JB had a special birthday in September so we decided to celebrate in style at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Wales after having afternoon tea there earlier this year (a Christmas present). We booked one of the Celtic Manor competitive package deals which included a light lunch, spa afternoon including 50 minute relaxation rituals, dinner, breakfast and the room.
We arrived around 1pm and were able to check straight into our room. Our bedroom was one of the newly refurbished Signature Collection Deluxe rooms. It was light and spacious with all the usual amenities that you would expect from a top hotel – this included Elemis products in the bathroom, which I love! The Celtic Manor had been kind enough to leave us a small box of chocolates in our room as a gift for JB’s birthday – a touch of class.
We made our way down to The Forum Spa where a light healthy lunch was waiting for us. We left the spa restaurant feeling extremely virtuous and healthy after enjoying the chilli, lime and marinated chicken with several delicious salads. After changing into our white robes we then entered the pool area. It was fairly busy for a Friday afternoon with only a few empty places to sit around the pool. We both got straight into the bubbling relaxing Jacuzzi and then “enjoyed” the hot sauna! Of course, no photos were allowed in the spa. Next we went off for our treatments – the massages were so relaxing and included heated oils and a heated bed(!)
Once back in our room we had a couple of hours to relax before getting ready for the big night of celebrations!! Starting with drinks in the Signature lounge we both opted for cocktails. A Mojito for JB and a Brecon (gin) Bramble for me. Mine was probably one of the nicest cocktails I’ve ever tried. Our meal was then booked in the Steak on Six restaurant. I didn’t take photos in here as it was pretty dark and we wanted to enjoy the evening without the blogger in me getting in the way! The food was excellent and the service was just right. One slight issue was that our package included a three course meal. What wasn’t included were any side orders that you wanted with your steak…so you literally got a steak and some garnish. Each side was £3.60, so with a couple of glasses of wine, the pre-dinner cocktails, 4 sides (chips and veg) and a sauce each we racked up “extras” of nearly £70!!
The Celtic Manor has a total of 7 restaurants to chose from. You can go super elegant in Epicure or select a buffet style dinner in the Olive Tree. We will definitely return to the Celtic Manor – it’s only an hour away and we felt SO relaxed. What I really liked was that once we had checked in, we didn’t need to leave the hotel surroundings but we didn’t feel trapped. It helps that the hotel is SO spacious and all the staff are so friendly. The restaurants never feel overly busy and there is never any queues to get through.
A great birthday treat for JB (and me!)….
It looks amazing! What a place for a special birthday. X