Spa prices vary enormously across the UK. It also depends on the area - London and the South East will be more expensive than the North East, for example - and the spa.
Five Bubble Luxury spas are rarely on the low end of the price scale, unless you find amazing special offer (sign up for our newsletter to keep on top of the regular spa deals).
Five Bubble spas are usually high quality treatments and products with experienced therapists - you should get what you pay for.
Whereas in Four Bubble spas, you can often bag a reasonably priced treatment that just happens to be with an amazingly skilled therapist or with lovely products. In our experience, price is not always a reliable guide to quality.
Very roughly, the average you should be paying across the UK for a basic facial or body treatment is £1.25 per minute, with £1 a minute on the bargain end of the scale. To give you some idea of what you pay for a specialised treatment, at time of publication, a facial by skincare guru Eve Lom at Agua at Sanderson costs £240 for 120 minutes - £2 an hour, while a CACI treatment can be as little as £60 for an hour at Four Bubble Wynyard Hall. At Five Bubble Luxury Gleneagles, a 50-minute ESPA facial is £98, whereas at a Four Bubble Bannatyne spa you could pay half that at £45 for an Elemis facial. Over at planet posh, The Wellness Clinic at Harrods offers serious facial remodelling and shaping as well as vitadrips and mindfulness, but anything under £500 is a rarity (think Ultrasound facial from £6,000 or have a 'bargain' 30 minute LED facial for a mere £100).
The variation between spas for the same treatment can be huge and depends on a variety of factors. But here is our rough guide as to what to expect to pay for a 60 minute facial or basic massage.
* £ "Good value, Four Bubble spa": Less than £70
* ££ "Quality service and product, Five Bubble spa": £75 - £100
* £££ "High End, Five Bubble Luxury": £120 - £220
* ££££ "Dedicated results, Five Bubble and up": £240 p+
* £££££ "Blow the budget, not in the real world" £1,000 +
Whether you consider a spa treatment affordable or good value is down to your budget and expectations - which is why we've taken the trouble to write in-depth treatment reviews as part of The Good Spa Guide listings, so that you at least will have some idea as to what you will get for your money. In all walks of life, if you've got the money, there'll always be someone happy to take it off you with a gracious smile and a credit-card machine. Spas are no different, except that they may offer you a cup of green tea while they're doing it.
Savant Spy
31st August 2013
Spy Likes:
Clever, inspiring design, sublime views, a vast, clean and empty pool, solitary relaxation areas to read, write or commune with my muse.
Spy Dislikes:
Small talk, discussions about spirituality or astrology, any products containing tea tree oil or aloe (sadly am allergic), busy pools where you can’t do laps.
