As a special treat for my birthday last week, John had booked us in to Bowood for full body massages.
The Bowood Hotel, located near to Chippenham, offers an indoor swimming pool with beautiful views across the countryside, a sauna, steam room, an aromatherapy shower and a wide range of therapies and massages.
Unfortunately you weren’t allowed to take phones or cameras into the spa area so the only photo I managed to take was of the spa sign!
Once we had changed and completed the medical forms we were taken into the rooms. The treatment room was decorated in a deep shade of purple, the lights were dim, candles were burning and everything was very tranquil. My therapist (Lauren I think) asked if I would like my feet washed first before the massage began – apparently this is a cleansing ritual so I decided to partake.
We had the Sundãri Abhyanga Massage – “Deep relaxation for the overstressed, this rhythmic massage rejuvenates by clearing stagnant energy and restoring the flow of “prana”, the life force that stimulates the body’s vital energy. As your nerves are soothed by the massage, experience a deeper state of calm with the help of our burning scented candles”. The massage itself was great, probably one of the best ones I’ve had. We don’t go for spa sessions that much but we ALWAYS come away saying we should do it more often.
There was some confusion around use of the facilities and if we could use them. One lady said we could whilst another said we couldn’t as we weren’t residents of the hotel and there would be an additional charge on top of what John had already paid for the massages. Eventually they allowed us to use the facilities as John’s confirmation email confirmed it was included.
As you can see from the photos below, it’s very modern and the views out to the countryside from the pool and the jacuzzi are beautiful. It was really quiet whilst we were there and there was one other lady in the pool.
Secondly, at the end of a treatment I thought we would be shown into a relaxation room where you can chill out for a while and readjust back to reality (as I have experienced at other hotels/spas). Bowood did not have this option so you were shown back into the cafe area which is adjacent to reception and straight back into the bright lights and hustle bustle. Not a massive complaint but it certainly was a jolt back to the real world!
Despite these two little niggles, we had a great afternoon and would probably go back seeing as it’s just on our doorstep.
Read here about our afternoon tea experience last year.
LIKE / COMMENT / FOLLOW & SHARE!
*additional photos are taken from Bowood’s website with permission