Spas are plentiful in the UK nowadays as people are becoming more conscious of the need for looking after themselves and their bodies.  The Imagine spa in Peterborough is part of the four star Orton Hall Hotel, a grade two former manor house situated in Orton Longueville and a popular venue in the area with the hotel hosting a wedding on our arrival.  It is located approximately ten minutes from the A1(M) and is set in beautiful woodland complete with grey squirrels and other wildlife.

 

Upon arrival we were greeted at the Imagine spa by extremely friendly and welcoming staff that wanted to ensure that we were well catered for during our stay.  The Imagine spa does things in a slightly different way to other spas; they do not ask that you book specific treatments before your arrival. Instead they ask you to book an allocated amount of time and then choose your treatments from the selection available which include massages, facials, body treatments, the mud chamber and other finishing touches such as gel nails, manicures and pedicures. 

 

Mums-to-be and men are also catered for on the treatment list.  This was particularly useful for my husband as he had never attended a spa before, so being able to turn to the men's treatments page helped him to feel more relaxed about the whole scenario and remove his stigma of 'only women have massages'. 

 

 

The treatments are available in half hour and hour sessions for the massages and we both opted from these; I selected the hour long full body raindrop massage (£58) and, not to feel left out, my husband chose the half hour version of this and combined it with the deep tissue back massage (£65 in total) in the hope that it would help to alleviate the pain he has had in his shoulders.

 

Well, we were both treated to an extremely relaxing massage.  We had our treatments in the Rose room, which has two massage tables so my husband and I could share the experience.  We were greeted by soothing music and simplistic decor but a nice touch was the single long stemmed pink rose on each of our beds.  

 

My therapist Stacey was very attentive to my needs and the raindrop massage was just what I needed; I got to choose which aroma oil I preferred and then I was given a warming and relaxing treatment where she dripped essential oils up my back and legs and then treated me to a relaxing, light-touch massage focusing on my legs, back, arms and neck.  

 

My husband was treated to the same for the first half an hour, and then his therapist Paige went to work on his deep tissue massage.  He knew that to sort out the knots in his back would not be easy, but he was completely won over by her technique and experience which minimized the pain and allowed him afterwards to regain full movement in his shoulders in addition to feeling relaxed and revitalized.

 

Dinner for us was provided at the hotel in their Huntly restaurant and included options of one, two or three courses including tea and coffee priced at £19, £24.50 and £30 respectively. Diners are treated to an interior decor of classical furniture boasting a large (unfortunately non-working) fireplace in the drawing room complete with both tables and sofas.  Here the maitre d’ takes your order and then after a few minutes you are seated at your table within the restaurant.  The Huntly seats approximately 36 covers and so it is never rammed with guests and allows you to enjoy the charming stained glass windows and country garden views in peace and quiet.

 

My husband ordered the smoked duck spring roll with ginger and lime salad to start, boiled lamb with baby carrots, broad beans and a fondant potato and finished with milk chocolate pannacotta with dark and white chocolate cookies.  I opted for sautéed asparagus and mushrooms served on a red onion potato rosti with lemon and butter sauce to begin; carved duck breast with fennel, peppers, honey, cloves and spice for main; finishing with glazed maple syrup cheesecake with dark chocolate dipped ginger snaps.  Both mains were served with an accompaniment of seasonal vegetables.  All meats within the dish were exquisitely cooked and melted in the mouth; the starters were wonderfully imaginative and delightful to the palette and the deserts were a sumptuous treat of which we enjoyed everything.  The wine list was extensive, ranging from red and whites to bottles of Dom Perignon.  We chose a bottle of Pinio Grigio Veneto, which cost £16.25 a bottle.

 

Breakfast, priced at £15 per head, is served between 8am and 10am on a Sunday and we were in for a treat with a hot and cold buffet selection of everything that you would expect from a full English breakfast to a selection of fruits, cereals, croissants and juices.  Tea and coffee were included and cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolates were available as a supplement.  All of the food was freshly cooked and delicious.

Having such a nice restaurant available made it all the more relaxing as you wouldn’t have to worry about leaving the grounds of the hotel to find somewhere to eat.  This helped to contribute to the overall experience and made it an incredibly relaxing stay where all of your worries could drift away for a weekend.  Just what the doctor ordered as a remedy for our stress-laden lives.

 

Top Tip – combine two half hour treatments so that you can have two different experiences.

 

imaginespa.co.uk/