Last month the Y Spa managed to tempt me out of Winter hibernation with the promise of luxurious warmth and relaxation on another level at their thermal spa. It did not disappoint!
The Y Spa, which is situated at Wyboston Lakes, had invited me to visit them at Christmas time to try out their ‘Escape For A Day’ package and Oliver and I had been counting down to it for months. You can’t predict English weather of course and so as the day dawned Cambridgeshire saw its first substantial snowfall in years. By the time we arrived it was a blizzard!
I did try and take a super cute totally cliched Instagrammable picture in the snow but I really don’t know how anyone pulls it off. Within 3 seconds my nose was bright red, my teeth were chattering and my hair was saturated. We rather wisely gave up and ran into the warmth!
After checking in and collecting our wristband locker keys (giving us access to plushy bathrobes and slippers) our first port of call was the Spa Cafe. Although breakfast wasn’t included in our chosen spa package we hadn’t managed to stop en route for any food due to the weather so we treated ourselves to some fresh pastries and drinks to set us up for the morning, which only cost a few pound each – not bad for a spa retreat!
I’ve been to the Y Spa once before in a large group of girlfriends which was a really fun way to spend a day and relaxing in its own way, but as we spent most of the day chattering away and being social we didn’t make the most of the chillout areas of the spa. On this occassion Oliver and I were both feeling rather sleep deprived and in need of some ‘me time’, so we headed straight to the relaxation rooms.
After a long drive in the snow I can’t tell you how good it was to warm my toes by a gently flickering fire, then climb into a warm bed and have a nap for 20 minutes. I wish we had a room like that at my workplace – taking myself off for an 11am powernap would be amazing!
Afterwards we headed to the ChillLounge with our Kindles to curl up in comfy egg shaped chairs and read for a while.
I’d forgotten how good it feels to get stuck into a good book and unwind without phone or tv distractions. Since I’ve been back home I’ve been making much more of an effort to go to bed earlier so that I can carry this on good habit and it has definitely been helping me get to sleep earlier.
After a very chilled morning we enjoyed a hot and cold buffet lunch in the Waterfront Restaurant which had lovely views out across the lake…
…and a seasonal visitor too!
I was about to start Veganuary at the time of our visit so I opted for the closest fit on the menu, a warming soup followed by vegetarian lasagne, whilst Oliver went for a classic roast with all the trimmings. We toasted our relaxing getaway with a crisp glass of Prosecco which felt exta luxurious enjoyed in our bathing robes!
As part of our spa package we each had one treatment included and had booked in our time slots well ahead of the date. However due to the inclement weather lots of guests had cancelled so we decided to make the most of our day by booking in some last minute additional treatments.
Oliver raved about his Soothing Scalp Treatment so much that it made me regret not opting for that one myself! Whilst he enjoyed a hand massage from the Men’s Treatment menu I opted for the Y Spa Fresh Face Treatment. If you’ve never had a facial before and you need to destress go book yourself one pronto, I find them utterly blissful! (Plus of course you end up with rejuvenated glowing skin that smells divine!)
For my second treatment I had a hot stone massage. I’ve always wanted to try one but wasn’t too sure what it actually involved as you only ever see a picture of someone lying down with three stones along their spine! What actually happens is that you lie face down under warm plush towels and the beauty therapist massages you with the hot stones in the palm of her hands. It’s an odd sensation at first but once I got used to it I found it very soothing.
My favourite part of the day had to be heading out into the open air heated eleven metre Hydrotherapy Pool… in the snow! The pool is toasty warm so you’re never in any danger of getting cold but it feels wonderful being outside in the elements and the added snowfall made it extra special that day.
Before we left, I made my way to the Y Spa shop with a voucher I’d been gifted so that I could pick out a treat from their Christmas selection. It was so hard to choose as they had goodies from some of my favourite tried and trusted skincare brands, but after much deliberation I chose a Neom Scented Candle set.
Both candles smell divine but I still haven’t lit them yet. Why? Because they’re so pretty. Isn’t that daft?!
Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary stay and gift voucher to spend at the Y Spa in return for hosting an ‘Instragram takeover’ on their feed that day to show my experience live as it happened. I have chosen to write a post on my personal blog because I really wanted to share it with you.
