The Spa at Carden

First Impressions

You’ll find Carden Park at the end of a mile-long winding driveway; follow a lazy river through 1,000 acres of countryside and a well-manicured golf course until the property gently appears in the distance.

The two-storey Spa at Carden is housed in its own modern detached building to the right of the hotel. It opened in January 2020 and has received much acclaim since.

What's on offer?

Enter the striking glass and wood spa building into a large, high-ceilinged lobby and reception area. Dramatic pendant lights hang over a water fountain and behind the reception desk; the entire wall is covered in rich, green living moss.

Friendly receptionists greeted us, offered us a menu to order lunch and escorted us on a tour of the spa. You’ll find the spacious changing rooms on the first floor. Textured walls, duck-egg blue lockers with wood trim, and eight shiny vanity stations with large mirrors await. Strategically placed low seating provides space to perch while changing; there are four private changing rooms, too.

The vanity areas are well stocked with Oskia cleanser, toner, moisturiser as well as cotton wool, hairdryers and tongs. Pyramids of rolled towels are on several shelves; help yourself. Robes, flip-flops and a handy shoulder bag can be found in each wristband-operated locker; showers are roomy and stocked with Carden Park’s own brand of Yuzu shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

The thermal suite is located on the ground floor - arrive via the lift or wind your way down a spiral staircase wrapping around another magnificent pendant light with white petals and butterflies. You can access the 15 treatment rooms, three Relaxation Lounges and spa facilities from here.

The star of the indoor facilities is the 11-metre pool with its bubble seating, two swan pipes and body jets. Through yet more glass, the spa brings the outside in at all opportunities and gives a wonderful feeling of expanse. Bubble away or relax on one of the 10 loungers or four heated beds while gazing out at the spa garden.

Beyond the pool is the hot, dry Finnish sauna and a less intense bio sauna, both seating 8-10 spa-goers. Cool down under one of two experience showers afterwards, with overhead and high-pressure side jets, before warming up again in one of three steam rooms. We loved the beautiful blue and brown mosaic tiling of the tepidarium - press your individual button by your side for a refreshing misting.

The spa garden is vast with a lot to experience, including (wait for it...) a heated outdoor 11-metre pool with self-activated bubbles, massage cages and swan neck showers; three square chrome hot tubs, each seating eight to ten; a firepit with covered seating for ten; an outdoor herbal lounge seating eight - a favourite of ours – with comfy cushioned pads on wooden seating.

Thirsty? Press the button on the table for drinks and await helpful staff to take your order; and five oval glass pods where six people can sit on comfy soft seats and admire the views. At the centre sits a large oval Bollinger Garden Bar serving a range of hot and cold drinks and, of course, Champagne. On our December visit, attractive Christmas light decorations were displayed at every turn, including reindeer figures lit up on the lawn.

The Spa at Carden boasts three relaxation rooms - panoramic is a pre-treatment room with glass walls overlooking the fields, designed with calming soft greys and blues; lie back on big soft chairs and help yourself to water. A video screen dominates one entire wall in Sensory which, on our visit, was scenes of tropical fish in a coral reef - settle into oversized chairs with a snuggly blanket and let the sound of the waves wash over you. A fire flickers and crackles invitingly in the subdued lighting of the Deep Relaxation Room where you can slumber on wave loungers under a warm blanket, privacy curtains separate each lounger.

If this wasn’t enough, there’s a Bollinger Beauty Bar on the first floor for manis/ pedis and finishing treatments, as well as a Mesoboost Clinical Facial. If you fancy a work-out, visit the well-equipped gym and a fitness studio located in the hotel across from the spa.

Tell us about the treatments

We tried the Oskia Luxury Face and Body Experience (105 minutes, £185).

My therapist, Victoria, collected me from Panoramic and led me down the corridor to a modern treatment room. Sat on a tub chair in the corner, Victoria asked questions to identify my skincare routine before leaving the room for me to undress and get comfortable on the treatment bed, lying face down.

Victoria began the treatment with inhalations of the Oskia Rose de Mai oil scent before placing a folded warm towel in the middle of my back, applying pressure as she unfolded each side.

After drizzling some of the oil on my back, Victoria used long strokes to relax my muscles and work out the knots in my shoulders. My leg muscles - achy after a game of netball - were then massaged until they loosened up nicely.

Victoria then moved onto my feet, massaging the soles before focussing on reflexology points – this made me feel so relaxed, I drifted off.

Victoria then asked me to turn over, placed a cushion under my head and repositioned the bed so that she could continue the massage on the front of my legs and arms.

Next up: the facial element. Victoria began by removing my eye make-up and cleansing my skin. She then mixed Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm with water to gently remove city-living impurities in preparation for a dreamy shoulder, decollate and facial massage followed by a Liquid Mask containing lactic acid micro-peel.

Mask removed, Victoria completed the facial with toner, serum, moisturiser and a dot of eye gel. She then led me back to the deep relaxation room where I sipped iced tea under a blanket.

The Spa at Carden offers a wide range of treatments by Germaine de Capuccini and Oskia including facials, massages, eye treatments and Margaret Dabbs hand and foot treatments, as well as a range of beauty treatments. There are also treatments for mums-to-be and those living with, or recovering from cancer, using Made For Life Organics.

Food Facts

Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the Elements Spa Restaurant with light; on a sunny day, there’s an outdoor terrace for alfresco dining. Guests can eat in their robes, and we felt very comfortable doing so.

The menu is varied with a fantastic selection of salads, sandwiches and wraps; there are brunch and afternoon tea options, too, as well as a good selection of puddings. The drinks menu includes English sparkling wine made from the grapes grown in the local vineyard.

For lunch we opted for a flavoursome lamb shish kebab wrap with pickled red onions, green coriander chutney and charred lemon. Our spa partner tucked into a salt and pepper chicken open sandwich with Asian slaw and crisps. A glass of Pinot proved to be the perfect accompaniment.

For our evening meal we were invited to start in Goldie’s Lounge for a selection of Chef’s snacks including beef shin and trout fried balls which we munched whilst browsing the menu of the newly-awarded 3 AA Rosette The Vines.

Order placed from the A La Carte section (there’s also a tasting menu with wine flight), we were shown to our table in the elegant fine dining restaurant. Our Severn and Wye smoked salmon with shallots, capers and gherkins, lemon and sourdough was a light and refreshing start. For mains we were tempted by the season’s featured dish: lavender and honey-glazed wild duck breast, fricassée of duck liver, pancetta and pearl barley wrapped in cabbage, spinach purée, blackberry, buttered swede and shallot jus. Phew.

Our spa partner devoured the scallop starter; for mains: the delicious roast loin of Powys venison. The Baked Alaska for dessert stole the show with our waiter flaming the preserved raspberry sorbet, lemon curd ice cream with Limoncello at the table.

We loved / we didn't love

We loved

The treatment bed: if snuggling under a duvet on the comfiest of heated treatment beds for a massage isn’t an invitation to snooze, we don’t know what is.

The service is high quality; friendly staff in the spa and hotel were on hand to make our stay as tranquil as possible.

The spa garden is fabulous all year round: grab a drink from the Bollinger Bar, hunt out a private pod, settle in and plan what to do next. Our December evening admiring the Christmas decorations gave us festive feels.

We didn’t love

Having to leave…

Who do you think would like it?

Everybody: the grounds are beautiful, the food delicious and the spa immaculate.

Outdoor active types: extra activities on offer include golf, tennis, archery, segways and Vertigo, an aerial adventure course.

Evening Spa Goers: if you live nearby (and may we say, lucky you), book a twilight session, an opportunity to relax and watch the sunset, lying in bubbles whilst sipping bubbles.

What bubble rating did you award this spa?

Once again, we awarded The Spa at Carden a Good Spa Guide Bubble Rating of Five Bubble Luxury. Across the board, The Spa at Carden has set the bar extremely high with fantastic facilities, divine dining, enviable eco credentials and superb service.

Serene Spy visited in December 2024 and awarded it 5 Bubble Luxury.