Our accommodation was The Blacksmiths Hot Tub lodge (Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
A day at a spa is usually enough to thrill most, and with exam season finally finished, what better way for two mums and their daughters to celebrate than with some serious pampering. Parent’s editor, Emma Gill, spent two days at the Yorkshire Spa Retreat, a recently developed resort boasting ‘a unique spa and lodge experience’, which has garnered five-star reviews since its opening in 2022.
Part of the Hoseasons collection, it’s nestled in over 11 acres of rolling Yorkshire parkland and touted as an ‘oasis of tranquillity’ offering visitors an ideal place to relax and unwind while savoring the splendor of the Yorkshire Moors countryside. You can simply visit the spa for the day, but Emma was fortunate enough to sample the accommodation, staying in The Blacksmiths Hot Tub accommodation featuring two bedrooms, a private hot tub, pergola, and barbecue.
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It’s a spa and lodge retreat with luxurious lodges and holiday homes (Image: Yorkshire Spa Retreat)
Detailing her stay at the luxury resort, Emma shared: “The first thing that struck us when we arrived on a Friday afternoon, after a two-and-a-half hour drive from Manchester, was just how quiet this place is.
“Not in terms of holidaymakers – there were plenty of those dotting about walking from their lodges to the spa in their robes – but noise is definitely kept to a minimum and you’re asked to be out of your hot tub by 10 pm.
“It worked for us, and who needs a hot tub later than that when there’s a whole spa to discover. We had a three-hour session to fill on the Saturday and were spoilt for choice with where to begin our spa journey.”
The sauna was their first stop, providing the perfect warm-up before they explored the various relaxation stations, with the herbal steam room being the hottest of them all.
A range of accommodation is available including options with private hot tubs (Image: Yorkshire Spa Retreat)
Thanks to this, they mustered the courage to try the Wild Swim Pond, which turned out to be a refreshing and invigorating experience that we would highly recommend, despite not planning on wild swimming anytime soon.
While at the spa, one can order drinks from The Dome Bar and Restaurant, but Emma and her family opted for the water provided in The Spa Relaxation Dome, a serene space to unwind on beds while enjoying calming scents and peaceful music.
Emma shared: “We did sample the delights of the restaurant that evening, where the menu features the likes of fish mains including salmon and seabass, classics including pie of the day and a grill section with burgers, steak and chops.
“The girls picked theirs from the children’s menu, enjoying some cheesy garlic bread and cod goujons with skinny fries, before sharing a chocolate brownie for dessert.”
Yorkshire Spa Retreat, a Hoseasons site (Image: Hoseasons)
The Dome, a tranquil haven nestled within two colossal pods overlooking the natural swim pond, offers a unique space for relaxation with an olive tree at its heart and a view of the water outside, reported Manchester Evening News.
Emma continued: “While it was tempting to take advantage of the takeaway deliveries they offer to the lodges – Friday is pizza night – we spent the rest of the time making our own food, which was made easier because the place was so well equipped with an oven, a microwave, even a fancy coffee maker.
“And it meant that apart from a trip out to the nearby market town of Helmsley, we did little else during our stay. We could have done.
“The retreat has E-bikes you can rent for exploring the surrounding area, which includes national parks, scenic woodland walks, and attractions like Castle Howard and Rievaulx Abbey.”
Inside The Dome Bar and Restaurant (Image: Yorkshire Spa Retreat)
She concluded: “Family-friendly attractions such as North Yorkshire Water Park, Lightwater Valley, and Flamingo Land are also close by, with the city of York just a 45-minute drive away.
“But it’s not often you get to sample somewhere as spectacular as this, so why would anyone want to leave?”
Yorkshire Spa Retreat key information
Yorkshire Spa Retreat, part of the Magnificent collection, is a spa and lodge retreat with luxurious lodges and holiday homes built in 2023. The retreat caters to all guests, including those with dogs, with a large, secure paddock featuring dog agility equipment and wash stations.
Spa facilities include a unique Wild Swim Pond, hydrotherapy pool, herbal steam room, sauna, salt chamber, and a range of organic treatments. Guests enjoy a 50% discount on spa access and 10% off treatments. The Spa Relaxation Dome provides a peaceful escape, with soothing scents and music enhancing the overall experience.
You can just visit the spa for the day (Image: Hoseasons)
Dining at The Dome Bar and Restaurant offers a variety of local produce-based dishes, available day and night. Guests can enjoy an à la carte menu, weekend breakfasts, and themed nights.
Emma and her group were guests of Hoseasons and stayed in The Blacksmith’s Hot Tub accommodation at Yorkshire Spa Retreat with two bedrooms and a private hot tub, pergola, and barbecue.
A range of accommodation is available, sleeping up to six guests. Some accommodation types allow pets and there are some options with private hot tubs. Prices from £565 in July and from £495 for three nights based on four people sharing. To book, visit the website here.