Healthy Weekend Escape

I’ve had some massages in my time but never before have I fallen into such a serene state of bliss. The ayurvedic head massage is designed to relieve stress and clear the mind, but I fall asleep in the treatment room – and then, embarrassingly, wake myself up snoring.

Thankfully the therapist assures me it means she’s doing a good job – and by all accounts she is. The fogginess of deadlines and bills clouding my brain wafts out of the window into the fresh Hampshire air, and only the sound of birdsong and aromatherapy scents remain.

Nestled in the heart of the tranquil New Forest on the outskirts of Brockenhurst’s quintessential English village, Carey’s Manor Hotel and SenSpa is a sanctuary for those seeking ultimate relaxation. And just two hours south of London’s big smoke it is the perfect escape from the pressures of 21st century city life.

Rarely do hotels live up to their glossy, photo-retouched marketing selves, but fortunately Carey’s Manor appears in its red-bricked, ivy-covered flesh exactly as it promises on the brochure.

After check-in my date and I are escorted through wide hallways, past couples in bathrobes to a spacious, sunlit room. It is minimal in design with tasteful gold, tan and cream décor and we are welcomed with complimentary champagne on ice, a fruit platter, forest vanilla fudge and a gift box of SenSpa’s signature cosmetics.

We toast our gifts and fine surroundings and deliberate our next move: throw on our hotel robes and follow the spicy aromas to the downstairs spa? Or head for dinner at one of the hotel’s three superb restaurants (fine dining at the Manor, a more relaxed atmosphere in Blaireaus French Bistro or authentic Thai cuisine in Zen Garden)?

With 17 treatment rooms offering a range of invigorating massages and facials for both men and women, SenSpa is primarily centred on Thai spa culture, fusing massage traditions from the East and West.

The spa alone is like a labyrinth of state-of-the-art hydrotherapy facilities covering two floors, with a hydrotherapy pool, herbal sauna, crystal steam room, ice room and Rhassoul Mud room as well as a health and fitness suite with an ozone treated swimming pool and a fully equipped gym.

A couple of hard working hours in the spa sees us with well-earned appetites, so we wind our way through the web of hallways to the Manor Restaurant to reward ourselves with dinner. Dining here is a sophisticated affair. The restaurant is old school glamour at its best: piano music, draped curtains, silverware, garden views and excellent service.

Breakfast is an equally enjoyable, low-key affair in the spa’s Zen Garden restaurant. The health-focused menu offers your traditional English breakfast as well as a vegetarian option using organic free-range produce with freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and herbal teas. The perfect way to start the day with an idyllic countryside backdrop that brings welcome relief from the demands of modern city life.

Carey’s Manor & SenSpa
Brockenhurst
New Forest
Hampshire SO42 7RH

Reservations: 01590 624 467

www.senspa.co.uk