Glasgow’s Subterranean Spa ParadiseThough the lure of cheap airline seats, affordable European city breaks and Mediterranean sunshine is ever present in my world, the fact that we reside on one of the most richly historical and cultural islands in the Western world means there’s never any shortage of home-grown breaks to indulge in. From the cobbles of Cambridge to the beaches of Devon, I’m determined to start making the most of Britain and its beauty and exploring more of our fair land this year. When I found myself in Glasgow recently, I decided to indulge in some well-earned R&R with a night at the Blythswood Square Hotel & Spa. Having heard more than one or two complimentary reports on this city centre oasis, I couldn’t wait to visit. Perfectly situated only a few minutes’ walk from the bustling shops, restaurants, galleries and attractions Glasgow city centre, Blythswood Square seems a world away from the buzz of the city. The award-winning five-star hotel is one of the most elegant in the city, taking up one side of Blythswood Square overlooking beautiful gardens (though the view was a tad grey and blustery the day I arrived…) and features 100 guest rooms including suites and a rather impressive penthouse. The lobby instantly transports you back in time; heels clack on the black and white tiled floor, little red velvet lined seating nooks call out for your you to sink in with the weekend papers and the impeccably dressed doorman doffing his cap to you can’t help but make you stand a little straighter and walk a little taller. With a chic restaurant, garden view salon, fully-loaded spa, private dining rooms and private screening room, you’d be hard-pressed to want to leave its four walls. The Rooms at Blythswood Good luck not falling in love with your room the moment you step through the door. The decor in my Deluxe Room was luxurious yet understated. The room had a beautifully comfortable king size bed (complete with pillow menu, naturally) and an absolutely dreamy bespoke Spanish marble bathroom with a huge tub and rain shower, making scheduling a time to get into that tub number one on my to-do list! The spa at Blythswood With a Scottish storm full-on raging outside, there was nothing better to do with my Friday afternoon than really get away from it all by paying a visit to the 10,000 square foot basement spa. One wouldn’t think that a city centre building would have the space to accommodate nine treatment rooms, a thermal suite, two relaxation pools, a lounge and café area and additional relaxation rooms, but lo and behold this cavernous subterranean wonderland does just that. Slipping into a robe and flip flops, we managed to while away three hours quite easily, flitting between the walk-through hydrotherapy pool, sauna, crystal steam room, laconium, saunarium and vitality pool, before falling asleep on one of the heated tiled beds in the toasty tepidarium. Treatments on offer vary from signature hot stone massages, seaweed body wraps and rhassouls to couples’ massages, detoxing body scrubs and chakra-aligning experiences. I indulged (the only word for it really) in a relaxing massage, using seaweed oil from local Hebridean beauty brand ishga; so lovely to see a spa supporting local brands and businesses and it’s certainly a beauty brand I’m going to be trying again. The restaurant at Blythswood After floating back up to the room on a cloud of bliss to chill out in front of the TV, my guest and I headed down to the restaurant. Inspired by local Scottish favourites, the dishes focus on classics with a twist and European flavours, The Restaurant at Blythswood Square comes with impeccable reviews and is obviously a big hitter on the Glasgow dining scene. Housed in a majestic former RSAC ballroom, it’s certainly an elegant setting in which to enjoy dishes such as hand-dived scallops, cured Loch Etive trout and slow cooked ox cheek. With a menu full of tempting dishes, we’d need to visit again to work our way through the menu. During our visit, we had the pistachio-crusted goat’s cheese mousse, with beetroot, curly endive, apple gel and rye wafers, a perfectly light intro before my steamed fillet of lemon sole with a potato cake, roast shallots, lobster scampi and lobster bisque. While my dish was delicious, I did get a slight dose of food envy at the chicken and duck liver parfait that arrived across the table however, resplendent with blood orange and hibiscus fluid gel, shaved fennel salad and sourdough wafers, accompanied with a fresh, warm bread basket we couldn’t get enough of. The wild Highland venison with date and darjeeling tea puree, honey spiced beetroot, red wine pickled salsify and red wine sauce looked particularly good and - uncouth as it may be - I couldn’t help but have a nose around at the other dishes that were arriving on surrounding tables throughout our meal. Everything looked - and smelt - sublime - and judging by the empty plates everywhere one presumes it tasted it too. Try and leave space for dessert if you can, the gingerbread cheesecake with honeycomb and gingerbread crumb won’t disappoint. If not being lured out to the bright lights of a night in Glasgow, I can heartily recommend the aforementioned bubble bath, wrapping up in a cosy bathrobe and getting into that glorious bed for a night in front of your screen; with Pitch Perfect 2 on the TV and a bottle of prosecco on ice, my tonic for the perfect night in.
Although the thought of a 7am wake up on a Saturday was enough to make me want to stay in bed, my woes were eased by a hearty Scottish breakfast consisting of tattie scones, haggis and smoothie station. The verdict Work or play, when looking for accommodation in Glasgow, I urge you to eschew the Hiltons and Marriotts of the world and embrace the independent. My night at Blythswood was one of the most relaxing and reviving I’ve had in a long time and when aligned with big chains I’ve stayed with in the past, there really is no contest. The details Overnight stays including bed and breakfast from £160. Market Menu lunch at the Restaurant at Blythswood Square from £18.50 per person for two courses, dinner from £20 per person for two courses. Afternoon Tea in The Salon from £28 per person. For further information, or to make a booking, please visit the website, call 0141 248 8888, or email reserve@blythswoodsquare.com www.townhousecompany.com/blythswoodsquare Laurel Waldron
0 Comments
For over 11 years now, the grand Fishmore Hall hotel has been luring in guests with its tantalising six and nine course tasting menus paired with fine wines at its award-winning restaurant Forelles. But now residents can flock to this 15-bedroom boutique hotel situated in Shropshire to lie horizontally in its brand spanking new spa. A first in the UK, this pre-manufactured modular SPAShell, was customised by Spa Creators and delivered in sections on seven lorries before being craned into place. Sitting in the hotel’s grounds, the wooden exterior of the spa is in stark contrast to the main hotel building which once functioned as a school in its former life. But with its floor to ceiling windows, you can be rest assured that with this Scandinavian spa experience you are never far away from the rolling countryside. What’s more, you’ll feel closer to nature watching cows grazing in the field next door just feet away. A highly therapeutic experience in itself in my opinion. The stylish building boasts four treatment rooms and a cosy relaxation area which also houses a sauna and steam room. The terrace area has been cleverly designed to feature a six-seater outdoor cedar wood vitality pool with massage jets and colour-changing lights, an outdoor drench shower and a bucket shower. A gigantic huge hammock and lounging area ensures further R&R. Come winter months, guests can still enjoy the outdoor space thanks to it being heated. Owner Laura Penman, who restored the derelict building in 2007, said she felt there was a huge need for this revolutionary spa solution because offering treatments in the hotel bedrooms was no longer viable. I couldn’t agree more. I would have felt guilty turfing out my friend Charlotte while I indulged in a spa treatment in our oversized bedroom! Elemis treatments are plentiful in its four treatment rooms. From massages to beauty treatments there is ample choice but their lava shell massage treatment is definitely a draw. Having never had one, I opted for this experience, which uses self-heating shells as devices to massage the entire body head-to-toe. I clearly got too relaxed as I dozed off midway and had to be awoken by the therapist to turn over! Suffice to say,I will have the same treatment in the future when I’m in need of complete downtime. The spa can be used by overnight guests or be booked out by groups looking for the ultimate in relaxation. It would work well as an ideal getaway for a few hours for a birthday or a hen do. Add in the hotel’s offering of afternoon tea and you can stretch out your stay at the hotel for at least half a day. A spa experience always makes me hungry, so after a quick change in our spacious room, Charlotte and I headed for the 3AA Rosette restaurant Forelles. The aforementioned tasting menus are designed by Chef Andrew Birch, whose name you may recognise from BBC2’s Great British Menu. But if like me you are a bit picky about what you eat, you can choose from the normal menu, which offers good wholesome traditional in-season dishes from the local area. Portion sizes are just right too, so you don’t have to feel at all guilty about the indulging in pudding.
The charm of Fishmore Hotel is that it just makes you want to stretch out the evening as much as possible and its cosy drawing room with its oversized chairs and sofas is the perfect way to extend it. Waiters are more than happy to serve you post dinner drinks late into the evening while you wile the hours away admiring the paintings on the wall and indulge in all important gossip. Any hangovers in the morning can be cleared with a gentle walk in the countryside. Alternatively, you can feed it with a trip to the foodie market in Ludlow town, a mere 15-minute walk away. Food here which ranges from paellas to pizza to home cooked curries and hog roasts, the perfect tonic for setting you up for the day. Details Bedrooms are from £150 (per room per night on a B&B basis). www.fishmorehall.co.uk Fishmore Hall Fishmore Road Ludlow Shropshire Sabi Phagura |
United KingdomWe've rounded our favourite places to inspire your visit to the United Kingdom. Archives
August 2018
Categories
All
|