EXPLORING CORNWALL: ST MICHAEL'S HOTEL & SPA

gdpr note; #ad #giftedpartnership - spa day with st michael's hotel & spa is a gifted collaboration 



Cornwall has an array of natural gems and fabulous landscapes, especially when the sun is shining. But it also has a variety of dreamy hotels and spas. I was lucky enough to receive a fabulous invitation from St Michael’s Hotel & Spa recently…

St Michael’s Hotel & Spa are undergoing an enormous overhaul that throws them to the forefront of the health and well-being world in Cornwall – and boy is their Spa a luxury. I was invited along for a Press morning with guided tour of the already created excellence, and a sneaky afternoon of relaxing in their Spa. With a brand new Garden Kitchen above and the Spa below, it oozes healthy vibes. I felt like I was living the healthiest lifestyle just by walking around, I went home thinking ‘I need salads from now on.’ I really wanted to share my day and experience with you all!

Let’s start with the food (where else, right?!) The new Garden Kitchen has an amazing light, bright, and airy feel with some enormous glass doors that concertina open to reveal an overview of the grounds and hot tub area. It’s open from 9am until 10pm every day, so you can grab your morning coffee or an evening snack as well as lunch and/or dinner. I was lucky enough to sample some of their insanely amazing stone baked pizzas (now that’s a big compliment coming from an Italian gal), and the vegan options are just as perfect as the regular options! In fact, I’d personally be opting for their vegan range rather than just veggie. Their new menu of super healthy smoothies and juices are ideal to compliment a spa day, and I highly recommend to go for the Green Juice (trust me, it was so good I sampled it twice)! But never fear, there is also cake and Prosecco on the menu for those more ‘girly’ days at the Spa.

Just below, where no expense was spared in this beautiful overhaul, you’ll find the mesmerising spa. As you enter you’re greeted by an array of smiling faces on the desk, an enormous glass window with plush seating area that overlooks the dreamy pool, views of a tiny little wooden bridge ahead that leads you to the wet area, or a doorway to your left that leads to beauty and therapy rooms that smell like a total dream. You’re given a robe, towel, and flip flops bundle, along with a magnetic wrist band for your designated locker.

The changing rooms are a dream. There’s a fabulous post-shower area equipped with four plush chairs that each sit in front of their own station of mirror, GHD straighteners, hair dryer, box of tissues, makeup removal pads… glam or what! You then move on to individual showers (with complimentary body wash and shampoo), which conveniently sit opposite individual changing rooms. The room is all in a big loop, with a more open yet snug locker room area with seating. It’s so fresh and tidy, I stepped out of the shower and their team were already cleaning up behind me!

So now onto the best bits, the relaxation and luxury… let’s talk about the pool! Be aware – the warmth and humidity does hit you as you walk in… perfect for the upcoming autumn and winter weather. On your short walk to the pool you pass a rain-forest steam room, the first ever Cornish sea salt steam room, and individual Moroccan-styled showers… which lead you immediately to four impressive mosaic heated loungers, a small yet plush seated area, a glamorous glass-fronted herbal Finnish sauna, and the large hydrotherapy pool with built in massage loungers, twenty one massage points, and water jets galore.

As it’s a hydrotherapy experience, it is pretty warm in the pool area, and the water is hot too (thirty five degrees). The Health Club (on the other side of the hotel) hosts another, cooler, swimming pool. The spa area itself is entirely adults only, and is for pure relaxation… so laps will need to be swan over at the Health Club – and I personally think this is a brilliant way of separating activity from relaxation, because nobody wants people swimming laps or kids cannon-balling into the water whilst they’re laying in the pool with hydrotherapy massage points working their magic.

There are plenty of comfy seats around the pool, and one day bed (though my OCD got upset when I noticed that the day bed wasn’t central to the pool haha), and it is one beautiful view to behold. The back wall is an array of wooden panelling, mirrors, and faux candles – and it really adds a little extra serenity, especially in the evening. The wooden feel is a continued theme throughout the hotel and rooms. It also continues out onto the deck, which is just a glass door away from the pool itself.

The deck is beautiful, and surrounded by greenery for extra privacy. It also boasts the spa’s brand new red cedar-wood hot tub and gypsy-esque barrel sauna. I need this hot tub in my garden, immediately! Even though it was drizzling on the day, it really didn’t matter when you were relaxing your woes away in the warmth of the hot tub. Nobody came outside whilst I was sat in there, and the entire day was pretty quiet – even though the hotel was fully booked! A few people did trickle into the pool now and again, but there are so many areas that you still get your peaceful experience.

Back to the desk, turn right, and you’re immediately hit with beautiful scents in the beauty therapy room that is embellished with stylish copper detailing. Behind another magical door is an array of treatment rooms (ten to be exact). This is also where you’ll find the Moroccan rhassoul (think mud, think steam, think mud steam experience), and the most luxuriously plush relaxation room you’ve ever seen – equipped with sparkly starry-sky ceiling. The spa offers over sixty treatments, and utilises local ingredients where they can. If you’re keen to support local trade then opt for treatments that use the organic seaweed-based skincare products, or botanical-based products. Do ask the spa staff if it’s not obvious when selecting treatments (but the treatment brochure is pretty detailed). I didn't have any treatments, so can't recommend any, but there is an enormous variety.

Dotted around the spa you’ll also find hydration points. There are identical glass drinks dispensers, freshly filled with water and slices of lemon, and glasses, in a majority of the rooms – I noticed them in the changing rooms, the reception seating area, and the relaxation room. They’re ideal for rehydrating and cooling down before hitting the next hot spot on your spa list.

Overall it was such a fabulous day – to learn all about the revitalisation of the hotel in the morning, sample their brand new juice, smoothie, and pizza range for lunch, and relax all afternoon in the brand new spa. I’m hugely fortunate to have experienced the day, and really was impressed with the standard and the friendly staff. Thank you St Michael’s Hotel for having me, I can’t wait to come back!

Claudia xo