Spa day proves to be perfect recharge in the run-up to a wedding
Coworth Park near Ascot is the ideal base for a mother-daughter relax and refresh
Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing
Fitting nicely into the white theme that is all things bridal, the spa at Coworth Park is white both inside and out… except for the glorious living roof, which is planted with St John’s Wort, lavender, camomile and thyme.
A standalone building in the grounds of the renowned hotel (which is part of the Dorchester Collection) in Ascot, the spa is a duplex structure with huge glass vistas flooding the interior with natural light, even on the grey February day when my daughter and I visited. In this it stands apart from many other spas, which are all too often in a basement. We were there to relax, unwind and share some quality time together in the busy run-up to her wedding next month.
A smiley Hayley greeted us on arrival and gave us a quick tour. We saw a cute mani/pedi suite that has room for four people and even has a hair wash and styling station; if you were getting married at Coworth Park this would be a great place to get ready. But we were here to take a well-earned rest from wedding planning, so the steam room, treatment rooms, pool and relaxation room were on our agenda. There are luxury changing rooms with individual lockers, fluffy robes, flip flops and cute branded tote bags to take home.
The bride took off for the well-equipped gym to keep up her wedding body routine while I went with the lovely Shevon, who has worked here since it opened in 2010, for a full body sea salt scrub and massage. The treatment rooms have natural light from recessed skylights, which cannot be seen on the treatment bed, but throw a wash of natural light across the high ceiling. The spa uses Ishga products, a range that blends Hebridean seaweed with essential oils. I opted for the Jubilee blend, which was developed exclusively for Coworth to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and features her favourite Lily of the Valley.
Shevon got to work with expert hands to slew away my dry skin and draw out the toxins, leaving me clean, smooth and moisturised. A heavenly massage unknotted some of my tense muscles and sent me in to a deep state of calm. I padded across the corridor to the relaxation room, a serene and luxurious space decorated and furnished in 50 shades of white with touches of green, to enjoy a camomile tea and a home-made oat and raisin cookie on a chaise longue positioned with a view across the beautiful gardens and polo fields.
After my daughter had the same treatment, we had lunch in the Spatisseire (such a great name someone should trademark it) and stuck to our pre-wedding light diet with a platter each of a tomato consommé shot, a heritage tomato salad, a goat’s cheese and beetroot salad and a little indulgence in the form of coconut mousse in white chocolate shell. We then spent the afternoon by the pool. Even this is filled with natural daylight and an entire glass side that opens out onto a sun terrace in warmer weather.
With just three weeks to go until the big day, our minds are relaxed, our bodies are refreshed, our skin is rejuvenated and we are wedding-ready!
dorchestercollection.com/ascot/coworth-park
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