Did someone say ‘spa trip’? Yes, please.
Never one to shy away from the prospect of sitting around in a towelling robe all day or being pampered from head to toe, a trip to the newly opened, £9.5 million state-of-the-art spa at one of Yorkshire’s finest hotels, Rudding Park, was not an opportunity I was going to pass up.
At the heart of this privately-owned, luxury hotel is a Grade I-listed Regency house. There are 90 bedrooms, two restaurants, a kitchen garden, private cinema, two golf courses, conference and events space, all set in 300 acres of landscaped gardens, parkland and woodland, yada yada yada. But let me tell you about the spa…
The Vibe
Let’s start with Rudding Park having the UK’s first roof top spa and garden, designed by renowned horticulturalist Matthew Wilson which comes complete with a hydrotherapy infinity pool, garden sauna cabin, outdoor shower and spa bath, as well as multiple loungers dotted amongst trees and shrubs on which to relax, and soak up the rays on the south facing sun deck.
And that's just the outside.
Inside there’s an indoor swimming pool that uses the natural waters from the grounds, a luxury steam room, a Juniper log sauna, ice fountain, relaxing foot spa, snail shower experience, treatments using products by ila, Elemental Herbology, Carita and Jennifer Young, a manicure, pedicure and makeup bar, hair studio, Panoramic sauna, herbal bath steam room, lifestyle shop, and sensory rooms.
The Hero Treatment
This has to be a session with a sauna-Meister trained in the Art of Aufguss. This is a ritual originally derived from the Red Indians of North America, but it was the Germans who introduced the concept into spas. Now widely recognised as a leading wellness practice across Europe, it involves a Master of Aufguss using essential oils to create a stimulating environment within the Panoramic sauna and circulating the aromatic air using a towel-waving technique, while you lie there relaxing. The ritual lasts from 10 to 15 minutes and leaves the participants both mentally and physically revived.
Rudding Park
Is The Food Any Good?
It is indeed; food is an important part of Rudding Park, with a focus on the hotel’s own kitchen garden. Hundreds of different herbs, salads, fruits and even edible flowers are grown by the hotel’s gardener, Adrian Reeve. Guests are free to explore the garden during the daytime, which I highly recommend, but it is primarily there to provide supplies for the hotel’s restaurants and spa.
Horto, the restaurant located in the spa wing, has a delicious taster menu at night and guests are encouraged to resist the temptation to look at the menu, just discover the dishes and taste sensations as they go, and switching to a spa Rudding Park is all about serious spa luxury and fine dining in the heart of North Yorkshire. The hotel team was super efficient, charming and couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful.
... And You Must
Not over pack. As most of the day was spent in a swimsuit and robe, there was not much need for the large suitcase of clothes I’d brought with me. And as it’s all about the one piece right now my only problem was which swimsuit to wear next.
The Verdict
24 hours was not enough. Take me back!
Extra Info
A one-night stay at Rudding Park starts from £172 per room per night or a one-night spa break starts from £177 per person including half board, a 50-minute treatment and access to the spa. Access to the Roof Top Spa and Garden is £35 for two hours. (01423 844 840, ruddingpark.co.uk)
