Spa-rring partners
GEMMA JALEEL AND HER HUSBAND ENJOY A LUXURIOUS AND STRESS-FREE STAY AWAY FROM THE KIDS IN FORMBY
IT’S a cliché, but when you’re married with kids it can be hard enough finding the time to go to the bathroom on your own, let alone spending time with your partner.
So a relaxing massage and an overnight stay for the hubby and I at Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa sounded like a much-needed break from arguing with our threenager (that’s what comes after the terrible twos) about which colour socks she wants to wear.
Set in almost 200 acres of parkland, Formby Hall has four-star facilities including a spa and health club and is currently undergoing a £2.4m refurbishment.
The Merseyside resort is also home to two golf courses including the 72 par 18-hole championship Old Course and PGA Golf Academy which brings visitors from all over Europe.
The newly refurbished luxury spa, including a dedicated bistro, is housed in the building opposite the hotel on the first floor.
After hitting traffic on the journey, we arrived a little late for our spa appointments but the staff were extremely friendly and understanding, taking us straight to the dimly lit and calming treatment room so we could undress and change into our fluffy robes.
We were booked in for a full body massage which lasted around an hour and was so relaxing I didn’t want it to end. My masseuse’s hands were like velvet and it was so good to unwind and switch off from the world.
All spa visitors have use of the modern leisure and thermal suite which includes a heated swimming pool, three new treatment rooms, a new Himalayan salt sauna, experience showers, steam room and heated loungers.
After a glass of fizz in the bistro, we went for a dip in the pool and a relax in the heated whirlpool, before finally sweating the stress out in the sauna for as long as we could.
I was impressed with the facilities although there were some tiny things which I didn’t expect to look tired considering the revamp, like a few missing tiles in the spa pool and rusty brackets in the changing rooms.
Although this didn’t take anything away from the overall experience.
Then it was time to check into the hotel. We were staying in one of the new double loft classic bedrooms.
The room was spacious and bright, the decor luxurious, but the most impressive part was the bathroom, with a rain shower washing down on you from the ceiling and amazing shiny waterfall taps which doubled as shelves.
For our evening meal, we wandered through the lobby to the revamped Fairway Grill bar and restaurant and were seated looking out on to the 18th green through huge windows offering stunning views right across the golf course.
The food was delicious. I opted for salt and pepper tempura king prawns (£8.95) to start, a juicy sirloin steak and hand cut chips (£25.50) with a side of Cajun battered onion rings (£3.50) and finished with an extremely rich banana and Baileys crème brûlée (£7.50).
After dinner we enjoyed a cocktail masterclass with mixologist Will, learning all about how to make the perfect gin-jito with Formby Gin.
A few Pornstar Martinis and Amaretto Sours later and it was time to head back to the room.
The breakfast buffet in the morning was the perfect answer for a slightly foggy head – and what a spread it was. As hotel breakfasts go, this was one of the best I’ve ever had. The sausages were my favourite, extremely tasty.
Set for the day, we headed out to play some golf. Having played the Old Course several times, my hubby decided to try out the links style nine-hole par three Woodhey Dunes course – and the best bit was I was in charge of driving the golf buggy!
My hubby was impressed with the course which is a good little test of iron and chipping and very enjoyable to play, plus he holed a 20ft putt, which he was extremely pleased about.
To round off our stay, we enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea (from £19.95 each) with a glass of prosecco and fresh sandwiches, sultana scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam and of course a selection of indulgent cakes. And with a last gulp of freshly brewed tea, it was time to check back into the reality of parenthood.
We left feeling rejuvenated and relaxed – one thing is certain, the hubby and I will definitely be booking another spa weekend away.