The Municipal Spa

First Impressions

The Municipal is a recently converted five-star hotel in the beating heart of Liverpool, a 10-minute walk from Lime Street Station. Once home to council offices, the 1806-built, caramel stone building weeps character, with original parquet flooring, sweeping staircases, Victorian wall tiles, corniced ceilings and tall oval windows.

As well as spacious rooms and suites, the hotel has a jaw-droppingly impressive bar – Palm Court - with 20-ft ceiling (held up by pillars), two restaurants, a beautiful tea room, meeting rooms and a spa housed in a modern extension.

What's on offer?

Being old, the building is a bit of a maze; finding the correct lift to head down to the spa requires some avid sign-following – luckily helpful concierge will take you where you need to be. Once down, the putty walls, grey marble-effect floors and pale wood shelves – along with the huge plants – are shoulder-sinkingly serene.

We were warmly greeted in the open-plan reception area by spa staff sporting gorgeous fern-green uniforms, and shown around the spa. Shelves of tempting TRIBE517 and Elemis products are attractively displayed behind the desk; the seats opposite are where you’ll wait for treatments.

The spa’s relaxation room is separated from reception by flowing curtains. Inside, four comfy beds, blankets and block candles ensure you unwind. Help yourself to fruit-infused water and magazines. Beyond reception, you’ll find an open-plan mani/pedi area for all things nails.

Changing rooms are petite with 13 half-height lockers operated by four-digit code. Inside you’ll find a branded bag with flip-flops and a comfy grey waffle robe. Four dark wood doors push open to reveal three private changing cubicles with single benches on which to change, and a loo; your sink – with huge back-lit mirror – is opposite.

The vanity bar is around the corner from here with a stool, another oversized mirror, hairdryer, a pair of straighteners and a tray of amenities such as cotton pads and buds, skincare products and wet costume bags. This is a one-at-a-time affair but - as the spa facilities are limited to 20 people at a time - we are assured that post-spa preening isn’t a bum fight.

The spa’s three showers, with huge rain heads, are outside the changing rooms beside the pool; bottles of Cult Milano amenities are attached to the wall. If you would rather shower in private, nip into the accessible changing room.

The piece de resistancè at this spa is the attractive 16-metre pool which has full-height windows at the top end showing Liverpool off nicely. Our swim was magical, particularly as we had the entire pool to ourselves.

Post-swim relaxation is afforded via 12 squishy loungers, each with its own white rolled up towel, and side table adorned with jugs of iced water, glasses and full bar menu to order drinks from passing staff.

The far side of the pool has two powerful swan necks fountains to pummel your neck and shoulders and bubbly Jacuzzi jets, operated at the touch of a button. Want to see Liverpool up close? Take a seat on one of four grey rattan egg chairs and pin your nose to the glass.

The spacious, modern thermal facilities are tucked neatly away behind the pool. We began our heat journey in the gentle Laconium with its Jasmin & Honeysuckle scent, dark grey mosaic-tiled warm curved bench and foot stools for five. Can’t stand the heat? This is the room for you.

Heat-lovers should opt for the steam room next door - with its white seats accommodating five to six spa goers and heady amount of steam - or the Himalayan salt sauna which has walls of orange salt bricks at either end, separated by dual-level wooden benches.

Too hot? Brave the ice bucket, grab handfuls of ice from the fountain or walk into the monsoon shower, select ‘cold mist’ or ‘Atlantic Ocean’ and enjoy the Ceylon Mango & Alaska Mint Scents

Tell us about the treatments

We tried a Signature Master Peace (100 mins, £180).

Aliya, my therapist, met me in the relaxation room and led me to a stylish treatment room with natural stone tones where she invited me to take a seat on a tub chair in front of a beautiful cooper bowl filled with bubbly warm water and petals. Aliya washed and scrubbed my feet, then asked me to smell two different TRIBE517 oils so that I could select my favourite. I chose the second one – Heal and health Oil - containing sweet orange, fennel and patchouli. For the massage, I chose a Life Vigour Paste containing magnesium and turmeric.

Aliya then stepped out of the room so I could get comfortable on the treatment bed, lying face down. After confirming that I felt warm enough, Aliya asked me to focus on my breathing as she counted backwards. The treatment began with a body scrub containing blended butters, oils, Himalayan Salts and Palmarosa. Aliya applied this to my back, rubbing it in with large circular movements.

Aliya then drizzled some of my chosen oil onto the back of my left leg and used it to facilitate long, gentle strokes, introducing Himalayan salt rocks periodically to warm the muscles. This body melting rhythmic massage was then repeated on my legs and arms, and my right side, sending me into a state of Zen.

For the face and scalp massage, Aliya asked me to turn over and expertly stretched my neck using a towel for leverage before applying a warm orange, vanilla and helichrysum balm around my décolleté, neck and face to free my muscles from tension. She then brushed my hair through before massaging my head firmly in a circular motion – heavenly.

Aliya then uncovered my feet to apply a powder to my soles - said to encourage improved sleep quality. Holding my hand over my heart Aliya requested that I end the treatment by thinking of something that I am grateful for.

In the relaxation room afterwards, I was presented with a gold tray consisting of an orange drink and an orange cream chocolate.

The Municipal Spa offers a range of massages, facials, wraps and body polishes from TRIBE517 and Elemis, as well as Mii manicures and pedicures and treatments for pregnant ladies. The latest launch is the in-bedroom Sleep Bath butler service – the first of its kind in the North West - a member of the concierge team draws your bath for you at a chosen time, to your ideal temperature, drizzles oil into the water, hands you a leaflet featuring a QR code to download the meditation sounds and leaves the room for you to unwind.

Food Facts

Before heading to the spa, we enjoyed afternoon tea at Seaforth, the hotel’s open-plan restaurant just off from the Palm Court bar – check out the hypnotic statement ceiling light and live hanging fauna.

Abby, our waitress, brought a Jing tea trolley to our table, explained the different teas and allowed us to smell each one - we chose the hibiscus and blackberry tea to complement our Pink October afternoon tea which came on a gold three-tiered stand with a plate of sandwiches (think smoked salmon with cream cheese and beetroot) on the bottom, a scone with jam and clotted cream in the middle, and pretty pink sweet treats (think red velvet cake) at the top.

For our evening meal we headed back to Seaforth. The menu of British classics includes fish dishes, lamb and steaks, as well as starters such as chicken liver parfait and seared scallops.

After over doing it at lunch we decided to skip starters and went straight for the Scouse, a cannon of Herdwick lamb, braised shoulder, sweet red cabbage, carrot, potato and swede pearls and lamb jus. Our spa partner tucked into the salt-aged Duck breast with duck fat celeriac fondant, stem broccoli, carrot and crispy kale. Both dishes were as attractive as they were tasty. To finish we went for the cheese board.

After dinner, take a seat at the Palm Court Bar and ordered a cocktail. The bar itself is a central square, making it a sociable space; seating around the perimeter is vast and varied. To the side is a cosy library filled with velvet armchairs and shelves heaving with books.

We loved / we didn't love

We loved

The pool is tranquil, especially when you get to enjoy it all to yourself

The new Trib517 treatments: the 50-minute Time Peace and the 100-minute Master Peace both feature the copper bath foot ritual and personalised scent tests.

The Sleep Bath butler service: who wouldn’t want their bath run for them?

We didn’t love

The relaxation room: we’d like to see two separate areas here: one pre-treatment for waiting and one post treatment for snoozing.

The small changing room - although this was no biggy for us as we were staying overnight.

Who do you think would like it?

Tourists have a new hotel, restaurant, bar and spa to enjoy; pair a stay with a spot of shopping, a trip to the theatre or some culture. As locations go, it’s hard to beat.

Foodies: from afternoon tea to evening meal and breakfast the next morning, everything is delicious.

History-lovers: if buildings could talk…

What bubble rating did you give this spa?

We awarded The Municipal Spa a Good Spa Guide Bubble Rating of 5 Bubbles for its chic design, fantastic pool, spacious thermal facilities and well thought-out treatment menu.

Serene Spy visited in October 2024 and awarded it 5 Bubbles.