English Country House Chic at Verbena Spa in Helmsley, North Yorkshire

Every well-designed spa venue has its own style - perhaps minimalist, Oriental or hyper-luxurious. At the new Verbena Spa, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, the style is contemporary English country house chic – and I adore it.

Attached by a covered walkway to the delightful Feversham Arms Hotel, the Verbena Spa is a complete environment for relaxation, treatments and a little indulgence.

• Address: Verbena Spa, Helmsley, YO62 5AG.
• Telephone: +44 (0)1439 770766.
• Visit their web site

Guests at the Feversham Arms Hotel and Black Swan Hotel can use the spa’s Heat Experience and heated pool for small fee per day. Packages range from a moderately priced Teen Queen half day to a luxury bride-to-be Pure Indulgence day. Or choose a la carte from a full menu of massages, treatments, exotic spa wraps and rituals.
Compare prices for:

• The Feversham Arms Hotel
• The Black Swan Hotel

Perfect Size and Thoughtful Design

For my personal taste, the size of the Verbena Spa in North Yorkshire is just right. Some hotel spas can seem like an afterthought for hotel guests, cramped into any available space. And I’ve been to dedicated spas so huge and complex that I needed a training course just to get around.

But the layout of Verbena Spa makes it easy to enjoy. As you enter, there’s a long, comfortable lounge area with deep, soft chairs and sofas which pretty much demand that you curl up in them. If you really must sit upright, there are some tables and chairs around the juice bar. Concealed along one side are the treatment rooms (six singles and one double); beyond the long glazed wall, you can glimpse the outdoor heated swimming pool. (Is it pleasant to swim outside in Yorkshire, even in November? Yes, it is. )

Beyond the relaxation area is the Heat Experience, which turned out to be my idea of heaven. This is a suite of rooms – saunarium, aromatherapy room, and salt vapour room – connected by a tiled concourse which has a foot spa, monsoon shower and ice cave. By wandering between these facilities, you can experience as much, or as little, heat and humidity as you desire. Again, Verbena Spa has done the thinking for you. Start at the left and move to the right, getting warmer as you go.

Coming out of the salt vapour room, I was surprised to find myself digging deep into the pile of ice flakes in the ice cave, then rubbing them into my hot skin to cool down. I was even more surprised to find a naked Pierce Brosnan lookalike in the sauna. The spa’s policy is strictly swimwear, but I just couldn’t get my head around making a complaint.

With treatments booked for afternoon, it was time for a light lunch. Snuggled into a dense robe, settled in a chair with a big glossy magazine, I wasn’t going anywhere. A delicious lunch – I chose poached salmon with a feta cheese, couscous and orange salad, with a glass of pink champagne – came to me. Later in the day, some spa-goers were enjoying the full afternoon tea with sandwiches, fruit scones and various patisseries.

The treatment rooms at Verbena Spa continue the theme of high standards, natural materials and soft shades. As you would expect, the lighting is low, the music soothing ... and I could tell you a whole lot more about my treatments if I hadn’t fallen asleep.

The 45-minute therapeutic massage with lime and lavender essences was supremely gentle. Apparently it awakes the circulation and if mine was awakened I’m sure it enjoyed the experience but it didn’t disturb me. This was followed by a gentle hour-long, herbal lavender repair facial. The spa uses Elemis products; I hadn’t experienced these before but particularly appreciated their delicate fragrances. So many products these days seem to want to slap you in the face with their big, distinctive smells. The Elemis range is entirely in keeping with Verbena Spa’s ethos of quiet, confident country house chic.

Quiet confidence is something which the staff also reflect. That calming atmosphere is generated by people who know what they’re doing – and enjoy it. There were lots of genuine smiles around too.

Was it a perfect day? Very nearly. When I first entered the Heat Experience, there was nowhere to hang my robe. Should there have been more hooks? Yes, and no. To preserve that essential sense of personal relaxation, the spa gently controls the number of people using the facilities at any one time.

Oh - and the naked guy in the sauna wasn’t Pierce Brosnan after all.

Darn it!