Hoar Cross Hall (Staffordshire)

If you’re looking for somewhere to pamper yourself, then head to Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire. Hoar Cross is an exclusive spa where you can relax and be beautified for either a day or on a residential basis for however long you like – or can afford!

I booked in for a one night midweek spa break with my mate, which cost £155 each. Included in this price was all meals, unlimited use of the spa and gym facilities, outdoor activities, a 25 minute facial and a session on the toning tables.

The spa is absolutely fantastic. It’s an amazing design and looks beautiful, lots of curves and soft lighting makes this a very relaxing room in which to sit and chill. The Jacuzzi in particular was brilliant, the water being gorgeously warm and scented with some wonderful aromatherapy oils. The Hydrotherapy pool is also worth a mention, getting out of the lovely warm water and popping next door into the sauna is a wonderful experience. I could literally feel my skin coming alive all over my body as I sweated out the nastiness in the sauna. This area is unisex though, so don’t be stripping off in the sauna as you would in a female only room!

The relaxation area in the spa is fabulous. The air in here is humid and warm, and this combined with the heated loungers means it’s a lovely place to have a doze before moving onto your next venue.

Our next stop, after a delicious lunch of grilled lemon sole and salad, was a kick boxing class. Hoar Cross Hall offers a range of classes throughout the day, all of which are free of charge to residential visitors although there is a charge if you’re only here for the day. The class was great fun. The instructor was aware that people were at different levels of both fitness and ability, she constantly moved around the large workout area giving out tailored advice and tips on technique. I’d have liked to have tried the Pilates class but the time clashed with my facial, my friend went though and really enjoyed it.

The facial was wonderful. Elemis products were used to first cleanse, tone and moisturise my face until it was glowing pink with health. The beauty therapist then used a gorgeous rose scented oil to massage my skin before applying the best eye cream I’ve ever used. My skin looked fantastic for days after I’d returned home from the spa, and the miniature bottles I was given of the products used helped me to keep this healthy glow for much longer.

Our room was amazing. We went for a twin room and were upgraded to a Superior room because we’d booked in advance and visited mid week. The two single beds were huge, and dead comfy with soft bouncy mattresses and the thickest pillows I’ve ever slept on. There was a fantastic view of the Hoar Cross Hall grounds which are lush and green; we were awake until 4am drinking an illicit bottle of Baileys and at night the soft lighting outside is calm and totally unthreatening. Because you’re practically in the Peak District here there’s a lot of wildlife around at night so don’t be surprised to hear a fox screaming (an eerie sound) or see a low flying owl – I even spotted a badger mooching around on the lawn!

Before we left we had a brief spend up in the (erm… overpriced) Boutique. There’s a nice range of swimwear and also some very pretty, but very expensive, lingerie – I picked up a gorgeous ivory camisole set which cost a whopping £39 but in terms of quality it was worth every penny. I also bought some Clarins face care items which cost roughly the same as the same range in Boots, with the added bonus of the ladies who work here really *do* know about their products (unlike Boots).

All meals were fantastic. We’d arrived in time for lunch on our first day and timed it so that we left after lunch the following day, meaning we had four chances to sample Hoar Cross Hall’s fabulous cooking. Breakfast was a cereal and toast, followed by a choice of freshly cooked omelette or croissants and a delicious glass of fresh fruit juice. Lunch was fish or chicken with a salad and jacket potato – sounds dull, but believe me the chef does something to the bland ingredients and comes up with amazing tastes and textures. Dinner was from an a’la carte menu which would rival any top class restaurant; the salmon fishcakes I ate were wonderful with an excellent melt in the mouth texture and these were teamed with the best Marie Rose sauce I’ve ever tasted.

It’s kinda expensive to stay here. I took advantage of their £155 promotion and it seriously is the lap of luxury so brilliant value to do it this way. If you want to go during the weekend, prices rise to £344 for two nights WITHOUT use of the facilities which cost anything from £25 to over 100 quid for a body and face treatment.

To find Hoar Cross Hall you’ve more choice than any other attraction I’ve written about. The reason for this is you can use the alternative form of ‘public’ transport – the helicopter. You can even go to the Hoar Cross Hall website and get the co-ordinates – Hoar Cross Hall is used by loads of celebs and apparently some supermodel arrived by helicopter a week before our visit!

For us mere mortals, Hoar Cross is easily accessible by car and has a large secure car park. You need to drive into Lichfield and get onto the A51 Western By Pass, which is signposted Rugeley, and follow the signs towards Ashbourne. When you get onto A515 Bond End turn left onto Maker Lane and drive until you see the recessed entrance to Hoar Cross on your left. Probably a twenty minute drive from Lichfield.

You can also catch a train to Lichfield Station from Birmingham New Street and grab a taxi to Hoar Cross, this will cost you around £15 (plus train fare) and is really the only way to get here if you’re not in a car and can’t afford a helicopter!

But go, you’ll feel better for it.

Hoar Cross Hall
Maker Lane
Near Yoxall
Staffordshire
DE13 8QS

Tel: 01283 575671