The final spa information: Our specialists have visited tons of. From final leisure to British hidden gems and the perfect remedies, these are those to e-book now for the best New Year deal with

Verdala Wellness Hotel, Rabat, Malta

USP A brand-new destination offering a superlative spa experience and pretty much guaranteed winter sunshine.

What’s the vibe? Wellness meets indulgence. The Verdala, which opened in September, is all about nourishing your body and soul with excellent treatments, top facilities and beautifully prepared local food. Oh, and wellness wine. Which is wine that has ‘purity of ingredients and process’.

The hotel is carved into a natural ridge with panoramic views across Malta and the Mediterranean. The ultra-modern, pared-back design (think Bond-villain lair) feels restful and cool, while the location, in the ancient and beautiful town of Rabat, adds another layer of interest. You can stroll or cycle around (the hotel provides bikes) and visit the Roman catacombs or the buzzy main square.

In truth, I found it hard to tear myself away from the sparkling outdoor pool, and filled my days sunbathing, working out and wallowing in the Jacuzzi. Evenings were spent quaffing drinks on the terrace by the fire pit.

Spa set-up The VSPA is a 1,500m sq space that offers such extensive facilities you can spend hours going from one to the other. There’s a hammam and steam room, salt cave, two saunas, hydrotherapy pool, contrast baths and restorative lounges. There are also seven treatment rooms – all spacious and well appointed. The therapists are best in class, experienced and genuinely caring, and do everything from a simple scrub to shamanic healing. The spa uses luxey natural brands Ground and Seed To Skin. Those really in need of a total reset can book its immersive Signature Retreat (from around £2,200 per person for three nights), which combines cultural experiences with a programme of wellness rituals.

Fitness facilities The indoor pool has huge windows with views over rolling countryside. So does the gym. Spacious and packed with Technogym equipment, it will satisfy the most enthusiastic gym rats, while the vibe feels welcoming to newbies. You can also book reformer pilates in a movement studio and do free sessions of yoga or breathwork in the meditation zone. There’s an elixir bar to help you refuel.

Special treatment The 90-minute Five Elements Therapy (£220), which includes guided breathing, heated herbal oils and long, rhythmic massage to encourage circulation and energy alignment, was a total mind and body reset.

Bedroom lowdown The fresh and modern rooms nail pared- back luxury. Even though the hotel is located in a town, the rooms feel tranquil and this, along with a vast bed, aids restful sleep. Wellness touches abound, from healthy snacks to some rooms boasting a sauna. Mine had an extremely generous balcony for private sunbathing plus a Jacuzzi.

What’s on the menu? Wellness, of course – with foods chosen for their anti-inflammatory properties and majoring on seasonality, locally sourced ingredients – and full decadence, too. For those wanting to embrace the latter there’s a pudding trolley and extensive cocktail list. Breakfast is similarly varied with virtuous choices (smoothies, matcha coffees and teas, protein balls) alongside pastries and pancakes.

Travel time From the UK, it’s a three-hour flight to Malta International Airport, then a 20-minute drive to the hotel.

Nitpicks The hotel is popular for business meetings – which means you’ll be lying by the pool in your bikini while people in suits a foot away discuss share prices.

What’s the damage? From £260 a night B&B.

Book at verdalahotelmalta.com

Rosie Green

Irene Forte Spa, The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

USP Somewhere cool and quiet on the busiest street in Edinburgh.

What’s the vibe? Luxey. This gigantic stone building sits at the top of Edinburgh’s main thoroughfare: Princes Street. It was finished in 1902 and first used as a railway hotel. By the 70s, guests had included Paul McCartney and Elizabeth Taylor – and, by the 90s, it had been bought by the British hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. He gave it a makeover and today there are: 167 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a Scotch bar with more than 500 varieties of whisky. 

There are also 20 suites, including one named after JK Rowling, as it’s where the author stayed to finish her last Harry Potter book. (The room has a bust of the Greek god Hermes and – if you look closely – you can see Rowling’s signature on its neck.) 

The spa, meanwhile, is in the basement. But it’s much more glamorous than that sounds. It reopened this November after a refurb and looks fabulous: behind the reception desk (above) there’s a large hand-painted mural of a Sicilian lemon grove.

Spa set-up Five low-lit treatment rooms – replete with heated beds – and a ‘bar’ where you can get hair services, manicures and pedicures. There’s also a sauna, steam room and lap pool. The latter is surrounded by tiled columns and very comfortable day beds; I sit on one to read my book, promptly fall asleep, and wake up 40 minutes later. Bliss.

Fitness facilities The gym has snazzy Technogym equipment: two treadmills and bikes, a rowing machine and weightlifting area. If that sounds unenticing, at least go ogle the wallpaper – it’s patterned with jolly-looking strongmen.

Special treatment A facial. Specifically, a Forte Facial (£135), an hour-long procedure where your aesthetician does a skin analysis and then tailors the treatment to your needs. Mine concludes I need, among other things, a gentle scrub. She uses only Irene Forte products, which feel – and smell – perfect. Plus, they all score more than 90/100 on the Yuka app (which rates healthy impact). Win, win, win.

Bedroom lowdown Also luxey. Ours has a gigantic bed and ‘pillow menu’ from which we can order specialised pillows: V-shaped for reading; lavender spritzed to promote good sleep; and contoured for extra neck support. There’s also a separate sitting room with a working fireplace. And the best bathroom I think I’ve ever seen. It’s got masses of marble and views of Arthur’s Seat.

What’s on the menu? Breakfast, at the hotel’s Brasserie Prince, is included with the room and it’s first-rate (the buffet has stacks and stacks of local smoked salmon). For lunch or dinner, its Number One restaurant, as mentioned, has a Michelin star. But there are also lots of nearby options in the city itself. Cafe St Honoré on Thistle Street does fantastic, old-fashioned French food; at The Outsider on George IV Bridge you can get £10.80 mussels and chips; and, for drinks, Kay’s Bar on Jamaica Street might be the cosiest pub on the planet.

Travel time The hotel is literally next door to Waverley rail station – it’s a 30-second walk, tops.

Nitpicks The price tag can be hefty. You can order food directly to the spa, but a Caesar salad costs £18.

What’s the damage? From £395 a night B&B. Non guests can also pay (from £45) to use the spa for an afternoon.

Book at roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/the-balmoral-hotel

Maddy Fletcher

ZEM Wellness Clinic, Altea, Spain 

USP An uber-luxurious five-star resort majoring in medical technology and a regimented Mediterranean diet plan to ‘help you live better for longer’. What’s the vibe? Very White Lotus. It’s a rural compound (yes, there’s a helipad), everything is cream or gold, and you’re given a personal ‘ZEM Master’ who books all your activities and is on-call 24/7. The layout is maze-like and, slightly disconcertingly at first, the staff constantly appear around corners to assist when you get lost. Meanwhile every room is full of cutting-edge medical gear that looks distinctly Fifty Shades (the clinic offers everything from brain-health scans to colonics and gynaecological laser treatments). My advice? Leave time for the pool – away from probing procedures.

Spa set-up One of Europe’s most advanced spas, ZEM has a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (promotes cell regeneration and muscle performance); a cryotherapy chamber (stimulates circulation and reduces inflammation); a zero-gravity lounger (encourages muscle repair); a hydrotherapy massage table (aids relaxation and skin rejuvenation); and a cocooning quartz bed (boosts blood flow and is very comfy).

Then there’s the self-guided spa, with multiple saunas catering to your preferred humidity, a salt cabin, a snow cabin, both cold- and hot-water plunge pools, hammams… and loungers for when you’re exhausted from trying it all.

Fitness facilities The gym has all the regular cardio machines, reformer pilates machines, a yoga studio and personal training room. There’s also a cutting-edge machine that can calculate your biological age through both physical and mental agility tests. Outside, there’s an aquagym with water weights and submerged spin bikes (they’re better for your joints, apparently).

Special treatment The MLX i3 Dome: a machine combining infrared, plasma and light therapy to detox your body and support your immune system. A half-hour session isn’t overly pleasant – temperatures hit around 55C – but scientists agree it’s pretty much the pinnacle of spa treatments. A single session results in the same sweat loss and calories burned as a 12-mile run, so it’s not bad for weight-loss either.

Bedroom lowdown All 95 rooms and suites have sea or mountain views, neutral interiors and huge, comfy beds. Everything, from the maps to the storage units, is made with the highest-quality eco-friendly materials. The highlight is the private balcony: my outdoor bathtub looked out over the bay (the bubble bath was seriously impressive).

What’s on the menu? Here’s the catch: you’re going to be hungry and headachey. Depending on your package, you’ll have around 1,500 calories a day, with meals like medicinal mushroom ramen, pickled sashimi and roasted sea bass. There are barely any carbs and minimal sugar: one day there was a whole carrot for dessert. Most veg is grown on ZEM’s nearby farm, which you can book a tour of with your trusty ZEM Master.

Travel time A 40-minute drive from Alicante’s airport.

Nitpicks Fussy eaters could actually starve. The restrictive diet and full-on fitness schedule isn’t for the faint-hearted.

What’s the damage? From £9,125 for the seven-night detox programme, which includes accommodation in a deluxe suite and full nutritional plan.

Book at zemaltea.com/en

Scarlett Dargan

Zélia Halkidiki, Greece 

USP New adults-only luxury hotel with wellness at its heart.

What’s the vibe? Glorious Greek food, breathtaking views and exceptional attention to detail combine to make you feel like you’ve arrived in paradise. Built on a secluded hillside, the hotel is surrounded by olive groves and looks out over the Aegean sea and Mount Olympus. While the resort’s modern architecture – all clean lines of honeyed stone and polished concrete that contrast elegantly with the surrounding rural landscape – may be cool, don’t worry, the welcome is warm.

Spa set-up Alongside the two outdoor pools with stunning views across the sea, there’s an indoor hydrotherapy pool – the perfect place to escape the heat or soothe aching muscles. The Amazonia spa is sleek with a pristine sauna and steam room plus an ice fountain. The treatment area is bijou but offers high-quality therapists and an emphasis on using natural ingredients. There’s free daily yoga or pilates, too (bar Sundays).

Fitness facilities The gym isn’t enormous but it’s well equipped and you can use the TV screen to guide you through your chosen exercise routine. It has a good selection of weights, plus cardio machines.

Special treatment I loved the 25-minute-long Olive Seed Scrub (£40), which sloughed away dead cells – leaving my skin super soft – and stress.

Bedroom lowdown The luxe rooms have a minimalistic Asian-inspired design and more than meet five-star requirements. Think large TV, minibar, coffee machine and king-sized bed. There are bougie Le Labo products in the bathrooms, which come with a powerful rain shower (but no bath). The private terrace is outstanding, with plush sun loungers and (for the majority) views of the sea.

What’s on the menu? The hotel specialises in Greek dishes and local ingredients. Its main restaurant Mesogaea does breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the former there are the usual holiday treats (doughnuts, croissants) but plenty of virtuous options, too – fruit, smoothies and yogurts. Visit later in the day for elevated Mediterranean food: think locally caught fish and vegetables from the hotel garden. There’s also Shizen for a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian flavours, plus plush seating and sunset views. Cocktails on the terrace feel like bucket-list stuff.

Travel time A 50-minute drive from Thessaloniki airport.

Nitpicks The ten-minute walk to the beach involves leaving the hotel grounds and navigating some steep steps.

What’s the damage? From £166 per night B&B.

Book at zeliaresort.gr

Rosie Green

Four Seasons, Langkawi, Malaysia 

USP Tropical luxury on an ancient island in the Strait of Malacca.

What’s the vibe? Carefree. Set on a 40-acre site between a mile-long beach and 550-million-year-old limestone cliffs that back on to a Unesco Global Geopark. Slip into sandals and some linen and pootle around on your bike amid the shaded gardens, water features and pagodas. Or do some laps in the 72-metre adult pool overlooking the sea. (If you look hard enough you can see Thailand.) Do not consider leaving without taking a boat from the beach with one of the resort’s naturalists to check out the maze of nearby mangroves – we saw a troop of monkeys, two vipers, dozens of swooping red-backed sea eagles and snoozing bats.

Spa set-up The Geo Spa is a paean to all things zen. Arranged around a flooded courtyard, its cloisters lead off to high-ceilinged therapy rooms while the post-treatment chillout beds appear to float over the water. Expect nothing more audibly onerous than birdsong, rustling palms and your fascia being de-crunched. The team of therapists are suitably versed in the arts of de-stressing bodies and minds, with a huge new menu offering massages, facials, scrubs, milk and floral baths, steaming, scrubbing and even a ‘fresh ginseng kidney pack’ (whatever that is). But the true star of the spa is yogi Kiran Menon from Kerala. He sleeps just four hours a night, has the posture of a principal dancer and takes a mean pranayama (breathwork) class. Sign up for some hatha, ashtanga or vinyasa yoga, plus tapping therapy, a sound bath (best for jet lag) and a serious morning stretch class or two, and you’ll never feel better.

Fitness facilities Take your pick of rainforest trekking, guided cycling trips, catamaran sailing lessons, paddle boarding, rock climbing, wakeboarding, water and jet skiing, beach volleyball, and archery. Plus, a fully equipped gym and that lap pool.

Special treatment The 90-minute Geo Signature Massage (£103) relieves stress with cardamom, cinnamon and clove poultices and uses local oils to unlock office shoulders.

Bedroom lowdown Moorish architecture meets wooden Bali vibes with arabesque motifs thrown in. A gigantic bath is cut from stone in the shape of a lotus flower. Huge windows lead out to a veranda that overlooks the gardens. But the best thing about a Four Seasons bedroom is always the bed and its linen. Luscious.

What’s on the menu? Four restaurants and a beach bar for sundowners provide all the variety you’ll need. The best meals? Local lobster and passion-fruit salad for lunch at Kelapa Grill, but the unmissable experience is Hava, the Indian restaurant on the beach and arguably the best Indian I’ve ever eaten: Kashmiri morel mushroom soup and an Andaman sea bass coconut milk curry with fried spinach leaves and a dal makhani (black lentils slow cooked for 48 hours). No one’s counting calories here.

Travel time This is the deal breaker – flight time from the UK to Kuala Lumpur is around 13 hours, then it’s another 90-minute flight up to the island. Best to break it up with a few days in the capital – the Four Seasons KL has a great spa, a delightful Aussie manager and is next door to the Petronas Towers, the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers.

Nitpicks The bed could have done with a reading light. And perhaps a few more organised events for when the heavens open.

What’s the damage? Seven nights B&B (one night will be at the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur) from £2,612 per person, based on two sharing and including flights. 

Book at inspiringtravel.com

Jackie Annesley

Chablé Yucatán, Mexico 

USP A secluded jungle sanctuary with treatments inspired by traditional Mayan ancestral ceremonies.

What’s the vibe? Hidden on a sisal plantation is a restored 19th-century hacienda, four villas and 38 stand-alone casitas. The latter’s modern feel contrasts beautifully against the traditional structures around the grounds, where you will come across other residents such as white-tailed deer who mosey across the lawns in the mornings, and glimmering fireflies in the evenings. 

Service is tailored to each guest (with a handy WhatsApp for concierge), without it feeling too much. So magical is this place that even as a lifelong late-as-possible riser, I was up before dawn each day to soak up the surroundings.

Spa set-up The dedicated hydrotherapy area includes a steam room, sauna, stone flotation room and Jacuzzis, plus a plunge pool. But it’s the 12 treatment cabins overlooking Chablé’s cenote, a natural sinkhole filled with water, that feels once-in-a-lifetime.

All treatments begin with a foot wash and scrub on the balcony looking out on to the water and use plants they’ve grown and that are used in traditional medicines.

Fitness facilities Technogym equipment, PTs, classes (including water pilates), alongside tennis, padel and golf.

Special treatment Its massages using herbal compresses are not to be missed, but the real life-changing experience is a temazcal. Normally, I hate saunas, meditation and anything woo-woo – but a temazcal is all those things. 

For this traditional Mayan ceremony of purification and rebirth, you enter a low domed building of bricks. Red-hot volcanic stones (abuelitas, or grandmothers of the earth) are brought in and placed in a hole in the centre, then water infused with camomile, basil, rosemary and lemongrass is splashed on top and the fragrant herbal aromas are released. Your guide chants ancient songs to you. It is dark in there, and you will sweat a lot – the experience lasts up to two hours. 

I did it with a group of strangers who were as dubious as me. But tears were shed and emotions released. Afterwards, when we emerged from the building and were back in the jungle, we jumped in a cold shower, which felt cleansing in all ways. 

At the heart of every experience here is the Yucatán’s rich heritage, focusing on peace and balance; a spa for your brain as well as your body.

Bedroom lowdown The casitas are accessed via a winding path lined with palm fronds. Each features a private pool, hammock and sun loungers, which makes it feel like your own personal slice of heaven. Inside, beyond the dark wooden shutters, a magnificent bed with a canopy and a chic yet understated interior design. They also have not one but three (!) showers – a double indoor rainfall one looks out into the jungle and has glass doors that lead to an outdoor waterfall shower in the thick of it.

What’s on the menu? Healthy options aplenty, plus classic Mexican fare such as tacos, a game-changing cochinita pibil (spiced suckling pig) and local plates – sikil pak (a roasted pumpkin seed dip) or huevos motuleños (eggs with black beans and plantain). There’s also Michelin-starred Ixi’im, which offers regional dishes with a twist.

Travel time An 11-hour flight from the UK to Cancun, and a three-hour transfer, is not for those after a speedy getaway.

Nitpicks A small gripe, but the beautiful sinks in the bathroom were quite far back in the counter, so splashing is inevitable.

What’s the damage? Casitas from £822 a night B&B.

Book at yucatan.chablehotels.com

Alice Robertson

Calcot Manor, Cotswolds 

USP An ultra-luxe manor house spa hotel that welcomes children but has plenty of grown-up appeal, too.

What’s the vibe? Country house meets serious chic – everything here is done with exquisite taste. The beautiful Cotswold stone manor house might date back to the 14th century, but the facilities more than meet modern standards. Set among 220 acres of beautiful countryside, the hotel offers roaring fires in winter and al fresco fun in the summer. It also actively encourages visitors under 18 – for little ones there’s The Playbarn crèche, which offers four hours of free childcare for all hotel residents, while older children will love The Mez, an area featuring play consoles and a 12-seater cinema. And, thanks to recent renovations giving its wellness offering a major boost, this is the location for your best-ever spoil-yourself staycation.

Spa set-up The spa’s substantial revamp and its new space manages to feel both light and airy but also cocooning. There’s a buzzy lounge with a café that leads to a spacious area that’s perfect for lolling around with a good book. Change in the impressive locker rooms (complete with Dyson hairdryers) and head to the indoor pool or outdoors to the Jacuzzi. Both are popular, so don’t expect to have them to yourself. Upstairs is the relaxation area and thermal suite (sauna and steam), plus the treatment rooms. Here you can enjoy anything from massages and facials to reflexology. Coming in spring is a recovery garden with outdoor plunges and saunas.

Fitness facilities Costing a cool £5 million to build, The Grain Store is a new state-of-the-art fitness hub. It’s impressively spacious with the most comprehensive array of equipment this reviewer has seen in the UK, plus a café called The Huddle to refuel in. If the weather is good there’s also an outdoor gym created by industry leaders Kompan.

Special treatment I was tempted by a CACI facial (which gives a visible lift) but after working out in the gym I opted for Proverb’s Upper Body Recovery, which targets sore muscles with both massage and stretching (from £140 for a 55-minute treatment).

Bedroom lowdown Complete with generous-sized beds, top-notch sheets and the fluffiest bathrobes, the rooms are ‘modern country’ in style. Bathrooms are fresh and airy with full-size 100 Acres products. There’s also an array of complementary snacks – think fresh fruit and homemade shortbread – plus a Nespresso coffee machine.

What’s on the menu? Food has a fresh-from-the-farm feel. There’s no calorie counting, it’s about nourishing with locally sourced ingredients with a side order of indulgence. The main restaurant, The Brasserie, has a tree in its centre, and the vibe is special but not stiff. The Hive is a café-come-bar that’s more relaxed – with cosy banquettes and roaring fires.

Travel time Calcot is a 20-minute drive from Kemble train station.

Nitpicks The outdoor pool isn’t well served by staff and there aren’t enough loungers.

What’s the damage? Rooms from £344 per night on a B&B basis. Treatments from £135.

Book at calcot.co

Rosie Green

Solent Hotel & Spa, Hampshire 

USP Bougie family getaway on a budget.

What’s the vibe? Informal and friendly. The interiors have roaring fires and quiet hideaways perfect for sipping herbal tea, reading magazines or pretending you didn’t promise to go to the pool with the kids ‘later’. Saying that, there are also family swim hours where tots can splash without any disapproving side-eye. Step outside and you’re a short drive to Peppa Pig World (squeals of delight from the kids, groans from the adults), Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, or the New Forest for walks and bike rides.

Spa set-up There’s an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, salt sauna, steam room and ‘storm shower’ where, close your eyes, and you are instantly transported to a tropical rainforest. Spa treatments are in a space away from the pool to allow for complete relaxation and feature high-end brands like Templespa and Caudalíe.

Fitness facilities Adults can take advantage of modern cardio machines, free weights and functional training zones, alongside expert-led classes ranging from yoga to HIIT.

Special treatment Its Templespa The Ultimate Glow, a signature Solent experience for scalp, face and back that lasts one hour and 20 minutes (£110). Bar the face peel that tingled it was – and I don’t say this lightly – one of the most relaxing massages I have ever had.

Bedroom lowdown The family rooms are spacious enough to prevent sibling squabbles and stylish enough to feel like a treat. Bathrooms boast The White Company goodies, which is perfect for a pretend-you-live-here fantasy, and kids can enjoy cookies, mini robes and activity packs.

What’s on the menu? The on-site Parson’s Collar pub serves up family favourites such as pizzas and burgers – as well as an impressive ice-cream station. While FYR Grill provides smoky, flame-grilled deliciousness like brisket and steak. Breakfast is a buffet affair that combines the charm of a continental with a fry-up. There is also a generous room service menu for those who want to dine in their dressing gowns. No judgment here.

Travel time Two hours in the car from London.

Nitpicks Coffee at breakfast is from an automatic machine, which felt no different from being at home. And for those with very young tots, there is no nappy bin provided in the room.

What’s the damage? From £98 for a signature double room B&B.

Book at solenthotel.co.uk

Nicole Gray

The Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff 

USP An affordable spot that levels up the city-centre spa experience.

What’s the vibe? Four years ago, this former post office and adjoining county court were transformed into a 170-room hotel, and it’s now top of Cardiff’s must-stay lists. The 19th-century building looks imposing, but it twinkles with local charm, as our ultra-jolly welcome at the reception proves. The location is fabulous, too – a short walk from the Victorian shopping arcades and lively bars of the city centre.

Spa set-up Unless you’re paying top dollar to stay at Claridge’s, city centre spas can be lacklustre. Not at The Parkgate Hotel – its spa up on the sixth floor has panoramic views of Cardiff, including the Principality Stadium. I enjoy a high-pressure, back-pummelling shower in the hydrotherapy pool, then melt into a heated recliner with my book in hand. The spa isn’t huge but it’s well-designed; a sauna here, a steam room there, and every lounging space possible pointed towards those views.

Fitness facilities My husband and I spend a happy hour in the boutique gym hoicking weights (him) and scrolling on the cardio bike (me).

Special treatment The Oskia Cryo Sculpting Facial (from £100 for 50 minutes) has been dubbed a ‘non-surgical facelift’ and combines cryotherapy globes with massage to sculpt and contour the face and brighten the skin. Afterwards I look like I’ve had a full week’s sleep.

Bedroom lowdown Perfectly swish, from the top-to-floor marble bathroom to the huge bed. Best of all, they left us a little tray of Welsh cakes on arrival. Cymru am byth!

What’s on the menu? Dinner at The Sorting Room restaurant is the best meal I’ve ever eaten in Cardiff (and I lived here for 18 years) – it basically has everything you want to eat on offer, from artisan sourdough with Welsh salted butter and beef Wellington, to sticky toffee pudding.

Travel time It’s a five-minute walk from Cardiff Central train station.

Nitpicks Breakfast could do better – think dodgy coffee from a machine, sliced supermarket bread and few healthy options.

What’s the damage? From £93 room only. Guests can enjoy the spa from £32 per person.

Book at theparkgatehotel.wales

Sophie Hines

Beaverbrook, Surrey 

USP A visual feast of a spa, housed in a hotel that comes with England’s best views.

What’s the vibe? Glamorous guests have long been visiting the house of Beaverbrook; I can easily imagine Elizabeth Taylor sweeping down the central staircase, or Winston Churchill pulling up a chair in Sir Frank’s Bar. Once the home of newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook, it’s now an elegant spa hotel, with fantastic artwork everywhere, from photographs of iconic former visitors to walls lined with Victorian botanical paintings, and, of course, Beaverbrook’s Spitfire motif (he was the Minister of Aircraft Production during the Second World War). Outside it is blessed with astonishing views of the Surrey countryside.

Spa set-up Unlike many, which can feel clinical – white tiles, grey walls and lots of smooth surfaces – The Coach House Spa at Beaverbrook is full of colour thanks to its designer, stained-glass artist Brian Clarke’s choice of vivid floral tiles and a flamboyant ceiling. I adored the outdoor pool (above), which was heated to a comfortable 26C. Swimming at 8am, the steam rising off into the cold morning air, I felt like a hippo peeping through the mist in a David Attenborough documentary – in a good way. There’s also a large indoor pool, and a thermal suite with steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi. The spa hosts a schedule of renowned experts for one-to-one treatments, from abdominal therapist Amanda Porter to newly joined pro facialist Vivienne Talsmat.

Fitness facilities The gym is well equipped and remarkably big for a hotel. There are cooled towels and a choice of drinking water temperatures, too.

Special treatment The Meadow Hut Signature (£260 for 90 minutes), which takes place in a repurposed shepherd’s hut a short walk from the spa, and involves a full-body massage and sound bath. I was cynical about the latter, but after half an hour of gongs and a little cathartic weep, felt converted to its soul-restoring abilities.

Bedroom lowdown? Any room that includes a jar of rhubarb and custard sweets on arrival is a winner in my books. But there’s more: an elegant bathroom with Bamford toiletries, a huge bed with vast pink velvet headboard and a twinkling chandelier. The 18 rooms in the main house are named after the guests who’ve stayed here – Rudyard Kipling, Ian Fleming – and there’s further accommodation across The Garden House, The Coach House and The Village (reconstructed on the site of the original estate workers’ cottages).

What’s on the menu? Perhaps unexpectedly for an English country house hotel, the restaurant is Japanese – but the juxtaposition makes it all the more memorable. On a parquet floor surrounded by paintings of butterflies, we tucked into excellent sushi, sashimi and nigiri made with locally sourced ingredients. Save room for the Churchill-inspired dessert – a chocolate ganache stick smoked with Cuban cigar to taste authentic, with whisky ice cream. It’s the first time I’ve seen ‘contains nicotine’ on a pudding menu.

Travel time? Hard to believe but you’re only 20 miles from London here, and a ten-minute drive from Leatherhead station.

Nitpicks They need more lighting between the shepherd’s hut and spa. My 5pm walk back in the dark was a little creepy!

What’s the damage? From £610 per night B&B for two guests in a Cosy Room in The Garden House.

Book at beaverbrook.co.uk

Sophie Hines