Ragdale Hall Health Hydro (Melton Mowbray)

...I took myself off to Ragdale Hall on a ' 2 Night Taster Break' to 'cheer myself up'. It worked. The package included a 2 night stay (obviously - clue is in the name of the package), breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a choice of two 25 min treatments from a selection of Back, shoulder and neck massage, Ragdale introductory facial, or conditioning hand treatment. The hotel was offering a special discount online when I booked, and fortunately the dates ...
...the 25 min treatments. The Ragdale Taster is als available as a 3 night stay. Other 2, 3, 4 or 5 night stays are also available, but this was the best offer for me at the time I booked (no single supplement, a standard double room, and as I noticed when I was wandering around the hotel one morning, the economy single rooms did look a little small).
My standard room was about as close to the reception desk and spa area as you could get, being ... more

Shortly after my husband walked out on me, I took myself off to Ragdale Hall on a ' 2 Night Taster Break' to 'cheer myself up'. It worked. The package included a 2 night stay (obviously - clue is in the name of the package), breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a choice of two 25 min treatments from a selection of Back, shoulder and neck massage, Ragdale introductory facial, or conditioning hand treatment. The hotel was offering a special discount online when I booked, and fortunately the dates coincided with when I wanted to go, so this entitled me to a 20% discount as a Single person! This mean I was paying a rate of £161.00 per night inclusive of all meals, and the 25 min treatments. The Ragdale Taster is als available as a 3 night stay. Other 2, 3, 4 or 5 night stays are also available, but this was the best offer for me at the time I booked (no single supplement, a standard double room, and as I noticed when I was wandering around the hotel one morning, the economy single rooms did look a little small).
My standard room was about as close to the reception desk and spa area as you could get, being directly at the top of the first flight of stairs. I must admit my heart did sink a little when I first got to my room, thinking the noise of passing guests would be disturbing, but as almost everyone was in bed by 10pm and there were only about 10 rooms in the corridor, it was totally peaceful. The room was spacious and well decorated. tea and coffee facilities, hairdryer, safe, telephone, flat-screen tv on the wall (BBC1, 2, ITV, Channel 4, National Geographic, Discovery, Sky, Sky Sports, Radio 1 - 4 and a video channel which shows a selected film at 7.30pm and 10.00pm), a couple of comfy armchairs and table in the bay window. The bathroom was fairly standard for the quality of the hotel, although the toiletries were 'White Company' which was a treat.

===Get a Locker!===
Once I had checked in and had a complimentary tea in the Garden Room Bar while filling in the necessary paperwork, I was taken on a quick tour of the building (I nearly didn't go on the tour but it is worth doing as it saves you getting lost and stressing about getting to appointments on time). Then I unpacked and got into my swimming costume and robe (provided in your room, although you will pay £3.50 for using it), and went straight to the spa area.

The spa area has just been expanded and when I booked my 'escape' I had no idea of the expansion that had taken place. I was in for an extraordinary treat! The existing spa is very well equipped with a section for the exercise pool (much fun to be had with the Cardio Splash!), jacuzzi and separate male and female sauna rooms. There are extensive male and female changing rooms with large lockers, spacious showers and changing cubicles (not 'White Company' toiletries, but still nice).

Quick tip - after my first evening in the spa I realised that keeping my room key in my robe pocket was an accident waiting to happen - every time I took my gown off to swim or steam/sauna, I was terrified that either I wouldn't remember which one was my robe, or someone else would take it by mistake. Also I found there ws nowhere to put the essential easy reading book and my 'personal activity planner' (timetable of meals and treatments). So the next day I asked for a locker key at the spa desk and left the essentials in my locker in the changing room, leaving me with the easy to manage key I could wear round my wrist. Much better! The main swimming pool is a comfortable 25 metre length with the waterfall and massage jet area on one side. The famous Ragdale window is a bit of a feature in the light and airy pool area. The water is slightly warmer than your local swimming pool and never exceeds a depth of a little more than 1 metre. However nothng had prepared me for the new Thermal Spa next to the pool. This had opened on 1st November and had been in use for less than a week when I visited.

New Thermal Spa

The new extension is a tropical treat attached to the side of the swimming poll area. As you walk in the wall is lined with racks of soft fluffy towels and the sound of splashing water echoes around the stone-clad walls. A high ceiling is gently lit with multi-coloured lights and a stream runs accros your path, curving around a small seating area before running outside into the garden. I first tried all the different rooms in turn, impatient to see what was behind all seven (yes SEVEN) doors. My initial reaction was that a couple of rooms weren't my kind of thing, but I very quickly began to see their appeal.

Outside each room is a notice on the wall telling you about the temperature, aroma, type of heat and benefits to the body of that environment. There are towel and gown hooks and, cleverly, a row of little shelves for your books and glasses. The trick is remembering which room you have left your gown outside and it was quite common to see women in swimming costume and towel walking past the rows of identical gowns looking for their own! I tucked a small towel under the hook with my gown which made it easier to find. Scattered around the spa area are water coolers, more stacks of towels, ice chips (very refreshing) and - my favourite - a stack of fresh clean flannels and a bowl filled with ice chips and orange slices, so you can dip a flannel into the cold orange scented ice and cool your face down while you sit in a hot sauna. I strongly recommend it!

The first room is called the 'Thought Zone' and the information outside describes it as a room where you can go to collect your thoughts between other rooms. It is a large circular room with a curved 'bench' (the word 'bench' does an injustice to the beautiful mosaic-inlaid, ergonomically contoured and heated seating) running all the way round the walls, with a foot pedestal in the centre of the room. Projected ont he ceiling are relaxing images of clouds, sunsets etc, and gentle music fills the air which is scented with oranges. I didn't stay long on my first visit, but subsequently found myself keen to get back to the peaceful and calming atmosphere, and dozed off in there more than once.

The next room I visited was the 'Colourflow Cave'. This is a version of a steam room. Around 75% humidity and scented with a varying combination of sage, jasmin and chamomile, it is very like a cave; tiled in dark blue mosaics with tiled contoured bench seats along both walls, the full extent of the room is shrouded in steam. A pale path of tiles leads your eye from the door to the main feature on the opposite side of the room where a huge quartz crystal, lit from below, sits in a pool which is filled by the water feature flowing down the wall behind it. The sounds of water combined with the light display rippling along the tops of the walls make for a soothing experience. However I did need to cool down after a few minutes, so it was with some trepidation I used the 'Experience Shower' next to the cave. As I am a coward I went for the 'tropical' setting first (judging by the shrieks coming from the lady who had been in the shower next to me, 'cold mist' was very refreshing!). The large warm drops of fruit-scented overhead rain that came from the shower was enough to make me laugh out loud for the first time in many weeks. Whoever designed this had actually thought about how much fun this could be! The cold mist also made me shriek; a fine spray scented with menthol or eucalyptus cooled me down and left me invigorated.

Next room is the 'Candle Pool'. This was another experience I didn't quite appreciiate at first, but it quickly became my favourite place. Behind two doors (to keep out the noise from the cold mist shower presumeably) and down a few steps is a subterranean pool with gently sloping bays and alcoves. The walls are lit by stars and candles, and the alcoves are big enough for a few people to sit in together, with a couple of smaller ones if you want to lie quietly on oyur own. The water is comfortably warm and the alcoves are contoured and sloping so you can float and let your mind drift off.

After that is the dramatic 'Volcanic Salt Bath'. This is another steam room, but made entirely from black granite and lit only by strips of blue LED's. Despite the very 'masculine' decor, the atmosphere is peaceful and calm. The steam is infused with salt although it is subtle enough that you don't feel as if you have just got out of the sea. I loved this room. It gave me a feeling of what it must be like in outer space!

Following that intense experience was another lighthearted tropical shower. This one is designed to look like a cave and when you press the 'Tropical Rain' button, not only are you showered in warm fruit scented rain from the ceiling but lightening flashes and thunder rattles around you (much to the delight of everyone nearby). Apparently the shower is also meant to have a waterfall feature but it wasn't working when I was there.

The next room was the most disappointing. This is the 'scented room' and although a good idea, it just seemed dull compared to everything else. It is a pleasantly warm, dry room with wooden benches, pictures of flowers and a central stove which heats aromatic dried herbs. There is also the 'Rose Sauna', a beautifully roomy sauna with a window looking out onto the garden and waterfall pool. It is meant to be scented with roses but I can't say I noticed.

Finally (and I did save it till last because it looked so much fun) there is the 'Waterfall Pool'. This is where the indoor stream leads, and as you walk down the steps into the warm water there are a couple of seats built into the walls for the foot baths. I sat there for a few minutes wishing there was a handy basket of towels nearby as I was wet from the tropical rain, so when I went back the next time, I made sure I took my towel with me and sat there in a fluffy dry towel, completely relaxed and enjoying the massage jets on my feet. The stream leads out into the garden and partially under a glass canopy. There are bay areas with underwater seating and massage jets, and a waterfall and cascade jets which are very refreshing! It was huge fun using this after dark, watching the stars. I would have loved to try it in the rain or snow!

Delicious Food

I did leave the spa occasionally, mostly to eat or drink. The meals were included in the price, and were very tasty with plenty of vegetarian or low fat healthy food. Breakfast was served in bed on a tray and there was a choice of fruit juice, cereals, yoghurt or smoothies, croissant, muffin or roll, a cold quiche, ham & cheese, vegetarian option, cottage cheese & smoked salmon, and tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

The Verandah Bar and Garden Room both sell a selection of coffee, tea and soft drinks from £1.50 - £3.00. There are loads of cakes for sale ( I was always too full to try any but they did look good) from £1.75 - £2.00. I think the Verandah bar also sells savoury snacks like soup and jacket potatoes.

Lunch is a hot and cold buffet, although you can choose a starter from the menu. My first lunch was leek and potatoe soup followed by some unusual salads of aubergine and mozzarella, haddock and courgette ( surprisingly nice), and roast lamb, jacket potato, gravy, chicken casserole and cous cous. Strangely I had no room for dessert (yoghurt or fruit salad) and had to spend an hour in 'The Retreat' (a fantastic room with beds, sofas and duvets, designed for a quiet siesta) while I digested the huge meal.

Dinner on the first evening was a glass of wine, a fig, parma ham and mozarella starter, followed by a tuna steak with beansprouts and a side dish of cabbage ( all healthy options), then cheese and biscuits. The wine is extra and costs £4.50 for a large glass, but you could get a small glass if you wanted to - or a bottle. Dinner on day 2 was fig & feta with asparagus starter, then beef sirloin with horseradish mash and mangetout with a side salad. Then mint and vanilla creme brulee with sorbet. After lunch and dinner you can get a complimentary cup of tea or coffee in either of the bars.

Treatments and talks

I knew there were talks every evening after dinner, but I had planned on just going back to the thermal spa. However when I looked at the schedule of talks available on the notice board I had to change my plans. For the two nights I was there the talks were about how Stilton is made, and Reflexology - two of my favourite subjects! If I had been there any other night, I would have gladly skipped the talks on Auras, skin care, and which colours to wear. The talks were entertaining and reasonably well attended, but slightly too long for me. However the two back, neck and shoulder massages which I had booked as part of my package were definitely not too long! The second one was possibly the best back massage I have every had and I floated out wishing I had booked another day off work so I could stay a bit longer and have another one. My final treat was the Li'Tya Miji Jina (or 'Little Foot Print') foot massage. (£35.00 for 40 minutes of bliss). First your feet are washed in an aromatic oil bath and scrubbed with salt crystals, then the room is scented with some very authentic incense. As you lie on the bed and listen to Aboriginal music, your feet are coated in a soothing mask and wrapped in hot towels. Finally the foot mask is wiped off and a foot lotion is massaged in. Very relaxing, if a little slippery on the flip flops for an hour or so afterwards.

I had an amazing time at Ragdale Hall, and have started saving up for my next visit. Everything about the place appealed to me, and there is a sense of fun about so much of it - even down to the loo next to the Verandah Bar (have a look at the decor!), but the Thermal Spa is an amazing addition. 

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