Last week my sister, Mum and I had a wonderful day at Ragdale Hall. For those of you who haven't heard of Ragdale, it is one of the top spa locations in the UK and I for one was really excited to try it out.
Set in the sprawling Leicestershire countryside, it only took us an hour to get there. There are 91 bedrooms there so you can stay as long as you want, or like us you can just go for the day.
We were greeted on arrival by Raggles the resident cat who likes to sit at the entrance and welcome guests. After checking in, we were taken on a tour of the facilities which was great and informative, by the lovely Paul who was very charming indeed. We then were given our robes and we got changed all ready to hit the spa.
I for one was blown away by the spa facilities that Ragdale had to offer. Having been on a couple of spa days before, this by far was the most luxurious spa I had ever been too. What really sets Ragdale Hall apart is the Thermal Spa, this has twelve unique heat and water experiences that you won't find anywhere else in the world.
Being pregnant, unfortunately I couldn't use all of the experiences, something which I was incredibly jealous about, but my Mum and sister went in every one and assured me they were all fantastic especially the Colourflow Cave and the Volcanic Salt Bath. I was allowed to go into two of the experiences- the Candle Pool, the Outdoor Pool and Thought Zone, but this was my own choice as I don't suffer from high blood pressure.
My absolute favourite part of the spa is the Candle Pool. You descend down some watery steps and enter this beautiful pool full of candles and lights- its dark and peaceful and they ask for silence when you are in there. You choose yourself a pod and lay down and relax- the water is 34 degrees and so warm and relaxing. I could have lay there for hours, watching all the underwater lights change colour and listening to the music. We visited it a fair few times throughout the day. The Thought Zone was a little too hot for me in my present state, but I enjoyed having a few minute sit down in the relaxing dry heat, watching the images and listening to the music which is designed to help stimulate your mind.
The outdoor pool was also delightful- we sat and relaxed and chatted in there for ages as the water was so warm and the sun was beating down on our shoulders.
We then had a three course lunch, it felt funny sitting in a fancy dining room with our robes on, but the atmosphere was very relaxed. The food was lovely, and very healthy, I had thai sweet potato soup for lunch followed by a selection of meat, salad, and vegetables for lunch. I didn't have a dessert but my sister had a crumble which she said was very nice.
We then headed to the treatment area to wait for our treatments which were all around the same time. My Mum opted for an Elemis Quartz Facial, which she said was wonderful, and my sister had an introductory facial and massage as part of her Refresh and Revive Spa Day which she again said was lovely. I had a Declor Aromatic Back, Neck and Scalp Massage which was so nice, and my therapist was fantastic as because I can't lie on my back at the moment she suggest a neck and scalp massage, and instead of moving around she gave me a leg and foot massage instead of my lower back. I thought this was really nice considering it wasn't what I paid for- but she gave me the choice.
The treatments are a great part of Ragdale and I couldn't believe how many treatments and therapists they have going on at once- we came out feeling pampered and relaxed.
It was then time for a relaxing sit by the pool, I sat and read my book and magazine on one of the comfy sun loungers, before we had another go in the Thermal Spa.
Finally we realised it was nearly time to go, the day had flown by, so we went and had showers in the luxurious changing rooms, before spending our last half an hour eating the yummiest cakes. My Mum even bought some jeans in the boutique shop.
I had the best day I have had in a long time- due to our busy lives while I get to see my Mum and sister all the time, we never spend quality time together without babies, husbands and work getting in the way- it was just wonderful having a whole day to relax, chat and catch up, while also being pampered. The facilities at Ragdale Hall are world class and by far it over exceeded my expectations.
I would absolutely love to take Mr E there for an over night stay as I think he would love it too- my only criticism was that the day went just too quickly and I think it would be lovely to stay over night and relax over a game of Scrabble and a glass of wine. (That's a sign of getting old!)
We had an amazing day together and we will definitely be going to Ragdale Hall again in the future. I would recommend it to anyone.
Here are some photos of our day- I would have loved to have taken some in all the places we went, but unfortunately I was just too busy relaxing. It's a hard life!
My Mum and I received a free Ragdale Experience Spa Day for the purposes of this review. However we paid for my sisters Spa Day and we paid for all our extra treatments so we could fully make the most of our day. All opinions are completely my own.
