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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To spend £1000

445 replies

Jaimx86 · 27/03/2016 21:21

I want a luxury spa and Michelin star restaurant for me and my DP. Live in the Midlands, so open to a lot of areas.

Looked at The Priory in Bath and The Grovesnor in Chester so far. I want utter decadence, but not sure whether these places will offer that. Upto £1000 for two nights.

Am I asking too much for the cost?

OP posts:
dodobookends · 28/03/2016 01:24

Dodo how you must love online searches. Sorry my search didn't match yours

ODFOD

Perhaps you need to start searching for somewhere else to stay instead. Somewhere that offers attitude transplants, maybe.

DirtyHarrietOnABike · 28/03/2016 01:24

YADNBU!

Sorry for not being able to make a recommendation, but I totally support your need to completely spoil yourself.

Enjoy, OP! Flowers

Original poster
Jaimx86 · 28/03/2016 01:26

Thanks, Dirty. I just really want an extra special treat.

OP posts:
DirtyHarrietOnABike · 28/03/2016 01:29

And so you should - guilt free!

Everyone needs to take extra special care of themselves from time to time.
It's enough that life batters us the rest of the time. It's great that you are planning on giving yourself a breather. Good for you. I will share your joy!

BadLad · 28/03/2016 01:32

Wifey and I just take off to the Ritz Carlton when we want to pamper ourselves for two nights. We like flitting between the pool and the club lounge, where we can guzzle cocktails and wine, so I don't know whether it will meet your requirements for a spa. I've never stayed at any if the ones in Europe, though. Are you wanting to drive there or could you deal with a short flight from Birmingham airport?

FiveSixPickUpSticks · 28/03/2016 01:37

Why don't you ask your friends rather than random people on the net?

I'm sure in the circles that you move they can recommend something fandabydozy.

btw those with 'money' tend not to flaunt it or stealth bost on the internet'

Original poster
Jaimx86 · 28/03/2016 01:37

Had DP look at The Ritz, but he crossed it of due to lack of spa. Will get him to relook at suites. We're closer to Manc or East Midlands, but willing to also travel from Lpool or Bham. Love the idea of being
able to pop for cocktails.

OP posts:
SoThatHappened · 28/03/2016 01:37

also those with class do not do it either

Original poster
Jaimx86 · 28/03/2016 01:40

five... If you think I'm flaunting them wtf do you think of people with £45000 kitchens (swoon...) and private schools.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jaimx86 · 28/03/2016 01:41

sothathappened
Eh?

OP posts:
ADishBestEatenCold · 28/03/2016 01:51

"So, anyone stayed at the Grovesnor?"

Assuming you mean the Grosvenor in Chester.

Not mad keen. They do seem to have a lot of offers on, though.

What about The Vineyard in Berkshire, or if you love Scotland and want to do something really rather unusual then The Witchery in Edinburgh (although no spa, but there's a fantastic spa/fine dining hotel in Deeside ... can't remember the name, but I'm sure if you google). If you want to be further South, and have heaps to do then the Stoke Park.

BadLad · 28/03/2016 01:54

How about here?

www.the-connaught.co.uk/aman-spa/

PastaLaFeasta · 28/03/2016 02:17

£1k for two nights for two adults with spa and a Michelin starred restaurant isn't that much, sadly. I'd never get DH to a spa so £500 each with a friend would be reasonable for a treat. I prefer to get good deals as I'm tight but near Christmas may be a struggle for budgeting - I went to Lapland for my 30th to escape the Christmas madness, an activity rather than spa weekend but obviously more than £500 each.

Ragdale Hall was suggested by a friend and I think is up in the Midlands. I fancy Pennyhill Spa down in the South which I think has a Michelin starred restaurant.

CakeNinja · 28/03/2016 02:53

We sometimes stay at the Waldorf. Perfectly located for our needs, think their is a gym/indoor pool but never used them.
Pay around £1100 (not a stealth boast but to give a fairly accurate review of what that money will get you in central London that isn't a travel lodge).
The hotel itself is nice. Piano bar is nice, breakfast room is decadent.
The rooms are just like ones I've stayed in in a travel lodge!
Location, staff, service is great. But at over a grand a weekend, it's really nothing special. It suits us a couple of times a year for a weekend away without the DC, nearish our favourite restaurant and easy to get to from where we are based.
It's really not decadent or luxurious once you're inside your room.
We haven't gone for anything above a deluxe room though, a suite would bring you an extra room but this has no appeal for us.

PHP in bagshot and le manoix are both much nicer!

Blueberry234 · 28/03/2016 03:02

Pennyhill is lovely as is Rhinefield House, Limewood and the pig hotel. Could always get a plane to Southampton?

SoThatHappened · 28/03/2016 03:05

Aw bless the latest posters havent seen how rude the OP was.

CakeNinja · 28/03/2016 03:14

Sorry, just to add, the Shangri La have nice rooms for roughly the same price as the Waldorf but in order to get one with the great views and imo a proper feel of luxury you need to investigate the suites there which are considerably more.

I think you can get a whole lot more for similar money outside of London though.

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 28/03/2016 04:15

I've just noticed the bit about not eating pasties in order to avoid going up to a 10-12.

The Princess Anna costume must be a 6-8 then? I would definitely avoid those sugar-laden pavlovas.

TinkerbellaPan · 28/03/2016 04:40

Aside from thinking this thread is BS, here are my (serious) 2 cents:

DH and I do spas a lot. We wouldn't pay £500+ because currently our income doesn't justify that, and also because we always get a deal. We buy last minute and then DH will often call to see if they'll throw anything else in. It sometimes works Wink

More expensive doesn't mean better. But I guess it depends on what you want from a spa. We like a nice hot sauna where you can do your 15 minutes then straight into a plunge pool right outside. As long as its all clean we are usually happy, all the fancy bits are just a façade.

Off the top of my head... we have been to champneys in Tring, which we thought was ok from a spa point of view and the food was very good (although considering the price the service at mealtimes was atrocious), we have also been to pennyhill park which we found underwhelming... The spa is very spread out and some bits are single sex, which doesn't suit us. If I remember correctly they also don't have the plunge pool close enough to the sauna/steam rooms. Food was nice, service ok.

Some of the better places have been smaller and cheaper, but with excellent service and spa facilities.

Also depends if you actually intend to use the spa properly or just want to book it for bragging rights...

notonyurjellybellynelly · 28/03/2016 05:11

What is the OP on?!

An Easter Egg sugar rush more than likely.

XIsACunt · 28/03/2016 05:13

If you are willing to travel north. Try The Gilpin Lodge.....

thegilpin.co.uk

XIsACunt · 28/03/2016 05:19

Oh dear just read the super poor women line.

It's in these moments that my name becomes extreamly appropriate.

I hope you like my thoughts Op

BeaufortBelle · 28/03/2016 05:21

I get a lovely hotel, I get a Michelin starred restaurant, I get a nice pool for a swim, I can even get having a pedicure if one's available. I don't get the spa aspect of anything being important for a whole weekend or paying a premium for it. What will you do all day? Surely you can't spend the whole day in a spa (what does that mean exactly; I've never really understood although have been to hotels with them) doing what: swim, Jacuzzi, massage, facial, hair????

Will you go for a walk, visit the local interesting town, go to the opera, the races, visit a gallery, find some bookshops, meet friends who've relocated? When you get home, what will you talk about if you don't do any of that, surely you can't talk about an hotel and a massage? Why don't you chose a place you have never been, for example I've never been to Worcester or Stratford and would like to go back to Wells. Once you've chosen a location then chose the loveliest hotel you can find close by - if it has a spa and there's a deal that's great.

A couple of summers ago DD and I went to Rome and had a room in a very nice hotel overlooking the Basillica, for two nights and three days. We spent less than £1000. It was fabulous.

BarbaraofSeville · 28/03/2016 06:21

YY Belle if I was spending £1k on a weekend away I would be going abroad.. Extremely expensive hotels where it is all about opulence and service don't appeal to me at all.

As long as it is clean, comfortable and modern that is more than enough for me. Paying a lot of money to be fawned over makes me feel a bit uncomfortable TBH.

The Woodland Spa in Burnley is gorgeous and has very nice food but not Michelin starred so of no interest to the OP. There is also a hotel which I'm sure is perfectly pleasant, but not super luxury, so again not what the OP is looking for.

I usually go for the day just to relax and swim etc and don't bother with any treatments and it costs less than £60 including lunch. Unless you like hill walking or pound shops I'm not sure that there us much else to do locally without going into Manchester.

CreepingDogFart · 28/03/2016 07:04

I think had the OP not been staggeringly rude and obnoxious throughout the thread, they would have received much more kindness. This seems to be a theme for this poster though.