Spas We Love... The Bothy at Heckfield Place
When Jo first visited the luxury Hampshire hotel Heckfield Place after it first opened, she put it right at the top of her must-return mini-break list, to visit the hotly-anticipated, much-talked-about spa, which was in the planning stages. A LOT has happened in the meantime (don’t we know it!), and the Wildsmith spa – named The Bothy – finally opened just six weeks ago. Here’s Jo’s report…
‘So let me start by saying: when I got home from my treat at The Bothy, I renamed a savings account “Heckfield Place”, to siphon off a bit of cash here and there for a return visit. Yes, it’s THAT good – deserving of a dedicated piggy-bank.
It ticks absolutely every box that I have – In the wet area – known as “The Waters” – there’s non-chlorinated pool, thanks to some clever purification technology, thereby avoiding my pet hate and the reason I never tend to take a dip in hotels (can’t stand the smell on my skin).
The food – oh, the delicious healthy food – is organic, much of it sourced from the hotel and estate’s biodynamic and Soil Association-certified farm, and enjoyed either on the beautiful terrace outside The Bothy, or in The Sun Room (see below), indoors, if the weather’s not playing ball. (My favourite: a wittily named hot broth, called “The Brothy” – gotta love that play on words – featuring over 30 nutritious ingredients. Guys, you’ve got to bottle this!
The Sun Room at The Bothy
The décor: coming from a maximalist home (which I adore), I still nevertheless have a longing for clean, pure spaces. This couldn’t be more beautifully done: natural woods, smooth stone, underfloor heating, and an utterly restful vibe, intensified by having to hand in your mobile phone on arriving at the spa! (I can see that might freak some people out, but I loved it!) It is ‘organic’ in every way, and just so, so calming.
But most importantly, there are the treatments. Yes, these are pricy. But in all my years of facial reviewing, the Wildsmith Radical Botany Facial – from gifted therapist Punum (rather romantically, it means “full moon”) – was literally the most glowifying I’ve ever had: a 90 minute experience that I simply surrendered to, instead of feeling like I wanted to jump off the couch and get back to my To Do List, which has happened often when having treatments.
It uses, of course, the Wildsmith Skin range – well-known to many of you, because it’s done so incredibly well in our Beauty Bible Awards, over the years. (In fact, we’ve done several in-depth projects with Wildsmith, deep-diving into the opinions of 30-strong tester groups, getting some really stellar scores for various products). Can I tell you everything that happened? No. Because I wasn’t about to take notes, and indeed was completely away with the fairies for much of the time. But I do know that it incorporated many different facial techniques, including acupressure, advanced myofascial release, cranosacrial holds and breathwork techniques. Combined with the products – beautiful cleansers, enzyme exfoliators, masks and skin-plumping serums and moisturisers – it honestly turned back the clock 10 years and gave me the confidence to go to dinner in the hotel’s off-the-scale fab restaurant, Marl, wearing no make-up. It is literally decades since I did that, and it says it all.
Outdoors, there are grounds to walk, with memorable trees and wild swimming opportunities (though I bottled out of the early morning dip next day, reluctant to peel myself out of the gazillion-thread-count sheets in the beautiful bedroom). Add to that the treat of afternoon tea from my friend Henrietta’s Rare Tea Company, and it is, quite simply, perfection.
The scent of the products, meanwhile, is having a positively Pavlovian effect, catapulting me back there when I smell them at home – not least the beautiful ceramic Hand Wash and Hand Lotion/£58 for the duo (currently alas sold out on Wildsmith’s site, but still available at Fortnum & Mason here), which is so glorious that I found myself almost compulsively washing and replenishing my hands, while at Heckfield.
After more than 30 years in this job, I’m have to admit that I’ve been properly spoiled, enjoying treatments from some of the greatest names in the world: Eve Lom, Marcia Kilgore, Anastasia Achilleos, Sarah Chapman, Lydia Sarfati (yes, all of them – in person). I would rather have one fabulous, world-class facial every six months than an indifferent one every six weeks. Same applies to hotels: it’s got to be truly special, or I’d rather be at home.
So the fact that I now have a dedicated savings account – and will be booking in for body treatments, as well as a repeat of that facial (and a dip in the jacuzzi, below, which I didn’t have time for) – is honestly the highest accolade I can give to The Bothy.
It is sublime.’
Heckfield Place, Heckfield, Hook RG27 0LD/0118-932 6868