, suitable flustered and ready to relax.
As we walked through the double doors at the entrance, we were instantly calmed. Whilst we are city girls through and through and our love for London town is parallel with our love of coffee (i.e. A LOT), there is something rather lovely about escaping for a few days and just an hour away is Grayshott spa, nestled in the Surrey countryside. It is a very rare thing indeed that we rate low mobile reception as a positive but considering the manic schedule lately, we welcomed the peace.
We were greeted with a much needed coffee in their beautiful bar area before we sat down for a light, alkaline lunch of rainbow salad and Greek yogurt and fruit for dessert. Tummies happily and healthily filled we checked into our Manor House suite. Stylish and elegant, our spacious suite included a very large and comfortable double bed, beautiful bathroom complete with tub and waterfall shower, a flat screen TV and lounge area as well as a bay window over looking the beautiful gardens.
The historic manor house contains 59 bedrooms and 36 treatment rooms, as well as ambient reception rooms, 47 acres of lush grounds and gardens as well as a gym, swimming pool and full spa area. Once the home of Lord Alfred Tennyson, the Victorian poet laureate, the house was converted to a health & fitness retreat in 1965 and over the last 40 years has established itself as a world leader for holistic therapies and has even been compared to the world famous Mayr Retreat in Austria.
With our bags unpacked we slipped into the robe & slippers thoughtfully hung in the wardrobe of our room and sauntered down to the spa to enjoy our first treatment; an Oskia Glow on the Go Facial. Designed to relax, hydrate and comfort, our skin was thoroughly cleansed followed by a gentle exfoliation and mask, each stage toweled off with a warm cloth to add a wonderful comforting aspect to the facial.
Skin fully hydrated and pampered, we headed for a few lengths in Grayshotts beautiful pool, the last light of the afternoon shining through the glass paneled walls. Feeling decidedly smug that we squeezed a spot of exercise into our spa visit we then recovered from our swim in the bubbling Jacuzzi and a quick unwind in the sauna before dinner.
Adam Palmer, the executive chef at Grayshott has created a menu of delicious food that focuses on health and nutrition rather than deprivation. We enjoyed a delicious entrée of salmon, followed by spiced coconut chicken and a guilt free desert of rhubarb crumble and crème fraiche. For guests who are particularly wanting to review their eating, Grayshott offer nutritional evaluation as part of their services and for a serious overhaul guests can also sign up for the Grayshott Regime; a week long program with tailor made meals supplemented with treatments to aid wellbeing and weight loss.
Full of good food and every inch relaxed, we spent our evening curled up in the comfort of the reception rooms, with Jane Austen keeping us company besides a roaring fire. After a very restful nights sleep we snuck in some sauna and Jacuzzi time before setting up for the day with a wholesome breakfast. Wanting to fit in as much relaxation as possible, we booked in for a Rose Indulgence. The unique Grayshott experience is designed to target fatigue with the use of massage and aromatherapy. A back and foot massage was accompanied with gentle facial pressures and a conditioning oil was massaged into our scalp. The application of restoring body oil to the entire body completed the treatment, leaving every inch of us suitable hydrated and nourished.
Whilst we were completely ready for a nap, it was time to pack our bags and head back to London refreshed and ready to attack a productive Spring/Summer season. There is an inscription on the Tower at Grayshott than perfectly captures their philosophy: Pax intrantibus. Salus exeuntibus, Peace on arrival. Health on departure, which completely encapsulates our stay. We arrived back at the office rejuvenated, healthier and happier.
