How long a stay?
Many people dip their toe into the water with either a Spa
Day or a 1-2 night break, however, my personal preference and recommendation is
3 nights+, as you will come away from such a break feeling completely refreshed
and rejuvenated, as though you’d been on a fortnight’s holiday.
Travelling solo or in company?
I often travel solo, and a break at Champneys Henlow is a
great option for anyone holidaying alone.
All Champneys Spas offer a Champneys Table at lunch and dinner for those
who want to socialise, and which you can dip in and out of as your fancy takes
you. There are also themed breaks such
as their Traditional Week or Boot Camp, where you have the opportunity to
participate in joint classes and/or talks with other guests on the same break
as yourselves.
Champneys is also a lovely break for friends to take
together. It is not so much a “couples”
break, especially during the week when male guests are rare but not unknown but
less so at weekends.
Facilities
One of the reasons I love Champneys Henlow so much is the
fabulous “wet” facilities. The excellent 25-metre pool is located in a sunny conservatory and other facilities
include a whirlpool, female laconium, male and female steam rooms, male sauna,
Thalassotherapy pool and Rasal chamber.
I can wile away hours and hours in the Henlow pool area.
For Gym Bunnies, there is a comprehensive but smallish gym
located in the older Main House area. It offers the usual suspects of aerobic
exercise machines (treadmills, bikes, cross trainers, vibro-plates etc) and a
weights area. Surprisingly, the gym
rarely gets full, especially during the day time weekdays.
There are also 2 Fitness studio areas – a large workout
studio and a cosier, soft Mind & Body area.
Including pool-based aqua classes and outside activities such as power-walking,
you can choose from up to 20 different classes per day, all included in the
price of your stay. Most are aimed at
the averagely fit and last 25mins-45mins.
You do need to book your place for the more popular classes (usually the
ones based in the Mind & Body studio), this can be done in the morning for
free or a small booking fee in advance.
The enthusiastic, knowledgeable Fitness team at Henlow
provide a full range of fitness training, with additional specialist
fitness/well-being/exercise sessions conducted by independent qualified
trainers.
Finally, Henlow itself is set in 150 acres of beautiful
parkland nestled in the lovely Bedfordshire countryside. To take advantage of it, you can hire bikes
to ride and there are plenty of walks – either one of organised walking
excursions or just venturing out by yourself.
Treatments
With 40 treatment rooms, a manicure/pedicure studio and hot
wax area, the choice of treatments at Henlow is extensive. Most breaks include a selection of inclusive
treatments. These are usually 25mins
duration and can tend to be delivered by the more inexperienced therapists
(unless you have booked into a Premier room).
The more experienced therapist tend to deliver the specialist treatments
(generally 50mins duration) that are available at an extra charge.
I always like to try something new whenever I visit, most I
have enjoyed, a lot have become very firm favourites (Head in the Clouds,
Twilight Aromatherapy), and some I’m glad I’ve tried but wouldn’t repeat the
experience (Complete Wax Experience, Reike)!
The treatment area can get very busy and if there is something you
definitely want to try, or want at a specific time, it is best to book in
advance of arrival.
Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with treatments at
Henlow, if you have ever experienced a very luxurious (and expensive) day spa,
Henlow’s spa treatment area will seem much more utilitarian in comparison. The waiting area can get very full before
treatments commence, and the treatment rooms are generally small, not luxurious
but always clean, welcoming and more than adequate for the job.
If you have never visited a therapist before, you can be
reassured that your modesty will be preserved at all times, your therapist will
explain the treatment to you and check for any contra-indications in advance of
starting. If you don’t like to receive
treatments from the opposite sex, just advise Henlow before arrival and your
needs will be accommodated.
Dips’ Top Tip - Here’s a top tip for great value treatments
when visiting Henlow. Within the Spa
waiting area, there are concession shops for some lovely beauty brands (at time
of writing these are Elemis and Decleor) which are staffed by fully qualified
therapists and with their own treatment rooms, from which they offer number of
sampler treatments. What’s more, the
price of the treatment is then offset against any purchases you make at the
time. These need to be booked directly with
each of the brand shops and are not bookable via Champney’s online booking
system.
Dining
I think the question I am asked most often about staying at
a Spa is “Aren’t you starving on all that rabbit food?” As it is, nothing could be further from the
truth. The food at Champneys Henlow is
delicious and plentiful; you will not feel deprived in the slightest, in fact
it is often hard to believe that you are eating healthily.
The arrangement for breakfast and lunch is buffet-style, and
you can eat as much or as little as you like.
Dinner is a three-course, waiter-served meal. The menu always provides nutritional and
dietary information such as guidance on fat content and suitability for
specific dietary needs.
For breakfast, there is an extensive choice of fruits, compots,
cereals, breads, yogurts and juices.
Additional cooked items are available to order at a small extra charge.
Lunch is based around a number of buffet stations. There is always soup, a salad and cold cuts
buffet, a choice of hot main meals and even dessert. Whilst the restaurant promotes healthy eating
and moderation, portion size is controlled by the diner, allowing for differing
calories needs, especially if you are exercising heavily during your stay.
The evening meal is a three course, table d’hôte style meal.
There is normally around 4-6 different choices for each course. Wine can be ordered to accompany your meal,
at extra charge.
In addition, there are two areas in the Spa where you can
purchase hot and cold drinks and light snacks throughout the day.
Accommodation
Standard and Superior rooms are available with either a
double bed or twin beds (plus 2 standard triple rooms). The majority of these rooms are situated in a
modern extension to the Main House and compare in style and facilities to a
modern four-star hotel. Standard and
Superior rooms are effectively identical in size, décor and amenities, the only
difference is that Superior rooms are on the ground floor you’re your own patio
doors for direct access to the grounds and an outside seating area, whereas the
standard rooms are on the first floor without an outside patio area.
Dips’ Top Tip - It’s my experience that, unless you
specifically want a ground floor room, it is only worth paying the supplement
for Superior during the summer months, when you will be able to have the patio
doors open and to sit directly outside your room.
There are a small number of Premier rooms and a Premier
Suite. Premier rooms are mainly situated
in the Main House, and are luxuriously decorated with plenty of room to relax. The
two-room Suite is situated in the Main House, above the conservatory and close
to the facilities. It is beautifully decorated; the lounge area has comfy
sofas, a private dining area and cosy fireplace. In the bathroom, you will find
a bath with a TV to watch whilst you soak aching muscles and a separate walk-in
shower.
Comparison of different accommodation at Champneys Henlow:
Common to all accommodation classes:
Flat screen TV with Sky Sports
DVD player
Tea and coffee making facilities
Towels
Mini toiletries
Hairdryer
|
Dressing table
Rain macs
Still and sparkling mineral water on arrival
Towelling robe to wear
Flip flops
Daily housekeeping service
|
Additionally, in Standard & Superior Rooms, the bathroom
has a Bath with Shower-over it. Superior
Rooms usually have direct access to outside space.
Premier Rooms & The Suite are situated in prime area of
the resort. Premier Rooms have a Bath
with Shower-over, whilst The Suite’s bathroom has separate Bath and Walk-in
Shower. Additionally, the Still and
sparkling mineral water is replenished daily, there is fresh fruit on arrival,
a daily newspaper and nightly turndown service.
The bathrobes are upgraded.
The Premier accommodation also comes with Champneys Premier Service
(see below) when booked at full tariff.
Champneys Premier Service
This is a range of additional services and benefits
available to anyone booking a full-tariff stay in either a Premier Room or
Suite. There start before you have even
arrived at the Spa, with a call from Premier Therapist for a pre-arrival
consultation! You will also have a
Premier Therapist dedicated to you during your stay, so the same person will
provide your treatments and generally assist you during your stay. Premier Therapists are Champneys most
experienced and knowledgeable therapists, who will make you feel cherished and
pampered during a most indulgent stay. They will organise your priority
treatment, fitness/relaxation class and dining time bookings to ensure they are
scheduled to suit your requirements.
There is a separate waiting area for Premier guests, which is a useful
bonus given my comments above regarding the standard treatment waiting area.
Conclusion
Having started this review by revealing that I have been visiting
Champneys Spas for nearly 25 years, it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly
recommend Champneys Henlow for a relaxing and refreshing Spa stay.
NB: This is not a
sponsored post, I have always stayed at Champneys Henlow at my own expense.
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