Hotel review – Malvern Spa Hotel, Worcestershire

It’s not often that I feel overdressed wearing jeans. But as I looked around the restaurant at the Malvern Spa Hotel, realising everyone else was in a robe and slippers, I suspected that here, relaxing wasn’t going to be a problem.

review*

Arriving at the hotel, I’d idly expected it to be in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside, as pretty a location as nearby Great Malvern itself. But while its actual home in a retail park isn’t quite so picturesque, stepping inside whisked me to a luxurious chilled-out bubble.

For the next day, the real world outside wouldn’t exist. With several of my favourite bloggers keeping me company, and a hot stone massage ahead of me, I was switching off in the name of work – and pulling on my own robe at the first opportunity.

The hotel itself may only have been built in 2008 – the first to be constructed in the town since 1910 – but Malvern has a long spa heritage, thanks to the natural spring water from its hills.

The Queen still drinks it, Queen Victoria apparently refused to travel without it, and tales of its healing properties date back to the 17th century.

Today the hotel’s location was picked in order to be able to use the water from one of the town’s last remaining boreholes – you can drink it during your stay, there are spa treatments created around it, and even the heated hydrotherapy pools are filled with it.

I know I sighed in sheer bliss as I stepped in to the warm bubbling water – healing powers or not. And even on an October day, the heat meant the outdoor pool was the perfect place to linger, chat and savour a rare blue sky.

With massage seats, air loungers, a bubble station and the aptly named volcano with its enthusiastic plumes of water, you can gently have the knots frothed out of you or pummelled into submission.

Back inside, there are loungers arrayed around the indoor pool with its own Jacuzzi jets and a series of indoor heat and cool experiences.

Happily broiled in the crystal steam room, I risked the drench shower with its chilly bucket of water, before realising that somehow the afternoon had escaped and it was time to get ready for dinner.

The two saunas – herb and kelo options – plus salt grotto, ice fountain and foot spas, would need to wait for another time.

Dressed once again – although I have a suspicion that’s distinctly optional if you want to stay in your robe – it was back to the restaurant.

We’d already had our first experience on check-in, over the afternoon tea we had arranged in place of lunch: the mini picnic bench stand of sandwiches and cakes defeated us, although every last crumb of scone was devoured.

The menu even has a healthy low-gluten reduced-sugar version, although we skipped that for the optional upgrade to a glass of fizz. And if the selection has no particularly unusual touches, it’s still a treat.

After Prosecco in the little bar (which also serves smoothies), dinner had a few more highlights: a huge baked Camembert looked meltingly ooozily tempting, although my pork bon bons and cider jelly were a little blander than the name implied.

My main course steak was perfectly cooked though, not something every hotel restaurant manages quite so well – and the extremely good chips promised by one of the many helpful and friendly members of staff, were indeed extremely good.

And so to bed: the comfortably modern and minimal rooms decorated with splashes of turquoise or a limey chartreuse shade, while the powerful shower was very welcome after I (very unusually!) checked out the well-equipped gym for a run the next morning.

Spa toiletries would have been a nice touch in a hotel stocking Elemis and Espa downstairs though.

But I had my massage to look forward to. Commandeering one of the chaise longues by a mini fountain in the chilled-out lounge area (aka the Grand Salon), my half-hour hot stone treatment finished what my the stay had begun. As 30 minutes ticked around, I had very nearly drifted off to sleep.

Curled up under a velvety throw in the relaxation room, Moroccan-style lights adding a glow to the dim, I could happily have napped some more.

I’ve no doubt it would have been no problem: nothing ever seemed too much trouble for the staff.

Alas, it was time to leave the bubble and go home. And for a touch of luxury with a distinctly reasonable price tag, plus that water with the royal seal of approval, I’ll even sacrifice views of the Malvern hills.

Malvern Spa Hotel, Worcestershire: Need to know

Rates start from around £160 for a double room, £230 including dinner (up to £30 per person) and breakfast, while there are also packages including spa treatments. The stay includes access to the spa and gym from check-in to check-out.

The hotel is adults-only (18+) with 33 rooms, including one suite, some with bath and shower, others with a walk-in shower only. There’s free WiFi and Malvern water to drink in the rooms.

PIN FOR LATER: MALVERN SPA HOTEL, WORCESTERSHRIE

Disclosure: My stay at Malvern Spa Hotel was free for the purpose of review – I paid for my own spa treatment. All opinions are my own, including whether that colour shade really is chartreuse.

Images copyright MummyTravels

LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER