The recent and much-anticipated opening of Thermae Bath Spa has helped remind visitors to Britain how easy it now is to combine luxurious 'wellbeing' leisure breaks with all of the culture and tradition on offer in its finest collection of heritage cities.
Bath, Brighton, Chester, Oxford, Statford-upon-Avon and York are Britain's Heritage Cities – 'six of the best', who promote themselves actively to visitors from the United States through the shared website www.heritagecities.com.What all of this means is that, while there's likely to be something new on offer in one of these cities at any given time, as a group they can always provide their visitors with so much choice.
The opening of Thermae Bath Spa (www.thermaebathspa.com), for example, heralds a new and exciting era for Bath as Britain’s most famous spa destination.The new complex is working closely with the international, award-winning company, Pevonia Botanica, whose range of spa, health and beauty products will be used in the new Spa.Located in the very heart of this heritage city, Thermae is a day Spa comprising new and historic buildings.It offers bathing in the natural thermal waters, and a range of facilities designed to refresh the body and sooth the mind in a relaxed yet inspirational setting. Thermae incorporates the New Royal Bath, the Hot and Cross Baths and the Spa Visitor Centre – a free-to-enter spa interpretation centre.
So what are some of the other options - and insider tips - in the other heritage cities?Treatment Rooms (www.thetreatmentrooms.co.uk) is a secret favourite of Brighton's glitterati of actors, writers and musicians.It offers a cocoon from the outside world with a variety of treatments using oils, marine mud, algae, herbs, flowers, stones, skin brushing, exfoliation and massage - all helping to restore balance to body and mind. Heavenly Bodies Day Spa (www.heavenlybodiesdayspa.com) is Oxford's first luxury day spa, offering the ultimate in relaxation.Open for two years, it is starting to build an enviable reputation for massage therapy, and was voted one of the top 16 spas on earth by Elle Magazine and one of the top 100 spas in the world by Harper and Queen's.
The Spa at Billesley Manor (www.billesleymanor.co.uk), near to Stratford-upon-Avon opened three years ago.The perfect place to be pampered after a hard day of Shakespeare sight-seeing, the new spa includes a gymnasium, sauna, steam room and three beauty treatment rooms, along with a dedicated dining facility.
In York, Alquimia Spa (www.alquimiaspa.com) lets visitors enjoy a samarium spa session, join in with yoga and meditation, have a beauty treatment and even a glass of wine with lunch!'Spa' comes from the Latin 'SaIus per aquam' - healthiness by water. And Alquimia uses ancient and modern methods of healing.Stonegate, its location, also happens to be one of Europe's most beautiful streets.
The multi-award winning Chester Grosvenor & Spa (www.grosvenorspa.com), meanwhile, is one of the finest examples of five-star indulgence in the world and features a choice of holistic rituals and treatments including aromatherapy, reflexology, and reiki as well as the perfectly named "Travellers Tonic Massage".
For further details of spa and wellbeing vacations in Britain's Heritage Cities, visit www.heritagecities.com.