Deep in rural Pembrokeshire lies a secret sanctuary for frazzled urbanites. A utopia where absent phone signals banish calls from the boss and limited Wi-Fi deters heart-racing peaks at the inbox. Could Bluestone Wales National Park Resort be one of the last places on earth to unplug from the corporate pressure cooker? Fellow blogger, Jaklien Van Melick and I tried one of their spa breaks to find out.
At the end of a fractious Friday, we gratefully escape the seething commuter crowds at Paddington to board our train to the Welsh outback. Speeding along solitary roads four hours later, the forests give way to reveal the twinkling lights of Swiss-style chalets enveloped in a velvety darkness never experienced in London’s 24-hour metropolis. Sinking thankfully onto the sofa in my studio apartment moments later, I reflect that never have I needed a spa break more than I do now.
Having packed hurriedly at my peril, I arrive at the Well Spa to discover to my horror that I’ve left my swimsuit behind. Unfazed by this apocalyptic disaster, the dream team on reception summon a new swimsuit which is duly fetched and delivered in 20 minutes. Crisis averted and modesty intact, I scurry into the spa suite’s steaming labyrinth.
A blast of eucalyptus clears the tubes as I enter the herbal steam room. Sinking into the green vapours, I feel my shoulders finally unfurl in the steamy warmth. Next, soothing sea scents assail my senses in the blue haze of the marine room. Departing pink and shiny-faced moments later, I finish my session in the ice room where wafts of deliciously cool air breeze round my limbs and welcome slivers of ice pelt down via a nifty tube.
Feeling peckish, the Olive Restaurant beckons us in for lunch. Offering a menu bursting with vitality, we devour a bento box crammed with shiny olives, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, couscous and hummus, washed down with a refreshing Elderflower spritzer.
Hunger sated and feeling smugly virtuous, we await our treatments. Entering the candle-lit cocoon of lotions, potions and endless fluffy towels, I instantly feel at home. As a teaser for the pampering to come, the treatment kicks off with a luxurious foot soak. Opting for a full body salt and oil treatment, my limbs tingle from the gentle abrasion of the salt as my taut muscles slowly unwind.
After a quick shower, the soothing Espa oil is smoothed on in deep, relaxing strokes, unraveling the friction of every meeting, deadline and report of the last twelve months. Lulled to sleep in a state of bliss, the soft Welsh voice above me tells all too soon that our session is over. In my post-treatment debrief, my shoulders, neck and lower back are highlighted as the main areas of tension, not surprising from so many desk-bound days hunched over a monitor.
Post-treatments, we round off the day with a wallow in the outdoor hot tub where even the incessant Welsh rain suddenly takes on a gentle, harmonious feel. Sinking deeper into the tub, I relax, safe in the knowledge that thanks to Bluestone National Park Resort, this frazzled urbanite won’t be hearing from the office.
For more information on spa breaks visit: http://www.bluestonewales.com/the-well-spa
What a treat! I felt like I’ve had a spa break as I imagined every massage stroke of oil into my limbs reading your narrative.
What lovely feedback, thank you for taking the time to comment.