When Customer Relations Leader, Sam, visited Rowhill Grange Hotel in Kent, it was the babymoon spa getaway she and her partner needed for some post-lockdown R&R. Here she talks about what it means to head to this blissful corner of the South East for a luxury babymoon spa break.
First impressions of Rowhill Grange Hotel
When you drive up to Rowhill Grange Hotel, you’re greeted by this beautiful country house, surrounded by tranquil gardens, that really set the scene for your break. Under the current processes, you’re given your treatment times and schedule for your break on arrival, rather than beforehand. We went to reception, and everything is perfectly planned for you including your time in the spa, treatment time and dinner reservation. Check in is at 3pm, and then your experience is ordered so it’s a kind of journey through the experience - this includes allocated time in the spa to avoid overcrowding and ensure social distancing.
Luxurious rooms and suites
Once checked in, went to our room to relax for a moment and to change for our spa experience. The rooms are beautiful - modern, but with a sense of heritage, and with everything you could possibly ask for, from an espresso machine to a dock for your iPhone. We were in a Luxury Room, and were greeted with strawberries and champagne, which was a wonderful touch. For us, it was the first proper romantic break we’ve been able to have since the start of the pandemic and it was the perfect babymoon break as well!
The spa at Utopia Spa
When you walk into the Utopia Spa, you see the nail bar and the gift shop and that’s where you do all your consultation forms and so forth. You then head in to use the spa facilities for an hour, which is plenty of time. The hydrotherapy pool is lovely, and it has a fountain that flows into it as well as lots of massage jets. Then there’s a stairway going up to another floor, where you will find the swimming pool, which almost feels like a secret sanctuary. There are also loungers scattered around and a sauna and steam room (although I wasn’t using those because of being pregnant).
My spa treatment
I had a pregnancy massage for my treatment, which is full body where you turn onto one side to accommodate the bump. They adapt it to your personal preferences and it was really lovely; my therapist asked if I had any specific pain to focus on, so she spent more time on my shoulders and arms but otherwise it was a gentle, full body massage, which was great. My other half had a full body massage - he’s very into the gym so his muscles always ache and he opted for more of a deep tissue massage. Both treatments were an hour.
The spa gardens and grounds
After our treatments, we headed to a lovely outdoor area just next to the spa, where you can sit in your robes and have a drink and a snack. Several people had cocktails, and it’s a space where you can take mask off as well, so it was a lovely way to relax post-treatment.
We also went for a stroll later on, after dinner. The were setting up for a wedding, so it was nice to see how they set up for that. There’s also a secret garden at the back of the grounds for spa guests only. You go through an arch of yellow flowers and it would be a beautiful place to relax on sunny days.
The grounds provide enough space to have a good slow walk, which was relaxing and romantic, and a nice way to finish our babymoon spa break.
The fine dining restaurant
Dinner was amazing. It’s an AA rosette warded restaurant and we sat in a conservatory at the front of the hotel. It was really intimate, and the quality of the food was amazing. My partner had a starter which he adored, of asparagus and duck egg with black pudding. We both had a lamb main course which was so beautiful, and we shared a decadent chocolate cake dessert.
Top tips for visiting Rowhill Grange Hotel and Utopia Spa
- Definitely go to the secret garden after your spa treatments
- Dine at least once in the main restaurant, as opposed to the bar, to really turn it into a special occasion
- Spend time walking through the grounds - they’re really beautiful