NEW FOREST

WHAT? Lime Wood WHERE? Lyndhurst, New Forest HOW MUCH? Rooms from £345 per night; limewoodhotel.co.uk WHO? Claire Sanderson, Editor WHY THIS SPA? It’s the little touches that really set this spa hotel apart: soft lights that turn on automatically when you walk into bathrooms, indulgent Bamford toiletries, Hunter wellies in every size and colour of the rainbow available to borrow so you can explore the grounds. And the superattentive staff are there to ensure you take full advantage of it all. But it’s the Herb House Spa that’s the real jewel in Lime Wood’s crown. There’s an outdoor hot tub, indoor lap pool, a large hydrotherapy area with a hot stone big enough for four people to lie on without pressing too much flesh (because you get enough of that on your commute) and a generously proportioned steam room and sauna. The spa’s Raw & Cured cafe serves fresh, healthy dishes and juices – but there’s champagne and cake available too if you fancy it. GO FOR THE… Deep Tissue Massage – but beware: this hour-long treatment is not for the faint-hearted. I resisted the urge to beg the therapist to stop as she worked furiously to iron out the knots in my upper back. She told me the lymph nodes on the back of my knees were blocked – which is common in people who weight train – and said it felt like she was ‘popping plastic bubble wrap’ as she worked up the back of legs. It wasn’t exactly a relaxing experience – more like an exercise in endurance – but that’s just the type of massage I love. And I definitely felt looser and more agile afterwards. SPECIAL MENTION Love running in nature? Go solo or enlist a personal trainer from the gym to take on one of the resort’s running paths.