Alexandra House Spa

 

A few weeks back I was contacted to see if I wanted to try out a treatment at the Alexandra Spa in Huddersfield.  Now let’s face it, no one in their right mind was going to say no to an offer like that right?  Well, I sure couldn’t.  I adore a good massage and I thought an Indian head massage might be just the thing to clear my head and de-stress.  It is a treatment that has a level of therapy and intimacy like few others so I couldn’t wait.

I drove over straight from work after a stressful Thursday when I couldn’t have needed this more.  The first thing I noticed was the location.  I accidently drove straight past!  It was on a busy road and not the kind of place you would expect to see a spa, but once I turned the corner into the carpark I felt like I had been whisked off to the other side of the world.

 

Despite it being in a populated area, the spa’s interior was silent and I completely forgot that I was in the middle of civilisation.  Outside, the garden and grounds were stunning and reminded me a little of a Japanese retreat, complete with the beautifully relaxing sounds of running water.

One thing I noticed as soon as I entered was that the place had an incredible energy.  I instantly felt at ease and relaxed.  The owner Maxine explained that this was once a doctor’s surgery so it had healing in the walls and although I am often a little reluctant to believe such things, it definitely felt as though there were positive vibes around the place.  You could tell it was something the staff completely believed.

 

 

After I arrived I was told to take off my shoes and get into some slippers before I was escorted upstairs to the changing rooms and told to change into a lush white robe before heading to the relaxation room when I was ready.

 

 I had a foot soak while the staff gave me a drink and some snacks.  I opted for the smoothie of the day and some delicious shortbread biscuits while I relaxed and took in my surroundings.  The relaxation room was large and beautifully lit with candles and dimmed lighting and beautiful music.  I really do believe that music plays an important part in these experiences so I soon drifted off and enjoyed a chance to try and switch my brain off.  On this occaision I was the only person in the room, however there was space easily for ten people on the various sofas so this would be great if you wanted to relax as part of a group.

After around 30 minutes, I was invited upstairs for the treatment and honestly it was one of the best experiences of my life.  Unfortunately experiences this relaxing are usually over in a blink of an eye.  The difference between this and where I have had similar treatments in beauty salons is all in the little touches.  The towels were all heated and so it felt cosy (not a horrible paper towel in sight!).  The room was full of colour and not sterile white as is often the case in beauty salons. As they only do relaxation treatments (not beauty), you didn’t have off-putting smells from nail polishes or beeping wax machines going off.  Also they explained in advance everything that was going to happen and told the customer they could speak up if they were uncomfortable with anything, which can be a big deal for people who are nervous in any way.  Another little thing: there is no small talk during the treatment – don’t you hate it when you are getting a massage and you are just on the verge of totally zoning out and someone asks you about your holiday?  I totally drifted away.

 

Before I knew it the treatment was over and I was back downstairs in the relaxation room and slowly came back to reality before I had to think about getting dressed once more and entering the real world.  I love that they weren’t in any rush to make me leave, again, these little touches make all the difference.

I was really surprised to see that the treatments at this spa cost the same or slightly less then at my local beauty salon, as the former’s level of quality definitely exceeded the latter.  It is a bit further out of my way but I think it is completely worth the trip and if I want to truly relax sometime soon I will definitely be back.  Reflexology is next on my list!

Have you ever been to Alexandra House Spa?