The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village

The adult-only Spa Hotel is at the end of a long sweeping drive through the five star holiday-village cottages. When we arrived, guests were enjoying drinks in the sunshine by the lily pond where ducks slept peacefully on the banks.

The hotel reception, lounge bar and restaurant at the front of the hotel are colourful, buzzy and friendly. Through doors at the rear, the spa is stunning and modern, with light pouring through the glass structure that houses the thermal suite. Chic pendant lights dangle from the vast glass ceiling above the large, gleaming hydro-pool at the spa's centre. Beyond, you can see the outdoor Jacuzzi, the Zen garden with hanging pod and recliner chairs, and the panoramic countryside.

Décor is pale natural tones with the odd slate or bamboo wall, potted plants and orchids; the air scented with NEOM reed diffusers.

Day-spa guests have a separate entrance which leads through a wide minimalist corridor to the circular spa reception area. Hotel guests can wander from their large, comfortable rooms in their robes.

The spa lounge has lots of sofas and chairs for relaxing, meeting friends, and filling out your consultation form. There is also a Finishing Touches Suite for make-up and nails and a Wellness Suite, where you can book a nutritional-therapy consultation or food-intolerance testing.

The female changing room is lined with plenty of large and small sized lockers (aim for large if you can!) each containing your robe, flip-flops and a towel. A well-lit vanity station has six leather chairs, hairdryers and straighteners; the three toilets and four showers are all stocked with Elemis products. The showers have frosted glass cubicles where you can dry off and get dressed. Beyond is the door leading to the huge, tiled thermal Aqua Journey, the jewel in The Spa Hotel's crown.

Spa attendants will explain the journey -- which you should give yourself at least two hours to enjoy -- and there are plenty of helpful signs. Ideally, start in the gentle aroma room then, once acclimatised, enter the mosaic-tiled aroma steam room. Next, you can either massage your warmed limbs in the hydro-pool with its timed massage jets and swan pipes, or cross over to the slightly hotter wooden saunarium.

Cool off in the monsoon experience shower, ice fountain or -- if you're brave enough -- the ice bucket. Dip your toes in one of the two pedidariums before heading to the mosaic-tiled Balinese Salt Inhalation Room with its powerful menthol aroma, the super-hot herbal sauna, or the cooler outdoor rustic sauna which looks over the spa garden. The spa has plenty of cushioned loungers to rest en route and water coolers to keep you hydrated. End your journey reclining on a tiled warm tepidarium lounger with magazines.

Step outside to enjoy the deliciously hot and bubbly outdoor hot tub, which is raised on a decked area, lined with blue mosaic tiles, and could comfortably seat eight close friends. Then curl up on the comfortable cushioned loungers and hanging pods in the Zen garden. There's a bar where you can order smoothies, drinks or bubbly.

If you're having a treatment, head upstairs to the 11 treatment rooms. Here you will find three relaxation areas, two of which have six cushioned recliners and countryside views, the third dark and cosy if you fancy a deep snooze. 

My therapist, Izabella, collected me from the spa lounge and led me to a large, softly lit room with a picture of a waterfall on one wall. We discussed my consultation form and, from six Biotec facials, chose the ELEMIS Biotec LED Blemish Control facial (60 minutes, £75), which Izabella said she would tailor to suit my sensitive skin. Izabella explained what would happen during the treatment and showed me which devices on the ELEMIS machine she would be using. She asked if I'd like her to explain what was happening, or if I preferred to just drift away without any distractions. I chose the former.

Izabella left the room so I could lie on the treatment bed and cover myself with a towel. When she returned, she checked the temperature, which was perfect, the bed itself slightly warmed.

First, Izabella cleansed my face with soothing chamomile cleanser, which she removed with cotton pads. She applied the lovely Gentle Rose exfoliator with circular movements, then wiped it with hot mitts. An activating serum had an instant calming effect on my skin. A hydrogel soothing mask came in two cooling pieces which she draped on my face.

As the mask sank into my skin, Izabella massaged my shoulders and neck with the exotic-smelling Frangipani Monoi Body Oil. After removing the mask with a cotton pad, Izabella applied Skin Bliss capsules. The oxygen infusion -- like a mini reverse Hoover -- pushed the gel deeper into my pores, running it all over my face and neck. It was a tad noisy and tickly, but over quickly.

Izabella applied an eye mask and soothing cream mask, then ran the LED light-therapy prongs over my face in circular movements. This was extremely soothing -- I briefly saw the red and blue lights through my eyelids when she was working on my eye area.

To finish, Izabella applied Daily Redness Solution, followed by the Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment to my neck and bust, and the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and Eye Renewal. She left me to dress, then met me outside with a glass of water and led me to the Quiet relaxation room where I could enjoy the countryside views. My skin felt refreshed and looked glowingly youthful.

The Spa Hotel offers a wide range of ELEMIS facials and body massages, wraps and scrubs, as well as rituals by organic essential oils brand NEOM. You can also enjoy treatments by Scottish seaweed company ishga, holistic therapies, special treatments for men, mums-to-be, and cancer patients. The Finishing Touches Suite has manicures and pedicures using Jessica varnishes, and make-up by Mii.

We had our spa lunch in our robes in the Orangery, which has two AA rosettes for culinary excellence. The restaurant is bright but smart, with lime and orange leather chairs, burnished mirrors and plants, and a glass orange chandelier hanging from the skylight. The menu offers a choice of creatively tempting courses, with vegetarian dishes and options for various dietary requirements available on request. We found the staff really helpful if we wanted to know more about the ingredients, all of which are carefully sourced, some grown on site.

I had a delicious sweet potato and coconut milk soup for starters, and beetroot risotto with roast salmon for the main. Desserts are also on offer.

The evening menu is slightly richer, but still fresh-tasting and beautifully presented. The warm bread was freshly baked using Champagne flour refined through treacle and tasted heavenly, especially with our amuse-bouche dips. Breakfast is a Continental buffet with a selection of cooked dishes from the menu. 

The customer service: I've never been anywhere where the staff are so happy; it's infectious! Maybe that's why fellow guests were pleasant, too. We felt well cared for at The Spa Hotel and able to ask for anything.

Treatments are really well delivered with a lovely choice of brands: my skin was blemish free for at least two weeks after my ELEMIS Biotec facial.

The food: delicious, healthy and Instagram-friendly, although clearly marked vegetarian options would have been useful.

Relaxing in the outdoor Hot Tub, then curling up in a hanging pod chair in the Zen garden.

Our morning run along the woodland trail, past the petting zoo with alpacas and donkeys.

Parents staying at the holiday village needing some spa r&r.

Small groups of friends: Numbers are well managed at The Spa Hotel, but there are plenty of spaces where you can relax, chat and have fun.

Single spa goers: Staff are friendly and attentive, but not overbearing; you won't feel awkward being alone.

People who want to get healthy can try the wellness programmes and fitness classes. 

We gave The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall a Good Spa Guide rating of 5 bubbles. The thermal journey is stunning, smart and clean. The treatments are well delivered with a huge range to choose from. The customer service adds to the enjoyment of the whole experience. The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall offers great value; as its numbers are well managed, you can feel comfortable alone or with chums.

Spirited Spy visited in June 2016 and awarded it 5 Bubbles.