Grantley Hall, A Super Luxurious Spa Day in Yorkshire

October marks the start of world mental health month, so what better time to book yourself in for a little pampering treat and enjoy some much-needed self-care time.

My lovely sister is an NHS doctor and has had an extremely exhausting few years, as you can imagine! So, to treat her to some well-deserved pampering and sister time, we checked ourselves into the magnificent Relais & Chateau property, Grantley Hall Spa & Hotel, in Ripon, Yorkshire. Our aim was to have some real down time, relax, spend time together and leave feeling more chilled and hopefully blissed out. And wow, Grantley Hall certainly exceeded our expectations.

From the moment you drive through the elaborately decorated, security gates, you’re swept along the meandering driveway through lush green tree arches, dappled sunlight shimmering through the branches. Just like a mirage in the distance you glimpse the rather splendid 17th century, Palladian style manor house. As you get closer the immense beauty and grandeur of the property hits you. I could tell we were going to be in for a treat. 

The immaculate grounds and lawns surrounding the house are dotted with colourful flowers and modern art sculptures, which frame various views and focal points perfectly. As we pulled up to the entrance, the very friendly bell staff rushed up to the car, valet parked it and whisked away our luggage to the room. Meanwhile, we walked through the decadent, wood panelled and Grecian columned interiors, into the magnificence of the entrance hall. Despite the majesty of the environment, the staff are extremely friendly, informal and ready to impart interesting local knowledge about the house and surrounding areas. The check-in process was calm and nurturing, accompanied with champagne or homemade apple juice. Everything about Grantley hall is about service and making the guest feel pampered and supremely well looked after from start to finish.

After we got shown to our rather sophisticated rooms, with stylish, neutral colour palette, we picked robes from the robe menu!! Then headed off to the spa where we had both opted for the 120-minute Dreamtime Journey treatment.

Every part of this beautiful treatment is about promoting health and wellbeing. It’s a luxurious journey starting with a foot bath, followed by a Himalayan salt body scrub, then showering it off before enjoying a marvellously relaxing kundalini massage. The massage includes chakra healing and stretching. After the massage, there’s a radiance boosting facial. And the journey ends with a sound healing gong bath. Just heavenly!

Post the treatment we were invited into the relaxation areas with cosy beds and blankets and given some champagne or herbal teas, and a cold pressed juice and water to stay hydrated. Post relaxation we headed to the indoor 18-meter heated pool and the outdoor hydrotherapy pool with jets and jacuzzi. Also, on offer in the elegant, marble spa area are a sauna, steam room and snow room! Yes, a snow room, with actual snow, complete with a cute fir tree for added decorative effect.

Feeling completely zen and blissed out we ventured back to our spectacular suite to be greeted by a bottle of complimentary Champagne to enjoy pre-dinner. I languished in the free standing bath tub and soaked for a while, before getting ready for a delicious dinner at the acclaimed, Asian fusion restaurant Eighty Eight. Even the restaurant decor is calming and zen with a harmoniously lit, blue ceiling, reminiscent of the water.

That night I had one of the best sleeps I’ve ever had in the enormous king-sized bed and woke up ready to hit the gym! And wow, what a gym it is! Not only are there two floors of state-of-the-art fitness machines and equipment, Grantley takes gyms to the next level. Offering a cryotherapy chamber, altitude training facilities, underwater treadmill, and 3D body scanners, taking thousands of individual measurements to help assess body shape composition and health metrics, it was epic!

Burning all those calories gave us both some space for a slap up full English breakfast, to prep us for a walk around the spectacular 30 acres of parklands surrounding the estate. Featuring in the grounds is one of England’s first Japanese Gardens, built in 1912, complete with picturesque wooden bridge. Wellies are always available at the house for guests in case of bad weather.

We stopped off back at the house for a spot of traditional afternoon tea in the beautiful morning room, before heading home feeling revitalised and refreshed after a totally marvellous mini spa break. Both my sister and I enjoyed it so much we can’t wait to go back, and she has already booked a return trip there with her husband for their wedding anniversary.

Grantley Hall Spa and Hotel is located in Ripon, Yorkshire. So when are you going? 

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