Diary of a First-Time Spa Day

Diary of a First-Time Spa Day

“Let's have a spa day!” my daughter messaged. My stomach dropped slightly as it had been nearly 20 years since my last spa experience, which I hadn't enjoyed. But not wanting to disappoint my daughter, I pulled my big girl pants up and replied “Yes, please! That sounds great!”.

We arrived at Riverhills for a half-day spa, and parking could not have been easier. We were greeted warmly by the Spa receptionist, who was charming, friendly and explained what would be happening that day. She directed us to the conservatory for a detox shot while we chose our spa treatment.

Once we had made our decision, we were given a guided tour of the spa and complimentary salts for the foot spas. Finally, we were led to the changing rooms, given our locker keys, robe and flipflops and with some free time to explore the spa, we were left to get changed. Well, how lovely was this? Such a relaxed and welcoming experience so far - unlike my experience 20 years ago!

Now, let's be honest, when you are nearing the age of free prescriptions, your appearance in a swimming costume can be a little concerning - but I had nothing to worry about. The clientele is of all ages, and people were concentrated on doing their own thing. So our first stop was the foot spa, then we delved into the Fire and Ice Suite, which had a steam room, sauna and snow sky experiences. We had booked afternoon tea, and so once we had explored this area of the spa, we made our way to the restaurant to enjoy a variety of delicious sandwiches, cakes and of course, cream teas.

It was then time for our first treatment. I had opted for a Thermal Stone Massage. Dignity was validated, and once I was ready, the warming stones were used for massage expertly, with my masseuse checking in on me as to whether the massage was too hard, or not hard enough and that the temperature of the stones was comfortable. It was such a soothing experience, and I really did relax and melt into the treatment table, and I came away feeling very relaxed and loose.

Once this treatment was over, it was time to experience the Serail Mud Chamber. The treatment was explained to us, and we were left to prepare ourselves and start the treatment. There are three scoops of mud, which you apply and then sit in the steam-filled chamber to allow the mud to work. It was a lovely, fun and also peaceful treatment to do with my daughter.

Once we had showered off the mud, we finished our day with a return visit to the Fire and Ice Suite and the pool.

I had an amazing experience at Riverhills, and it has definitely changed my outlook on spas. I would certainly like to visit again. I expect the next visit will start with a text to a certain young lady I know!