With the dark winter nights drawing in, it’s sometimes hard to think back to the gloriously bright days of summer. I’m currently finding that life seems to consist of just working and commuting, with very little ‘me time’. This is something I’m so committed to changing in the New Year. Thankfully, Bristol Harbour Hotel recently invited Adam and I to their underground HarSPA for some express pampering and high quality downtime, so as you can imagine, we jumped at the chance.
Bristol Harbour Hotel
Bristol Harbour Hotel is a relative newcomer, occupying a rather impressive former bank on the corner of Corn Street. Part of a small but perfectly formed luxury hotel chain, they’ve spent a lot of money accentuating and preserving the existing features to create a fun, contemporary feel.
Think humongous vault doors, stone colonnades and soaring vaulted ceilings in the imposing banking hall, now serving as a spectacular function room, perfect for weddings and events. It’s certainly impressive. The Blue Room in the Gold Bar {cute pun for an old bank, no?} is particularly stunning; an interiors addicts dream. No wonder it is popular with the after work crowd.
Express Treatments in the HarSPA
Glancing at the list of express treatments, handily designed to fit in 30 minute gaps in your schedule, I was torn over which fabulous treat to choose. In the end, I opted for a mini manicure and I’m so glad I did. I absolutely love getting my nails done; honestly there’s nothing quite like a perfect polish to make you feel like you’ve got your sh*t together.
Confronted with a rainbow selection of Jessica nail varnishes, I ignored my inner drama queen who was screaming for a seasonal red and went for a stylish yet work appropriate nude colour. The therapist was incredibly sweet, and we had a lovely chat whilst she got to work. Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve had a few experiences at top salons and spas where the polish quickly chipped and looked terrible within a day; I’m pleased to report that these beauties were still going strong a week later. Hurrah.
Whilst Adam is undeniably partial to a spa day, it was always going to be a stretch for him to get his nails done. Instead, he opted for a relaxing arm and hand massage. As a fan of proper (read:painful) sports massages, he is always slightly skeptical of ‘relaxing’ massages; the Bristol Harbour Hotel didn’t disappoint though. With the therapist making sure that the pressure was just right, Adam left saying that his arms were far looser than they had been for a long time. Happily for me, he felt significantly less stressed and grumpy than when he arrived too.
HarSPA Products
As you would expect from a luxury hotel, their spa products are also courtesy of high end beauty range Espa. But as I said before, this is no ordinary luxe spa, so you won’t be surprised to learn they are launching their own range of premium HarSpa products. Even better, they are made locally in Bath. Touches like this really set the HarSpa apart from it’s competition too.
We had planned to try out the rest of the spa facilities on my birthday earlier this week; sadly a large sprinkling of snow in the Cotswolds prevented us from being able to get there, and totally nixed my birthday plans. Our tour really impressed me though, and we certainly hope to head back to the HarSPA soon.
With special offers on spa packages and treatments to suit every budget this is one spa you should definitely visit. And if you do, make sure you book in to the hotel’s restaurant, The Jetty, too. It’s been gathering fantastic reviews and has won several awards since opening. It’s already gone on the very long LewisLoves list of places we need to try!
