The spa experience
Newly renovated as of October
2020, Buxton Crescent Hotel, on the edge of the Peak District, is exactly what we all need right now: easy to reach by train, affordable and with a banging spa. Seriously, we can’t emphasise enough how amazing the spa is – it’s impossible to visit and not feel less anxious/stressed/ tired (delete as appropriate). For starters, there are three pools, including a refurbished Victorian number filled with Buxton’s healing mineral-rich thermal water – very similar to the ones in Bath, only better because it’s not as busy – plus an indoor-tooutdoor rooftop swimming experience. The treatments are lush, too. Try a therapeutic thermal mud pack warmed to 40°C, which will leave you with skin as soft as a baby’s, while a pro-sleep massage does what it says on the tin thanks to essential oils and a tranquil soundtrack. We’re also very much here for the maximalist chandeliers, painted ceilings, stained-glass windows and glamorous rooms and suites, some of which have four-poster beds and freestanding baths. Dreamy.