Rudding Park Spa

Rudding Park is a grand Georgian property with immaculate gardens. The Roof Top Spa and Garden is a separate building connected to the hotel via an internal corridor. After parking in the spa's dedicated car park, follow the path lined with Rhododendrons to the contemporary building with glass double doors. 

Three floors of spa heaven! The spa reception, changing rooms and swimming pool are on the ground floor. Take the glass staircase (or the lift) down to the treatment rooms and four relaxation zones, or up to the thermal facilities and rooftop garden. 

The reception area is light and bright, with high ceilings. Here you will find a boutique decorated with a wall of brightly coloured candles and selling a tempting range of beauty products, homewares and gifts. 

The changing rooms are spacious and L-shaped, with large lockers containing fluffy white robes, flip flops, and smart dark grey towels. Change beside the leather benches or nip into one of four private changing rooms. If you forget your locker number, place your multi-functional wristband on the machine on the wall. 

Hot showers contain Elemental Herbology shampoo and conditioner. Make good use of the large mirrored vanity area afterwards, which has hairdryers, straighteners and Elemental Herbology amenities. All you need is your swimwear. 

Rudding Park's 17-metre pool is large enough and the right temperature for some serious swimming with loungers along one side. This area is used by club members. Children are welcome to use the pool during splash times; check the website for dedicated swim times. There is a large juniper log sauna overlooking the gardens which is roomy enough for 12 people. Cool down in the bucket shower afterwards. 

The Roof Top Spa is accessible for spa day guests and members: hotel guests can pay an upgrade to access the facilities. Begin your thermal journey with a foot spa: sit on warm seats and select cool or warm water, followed by jets that massage the feet. There are several steam rooms to try, ranging from moderate to hot. The ‘luxury’ steam room is circular with a domed ceiling filled with twinkly lights. Individual ‘thrones’ are marked out in white mosaic tiles on the navy-tiled bench and water hoses allow you to trickle cool water on your feet. This is probably the grandest steam room the Spa Spies have seen in their travels. 

Try the new Sunlight Therapy room where you can lie back and ‘bathe’ in sunlight to boost your vitamin D levels. Or sit on a stool in the Oxygen Pod: our ordinary atmosphere has 21 per cent oxygen, but here it is 27 per cent. Its feels like a stroll at the seaside and would be especially refreshing if you had overindulged the night before. 

Allow plenty of time to enjoy the rooftop garden, including the views and the stylish loungers with umbrellas set out among the fragrant salvia. Call an attendant and order a glass of fizz to sip in the sunshine (we told you it was spa heaven). We could have spent all afternoon in the bubbly hydrotherapy infinity pool, with its warm water and powerful jets, and the hot sauna with its wooden and glass exterior and internal seating for five. Screens of plants divide seating areas, while groups can hire a private cabana. 

The quiet relaxation area and treatment rooms are two floors down. The four mind and sense relaxation zones are quirkily, but descriptively, named: try ‘Mind’ for mind-stimulating games. ‘Audio’ for headsets playing meditative tracks, ‘Visual’ for a huge screen showing restful, colourful images. Our favourite is ‘Sleep’ which has huge comfy recliners and a ‘starry, starry night’ ceiling, plus gentle music to lull you. 

We tried the Couples Connect treatment (105 minutes, £350). 

It began with a bath…but not just any bath, a huge circular copper bath with room for two. We had 25 minutes in the bubbly water and then our therapists, Melissa and Sam, knocked on the door to signal that it was time to dry off and get ready for the massage. 

Our 50-minute couples' massage focused on the back of the body. We were each asked to smell the oils and choose the one that appealed most. We were also asked where we felt we had tension. I asked Melissa, my therapist, to focus on my neck and shoulders, while my spa partner wanted his therapist, Sam, to work on his lower back. 

Melissa began with a lovely long, relaxing back massage, then more focused, circular strokes from each section of my spine. She followed with a good firm massage on my calf muscles, and then worked up the sides of my body. After some arm stretching and massage, Melissa folded each arm onto my back so that she could get deep into the muscles under the shoulder blades. It was tender at first but as the muscles began to relax it felt wonderful. I turned over and the massage continued on my arms and neck. To finish, Melissa walked her hands down my body applying firm pressure as she went. 

While we were being treated, the wet swimming costumes we had worn in the copper bath had been dried. We were also handed nice dry robes, then given delightfully rich chocolates as a post treatment treat.  

Rudding Park Spa offers a menu of facials, massages and other body treatments using Elemis products, as well as sports rehabilitation, treatments for mums-to-be, post-cancer treatments, bathing rituals and finishing treatments such as manicures and pedicures. If you fancy an al fresco treatment surrounded by trees and greenery, book the Woodland Glade, a shepherd’s hut in Rudding Park’s grounds. 

You can lunch in your robe in Horto, a contemporary cafe with floor-to-ceiling windows and a colourful palette of emerald greens and mustards. Lunch is two courses of light salads and wraps. 

Guests staying overnight (something we highly recommend) can have breakfast here. We had interesting ‘overnight oats’ which were garnished with fresh fruits, and crushed avocado on toast with poached eggs. Horto also offers dinner, with an indulgent tasting menu with the option of a drinks pairing menu. Much of the food comes from the kitchen garden, so is fresh and seasonal.  

Dinner can also be taken in the ClockTower restaurant in the main hotel. We had lovely fresh fish but there was plenty of choice for confirmed meat eaters as well. 

We loved 

The design: Rudding Park Spa is a large stylish spa, with ample facilities to occupy spa-goers for the day. It is cleverly designed with separate seating and relaxing areas, so it does not feel busy. 

The food: Horto, the spa café, is in the centre of the spa. Food here is inventive, fresh and local. Take time to stroll around the hotel’s kitchen garden, which is a wellness experience in itself. 

The rooftop spa: Enjoy the rooftop pools overlooking the woodland, top up your Vitamin D levels on the comfy recliners and order drinks from the spa butlers. 

We didn't love 

The fact that the relaxation rooms are so hidden away: there are no signs for them and they were very under-used on our visit. 

Indulgence seekers: The Roof Top Spa and Garden offers a truly luxurious experience.  

Sun worshippers: The glass walls let light in everywhere, and the rooftop garden is heavenly on a sunny day. 

Spa aficionados: The Roof Top Spa already has a host of thermal facilities. This year the Oxygen Pod, the Sunlight Therapy room and the Woodland Glade have all been added. If you are looking for new and cutting-edge facilities and treatments this is where you will find them. 

We awarded The Roof Top Spa and Garden at Rudding Park a Good Spa Guide Bubble Rating of 5 Bubble Luxury. The spa feels stylish and spacious, has plenty of different experiences and treatments to try and offers very good food as well. The design and spa experience will delight even the most experienced spa-goer, while new spa-goers will feel well and truly spoiled. 

Suave Spy visited in July 2019 and awarded it 5 Bubble Luxury.