To not see the attraction of "Spa days"??

[BandOMothers]

I'm writing about "Luxury Spa" days at the moment...descriptions of what you get for your money. I simply can't see why people ooh and ahh about them.

For £100 or more you get to use the pool at some hotel...you also get a go of their gym (not my idea of relaxation) and if you're lucky, you get a "mini facial" or "Mini Mani/Pedi" and a tiny salad one cheese sarnie light lunch plus glass of piddle wine.

Why are these days so popular? What do you do once you've had your facial? Go for a swim? Why not just do that in your local pool for three quid? You could book a non mini facial in your local salon for 40 quid!

Am I missing something?

I agree for the most part. Wandering around feeling self conscious in a dressing own isn't really my idea of a great day out. Having said that, I do love going to the thermal baths/spa in the actual town of Spa here in Belgium. Lovely hot pool complex where you cam swim outside as well as in, even in winter, nice affordable treatments, steam room etc, proper cafe serving chips and not at all poncy.

I can't think of a worse way to spend the tiny amount of relxation time I get tbh

Dp put me forward for a spa day with his mum and sister, luckily they had allready booked and were going the next day

I know what you mean - we went to a particularly rubbish one at a Cheltenham hotel where half the pool was occupied by an aquaerobics class. However, the Relaxation Centre in Bristol is lovely, and next month I'm going to this place, in Germany
www.carolus-thermen.de/go/thermalwelt

for 20 euros for the day, which looks good.

Also the Portchester Spa in London is 'interesting' (anyone been?). Its an old Victorian Baths and run by the local authority, so a beautiful building, cheap, and def. no tinkly music.

I love them.
It's the whole lying down, peace, perhaps glass of wine, book bit.
And the massage, pedicure, more lying down, peace, snore bit.

Malvern Spa is good if anyone lives nearby. Looks like some weird hotel from the outside, amazing inside :)

I have a spa/pool membership at a local hotel and they offer a spa day for 2 with a treatment each and 2 course lunch for £99 which I think is a good deal.

I enjoy seeing friends or couples mooching around in their robes and leaving with a lovely glow.

I don't get it. I don't like being in dressing gowns where you have to thread the belt yourself. And I don't like being touched by people I'm not having it off with.
I'd rather book into a hotel alone, lie in the bath, read a book, drink the minibar and sleep well than be rubbed and fiddled with, and then have to drive home.

oh I love Champneys went inbetween Xmas and NY

Love it, all on my own...just reading loads and having beauty treatments,and its all very silent there.

The food is amazing, and I feel really refreshed when I walk out

I also belong to a private gym with steam etc, but not the same as soon as you come out you go into a hectic changing room with mad women flying around rush rush rushing

Totally worth the money

Try Thermae Spa in Bath. Gorgeous and very peaceful as no kids are allowed. The rooftop pool is amazing, with a built in jacuzzi. The actual spa water pool on the ground floor has a current in the water. If you get one of those float things under your shoulders, you can just float around the place! Bliss!! Plus the steam rooms are fab, with a spa water shower in the middle. £22 for 2 hours and then shopping and lunch in Bath. Fabulous. Plus it's only half an hour from me!

at being manhandled by a skanky teenager!

No kids for the day is the big attraction - peace and quiet!
Aqua Sana (Center Parcs) give you drinks and lunch; and it only costs £50 - £70 each if you go as a couple (depending on time of day/year).
There are loads of "spa experiences" - sauna, 3 steam rooms, 3 or 4 other rooms, plus big jacuzzi, swimming pool, lounge area, water beds.
We can spend 9 hours there quite happily and still be reluctant to leave!
more details here

Ok I can't wait for mine! My DH bought me a day for giving him a son and our wedding anniversary ( I was stuck in hospital so it was mainly to cheer me up)

Get there, put cossie on, pick a massage time, go for a swim, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, plunge pool, back in the sauna. Read book on the warm tile loungers, maybe do that all again. Then time for 3 course lunch with champagne. Then a sleep in the snooze room, a little swim, then time for my massage, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, read book on the warm tile. Then shower and hair dry hair ( luxury! ) and wait to be picked up.

It relaxes me more than a week away. Cannot. Wait.

Although having a 5 month old that won't sleep, I may spend all day in the snooze room and lock the door.

YANBU. Spa days are rubbish compared to spa breaks (3 days or more ideally)

Depends really. Wouldn't go on my own. But have been to the one in centerparcs when I stayed as part of a big group - left the children with the men and all us womenfolk headed off to lounge around and some of us had treatments. I love it, but then I love it when we can get together anywhere - the attraction was really the congregation of friends - not the location - although we do have a laugh in there.
I certainly wont spend a fortune on it, and like others have said if I want a massage I'll get one at our local leisure centre.

I love them. But spa weekends are much, much better. My favourite place is Alexander House in Sussex as they do really good value dinner, bed and breakfast deals, and the staff are lovely.