This week I had the privilege and joy of extending my Bank Holiday weekend by an extra day, because on Tuesday I was invited to the Solent Hotel for a spa day. There is nothing I enjoy more than a day being pampered, lounging around in a fluffy gown and chatting with friends. If you include a Caudalie facial and a healthy but delicious lunch with a bunch of bloggers then you’re really onto a winner. I came away with my skin feeling soft, my body refreshed and my mind relaxed!
The Solent Hotel and Spa is a fairly large complex, with a welcoming lobby and a spacious and bright restaurant. The spa is a decent size but still retains that cosy and intimate feel even when it got a bit busier in the afternoon. There is a very well equipped gym and a group exercise room as membership is available and use for the hotel guests, but the changing area was never busy and had separate changing cubicles for those that would prefer to use them. Big mirrors, hair driers and body lotion were available too, and the lockers were operated with clever wrist bands, so no keys to remember to remove then potentially lose in the sauna!
The treatment area was through a door that opened up into a cosy area with flavoured water, tea and coffee available throughout the day, plus a selection of sweet treats. There is a relaxation room where you can spend some quiet time whenever you feel you need it and before and after your treatments. From a selection of Caudalie treatments on offer I chose a facial. After a short chat about my skin and what I wanted to achieve my therapist Jody lowered the lights and left the room so I could climb on the bed and relax under a warm towel. When she came back in after checking I was comfortable she got to work! All of the Caudalie product she used were lightly scented which I prefer to other brands that can be quite overbearing when you’re having a few products applied in a short space of time! Between each stage of the facial I was spritzed with Grape Water which was really refreshing. My favourite stage was the Instant Detox Mask, especially as whilst that was working some magic I was given a scalp massage – blissful!
After my treatment I spent some time in the pool area, which has a decent sized pool, a hot tub, sauna and steam room as well as loungers, tables and chairs and a secluded outside area. There is also a couples treatment room with a private hot tub available – how nice would that be on a weekend away from the kids!? It was so lovely to chill out, read a few chapters of my book and catch up with some blogging friends along with making some new ones!
Soon it was time for lunch, which was served in the lounge area of the spa on a table nicely laid out for us, but I think if there are less of you there is an option to eat in the restaurant too. We’d chosen our meal options when we arrived so lunch was served with no hanging around! I chose a chicken and bacon sandwich for my main course, and had the most divine rhubarb parfait topped with a raspberry and shortbread biscuit. We had a good chat about our treatments and how nice it was to get away from things and do not very much for the day!
Once we’d all finished eating we were shown to the conservatory area and had a surprisingly fascinating talk with Caudalie – learning more about the brand, how it started and some of their ‘Hero’ products and some new sun-protection products that we were lucky enough to be sent home with in our goody bags! All the products are based around grapes, and they utilise all the different parts of not only the grape but the vine too – as the brand started at the Château Smith Haut Lafitte (you can read the history of the Caudalie, it’s actually a lovely story!) We were given a hands on skincare demonstration and got to taste the toxin-eliminating herbal tea too!
It was back into the spa for a few more laps of the pool, and visit to the steam room and sauna and then sadly it was time to head home! The Solent Hotel is just outside Fareham and more or less equidistant to both Portsmouth and Southampton. It took me just over an hour to reach from Worthing in morning traffic but less to get home in the evening. It’s easily accessible from the M27, A3 and M3 and would be perfect for a pre or post cruise stay if you’re lucky enough to be heading out on one from either port!
For more info on treatments available as well as spa packages take a look at the Solent Hotel & Spa website. Their Sunday night Serenity package looks perfect for a spa break with two friends who are pressed for time that I’m planning for the Autumn but there are lots to choose from!
So a huge thank you to Solent Hotel and Spa for inviting me, I had the best day!
It was such a nice day – and so nice to spend so much time with you too! x