Never mind the detox, wellness is all about thermal waters and gut feeling at The Gainsborough Bath Spa
I saw the crater appear as I cornered a bend. I was doing 50mph on the A46 out of Bath, but with a string of tailgaters and a car approaching on the other side I couldn’t brake or avoid it. I quickly warned my friend Sherelle there might be a big bang – and yep, there it was: I'd blown the tyre on my rental car.
Only a few hours before, I had been in Zen-heaven, lolling around the temperate pools of The Gainsborough Bath Spa like some demure Roman goddess. Sherelle and I had escaped London for a couple of days to indulge in some necessary pampering and The Gainsborough was an obvious choice with its traditional spa village and sparkling reputation.
Taking the waters of Bath, it has been said, can heal anything from forgetfulness to neurological conditions. According to legend, the city was founded in 863 BC after leprotic outcast Prince Bladud braved the swampish springs and noticed his band of pigs, who had contracted the infectious skin disease from him, had been cured by the waters in which they were wallowing.
While the properties are now downplayed to aiding relaxation, the mineral-rich thermal waters (42 in total) are commonly said to help with skin ailments, muscle pains and digestive well-being. I personally wanted a good boost. Weeks of woefully restless nights, jarring commutes and complicated life admin had taken its toll. And what better way than to spend time in the UK’s only hotel with direct access to the natural thermal waters, and a stress-busting magnesium-based body massage.
• The best spa hotels in the south of England
People seem to hold a torch for The Gainsborough. Interiors by New York-based studio Champalimaud Design (designers behind Beverly Hills Hotel Bungalows and The Dorchester in London) bring a classic sense of style together with references to its heritage. Expect lots of marble flooring, fresh flowers, powder-blue rooms with sumptuous beds along with a Georgian façade, Roman-style pillars, Malaysian art (a nod to the owners, YTL), and even a display of ancient Roman coins discovered on-site.
Shortly after arrival, we were seated at an apothecary-like counter faced with a huge mound of Cornish salt flakes and a couple of cylindrical glass beakers of what looked like scrumpy cider. Kabir – spa manager, therapist and potions master – greeted us. “The first step to achieving a healthy body is to start with the gut,” he affirmed, stirring the concoction as he held it up to the light.
“It affects all parts of you, from your energy levels to your skin.” We drank the probiotic potion, made using apples, plum, pineapple, all fermented slightly with kombucha, while we chose from a selection of aromatic essential oils which Kabir mixed in with a handful of salt and handed to us in a small pouch (mine were orange, rosemary and vitality). “Take this to the infrared sauna and steam room and breathe it in deeply,” he instructed.
After a bit of a wrestle with the lockers (a few didn't work properly) we entered the main atrium, which looks exactly like it does in the pictures; all creamy Neoclassical columns, Romanesque mosaics, huge candles in glass lanterns, and a sapphire-hued gemstone of a pool.
• 48 hours in Bath, an insider guide to this charming Georgian gem
The circuit begins with a 10-minute soak in one of the two Balneo pools; one warm, one slightly hotter, succeeded with a cold lymphatic hose-down using circular motions up the body. Next the sauna, infrared or dry, where you’re encouraged to inhale the pouch of aroma-infused salts before a stint in the marble steam room. We found ourselves sitting in the heat, pouch-to-nose, sniffing it in like our lives depended on it. And then fell about laughing when we realised how ridiculous we looked.
An unusual feature (and a popular one) was the thick, freshly made hot chocolate that you’re encouraged to drink. Using a recipe from the eighth century, the warm brew – thick as cream – is freshly made everyday using spices like cardamom, cinnamon and chilli. That was my favourite. I went back several (hundred) times.
At the centre of these amenities is the angular thermal pool with an array of massage jets. Here, many classes and treatments take place in the water, from Tai Chi to ‘Freedom’ which uses Watsu rhythmic movements to relax and stretch the body, and dunking to focus on breathing.
Treatment-wise, I had opted for Magnesium Remineralise, a revitalising massage that uses the mineral to promote energy levels, circulation and boost your metabolism. Kabir worked the muscles up and down each limb, first with a salt scrub and then with a massage and wrap. Apparently my legs were in pretty bad shape, as I deduced from his rigorous scrubbing, which stung when he placed the hot towels on each patch afterwards. The magnesium oil was the soothing antidote to this; an oleaginous blend of knot-busting kneading and pressured rubbing.
Every palpation had a cause; to increase the circulation, to focus on breathing, to work on eradicating the lactic acid. At one point I thought he might actually break my back, the force of pressure he applied. When I asked him about this afterwards he said that it’s all about reading someone’s reaction and how much he can fix someone’s body in order to balance it.
After being all cosy and wrapped up in towels to let the oils soak in, the treatment culminated in a back and head massage. I then headed over to the relaxation terrace for a post-treatment blackcurrant and hibiscus tea while the oils soaked in, before enjoying another circuit.
Interpreting Kabir's advice about looking after your gut as meaning ‘you should definitely indulge in bespoke cocktails and a six-course tasting menu with wine flight to keep it happy’, we headed to Dan Moon’s two-Rosette restaurant. As a huge fan of haute cuisine, creative matchings and intricately presented small plates, I was in foodie heaven. Highlights included Jerusalem artichoke veloute with a dollop of soft goat’s curd in a small bowl of deliciously creamy roux and a slice of black truffle; and smoked fillet of beef with a crispy battered quail egg, foie gras and fennel.
Gainsborough Bath Spa had delivered. Kabir said the magnesium massage would either revive me straight away or take effect within the next couple of days. Like a shield of energy, I needed the time out to relax and eat well in a place that knows what it’s doing. My temporary escape made me feel calm. A calmness that would continue the next morning when my tyre burst on an A-road, and my phone battery ran out. A calmness that still ruled when I had to drive 200 miles at 50mph on a spare tyre. A calmness that continued when I hit Friday rush hour in London and every single red light possible. But oh, was it worth it.
• Read the full review: Gainsborough Bath Spa, Somerset
Magnesium Remineraliser (90 minutes) from £180 on weekdays; £225 during weekends. Spa access is complimentary for hotel guests during designated in-house guest bathing hours or with a minimum 45-minute scheduled spa treatment. Rooms from £290; breakfast not included, costs from £25 per person (01225 358888; thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk)
