The Sp@ The Grand in Brighton is a bijou but luxurious space inside this iconic seaside hotel. We popped in for a visit because the spa has just launched a new range of treatments using products from Natural Spa Factory.
Natural Spa Factory keeps their products as pure and simple as possible. Botanical ingredients such as rose petals? Yes, please. Dubious chemicals such as parabens? No, thank you. Their products are also not tested on animals.
We tried the Shoulder, Neck, Scalp and Face Massage (50 minutes, £65). If you have ever hunched over a laptop or squinted at a screen for too long, you'll recognise that these parts of the body carry a lot of stress and tension. This massage focuses on just those areas. It's a great treatment for those who dislike lying face-down, too, as you stay on your back throughout.
The buzz-word in spa treatments for 2015 is "tailored". On trend, the key to the treatments at The Sp@ The Grand is that they are tailored to you. Your therapist will help you choose the products that are suited to your skin, your mood, and your needs. The right product is essential when your skin is sensitive, dry, oily or simply tired.
My therapist, Nela, let me sample the scent of three massage oils. I chose the Invigorating oil, which contains rosehip and mint. She began the treatment with a honey-like gel cleanser on my face, which she removed with warm flannels. Blissful massage followed, working into the knots in my neck and across my shoulders, and around my tense jawline. Nela also used coconut oil through my hair, giving a silky, soothing scalp massage. She finished the treatment with face serum and the Natural Spa Factory's 23 Carat Gold Moisturiser. Yes, that's right. Who doesn't want the glow of real gold when it comes to your complexion?
In fact, the signature treatment at The Sp@ The Grand is the glorious Gold Champagne Facial, which involves pearl and caviar alongside the bubbly and precious metal. As well as therapies from Natural Spa Factory, the spa offers some of our favourite Carita facials, too. Treatments for mums-to-be include massage using Bumps a Daisy products, based on sweet almond oil. You can also book in for a wrap, a scrub, a hot stone massage, or reward yourself with "Design Your Time" -- five HOURS of treatments of your own choice.
It's great to see the spa offering seasonal treatments, as well, as your mood does change with the weather. Your scrub could be strawberries and cream in the summer, pumpkin in the autumn, lemongrass in the winter, and geranium in the spring. A nice way to ring the spa changes.
The eight treatment rooms at the spa include one for couples, and the Beauty Bar offers Jessica manicures and pedicures. The spa's small thermal suite has a tiled steam room, wooden sauna and showers. The changing rooms are well appointed with fluffy white towels, robes and slippers.
The star of the spa is the diaphanous and decadent relaxation area, filled with a variety of beds, sofas and chairs hanging from the ceiling. The atmosphere is calm and gives you a sense of indulgence. If you book a treatment that lasts 50 minutes or longer, you get free use of the spa facilities, so make sure you schedule in enough time to drift around amongst those shimmering sofas.
If you're staying over, the hotel's 2 AA Rosette restaurant, GB1, specialises in seafood. Our dinner there was delicious and delightful. Don't miss the treacle-cured salmon. Mind you, I could say the same about all the dishes...
If you want some relaxation and restoration after a busy day at the beach, this elegant hideaway spa is ideal and the Natural Spa Factory treatments are a welcome addition to the local spa scene.
Single Spy
7th September 2015
Spy Likes:
Warm floors when you put your bare feet upon them; heated treatment beds; soft towels; attention to detail, so that your treatment room looks and smells beautiful when you arrive in it.
Spy Dislikes:
Cold floors when you put your bare feet upon them; therapists who use your treatment time to write up a list of product "recommendations" that they hope you will purchase.
