First Time Spa Guide

Part of the Spabreaks.com Guides

Going on a spa break is often seen as a luxury, and of course it can be just that. However, it can also be an essential part of wellbeing. It can be a time for indulgence, for peace and quiet, to address a skincare issue you have been putting off for a long time, a semi-regular way of resetting in a busy working world, and it can also be a really restorative time of healing. The impact that a massage can have on a body that has been through the rigours of surgery, cancer treatment or simply the stresses and strains of everyday life - looking after kids, sitting at a desk and worrying about the world around us - can be phenomenally healing. For those who have never been on a spa day or break before, it can be intimidating, exciting, or you might not really be sure what all the fuss is about. For many first time spa goers, there are a lot of questions, from what to wear to what you actually do all day, so here’s our guide to help you feel confident, relaxed and get the most out of your first spa break. To demystify the spa indsutry jargon, check out our spa glossary.

Each spa is different and has different benefits and characteristics to offer. Some will have a pool, sauna, steam room and gym as well as offering treatments. Some might have extensive thermal facilities. Some may have spa gardens. And some might be all about the treatments, but not have a pool or other wet areas.

That said, when it comes to possibilities, there really is a wealth of facilities ready and waiting for you to find and experience them in the abundant spa world. For many, spas are defined by their wet and thermal facilities. That may be a pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub, or it may extend to a full thermal suite, which can have include a combination of any or all of the following:

1. Caldarium - a heated room which provides an even heat that stimulates the circulation and regenerates the body’s natural energy. This effect has often been regarded as having healing benefits causing tense muscles to relax, making the skin smoother, and easing joint pain.

2. Salt steam and crystal steam baths - these are beneficial for the respiratory system and for rheumatic complaints. The salt steam has the added benefit of a salt water atmosphere, which is great for cleansing and toning the skin and stimulating the circulation.

3. Sanarium - which is an ideal way to recharge your batteries. The unique blend of heat followed by a stimulating shower boosts the body’s natural defences and promotes the circulation, shifting your metabolism up a gear. A Sanarium bath also cleanses the skin and tones the body tissue.

4. Saunas - these are known to reduce incidence of the common cold and temporarily relieve symptoms and reduce stress levels. They help to clean and rejuvenate the skin, eliminating dead skin cells, exposing new, fresh, clean, healthy cells.

Ice caves - these are a great place to cool off after your sanarium or sauna. Grab a few ladlefuls of ice and rub it over the skin to provide instant cooling. Mix in a cold shower in the ice cave and you will have truly cooled down, contracting your blood vessels, stimulating your circulation and oxygen intake at the same time.

Furthermore, many specialised spas and luxury hotel spas are adding new and unique experiences all the time.

At Spabreaks.com, all of the spa destinations that we work with have their facilities listed on their description pages. However, if you are in any doubt about what facilities a spa has or what a particular facility is, just ask one of our spa consultants by calling, emailing, or getting in touch via our online chat facility.

There’s so much variety available when it comes to a spa day or break. You can choose from spa days, spa breaks, afternoon tea, health, wellbeing, group getaways, romantic mini breaks, babymoons, babyshowers, hen parties and stag dos - the list goes on.

The spas themselves come in all shapes and sizes. Typically, at Spabreaks.com we break this down into categories that help define the destinations themselves. These are: leisure venues, hotel spas, day spas and destination spas or health spas. This is key to the type of spa day or break you are going on.

1. Day spas: A day spa probably needs little or no explanation - it’s a spa that simply does not offer overnight accommodation - like The Spa at Dolphin Square in London. So enjoy it for the hours in which it is open, and if you want to go back for another day, you will need to find separate accommodation. The others may need a little more subtext...

2. Leisure venues: A leisure venue tends to focus on essential wet facilities such as a pool, sauna and steam room as well as a gym, and will offer spa treatments, however it does not offer specialised therapies or wellbeing experiences. They may also have other people visiting in addition to spa goers, such as gym members. Often they are family friendly as well, which you may want to be mindful of when using facilities like the pool.

3. Hotel spas: A hotel spa is of course a very good place to have an overnight spa break. They tend to be a little bit of a mix of dedicated or luxury spa as well as leisure (gym, exercise pool etc), depending on the hotel itself. Some will offer classes in the pools and have children's swimming times, but most tend to restrict them. Again, not everyone at the hotel is there for the spa, so it is not a dedicated spa in the purist sense of the word. They are often geared towards pampering but tend not to incorporate the full specialist health experiences that a destination spa might offer.

4. Destination spas: If you’re looking for a pure spa experience, you are looking for a destination spa or health spa. This is where the whole experience is about the spa itself. It’s about health and wellbeing facilities, treatments and knowledge. Invariably, these are adult-only spas and there are definitely no children’s swimming times. They can also be either day spas, like Cloud Twelve Club in London or offer overnight experiences such as Grayshott Spa in Surrey (where you can also go for the day).