The Brine Baths Review, UK

Spa Baths — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:19:13 +0000

The Brine Baths in Droitwich Spa, England are fed by the historic towns natural salt water spring. The waters are not naturally thermal but heated for an enjoyable and relaxing bathing experience. The waters are said to have beneficial health properties, and are in fact owned by the adjoining private hospital. On the surface, the brine baths appear like a fairly mediocre local swimming pool with very basic changing rooms and showers. You have to book in advance and will have two wait at the poolside in the providing robe until your session begins. When you do enter the pool you’ll be offered a protective gel to cover any wounds that you may have. It’s a good thing because even with it the salt can cause a strong sting. Despite this, the salt really use the highlight here at the Brine Baths. Its concentrations are so high that you float effortlessly and find it virtually impossible to stand upright. It is a strange but enjoyable experience that certainly makes a trip to the brine baths one to remember.

Unfortunately, that really is where the positives end. The pool building is extremely basic and a bit dated, and showers didn’t work properly on our visit. The worst thing though is the atmosphere, which feels more like a hospital ward than a spa, and has an uncomfortable tension in the air with the rather serious pool attendants watching over to make sure that nobody is having too much fun.

Other Facilities

The Brine Baths in Droitwich Spa also have a small sauna, and if you book in advance you can have a simple but tasty cold lunch, although slightly oddly you’ll have to eat it off plastic garden furniture at the poolside after your session.

Best Thing

Experience almost uncontrollable floating in the natural salt waters.

Worst Thing

The clinical atmosphere makes it hard to relax and have a good time.

Top Tip

Make sure that you don’t have any open wounds, as sting like crazy in the salt and could leave you with a scar, despite the protective gel provided.

Summary

The Brine Baths in Droitwich Spa provide an unusual and memorable experience. But apart from the warm water and extremely high salt content, it’s really nothing special and is let down by a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere.

Rating:

Setting: 1/5

Architecture: 1/5

Ambience: 0/5

Facilities: 1/5

Value: 0/5

TOTAL: 3/25 (0 stars)

For more information, visit: www.brinebath.co.uk

Find out how we rate thermal baths.

The Droitwich Spa Brine Baths are currently closed. See news for more information.

Thermae Bath Spa Review, UK

Spa Baths — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:56:42 +0000

Thermae Bath Spa, opened in 2006 restored the ancient city of Bath to its former glory as Britain’s only thermal spa town. The new baths are housed in modern complex in the centre of the city, adjacent to the ancient roman baths and pump rooms. The new building is clean and refined, and blends beautifully with the surrounding historic buildings.

Thermae Bath Spa

Inside the baths you will find two thermal pools (indoor and outdoor) at approximately 35.5C, cooled from the 45C at which it exits the ground. Somehow it didn’t feel as hot as it claimed when we visited, but it was pleasantly warm and coupled with the calm atmosphere you’re sure to have a very relaxing visit. Unusually, due to its confined city centre location, the spa is built vertically with pools on the ground floor and the rooftop, and steam rooms, changing rooms, treatment rooms and the cafe located on the floors in between.

The indoor pool features a pleasant bubble pool and a powerful massage jet for your head and shoulders, as well as a lazy river . The uplighters in the floor of the pool project a subtle, dappled light onto the curved ceiling of the pool that becomes even more atmospheric as they dim the main lights in the evening.

The outdoor pool is a real highlight though, located on the rooftop, with views over the top of the city to the surrounding hills. Its the perfect place to relax in the spas warm waters and enjoy the jacuzzi seats and the massage jet. If you visit in the evening then you can lie back and watch the sun go down over the city.

Other Facilities:

In addition to the main pools, there is a gorgeous steam room where you will find herbal scented steam chambers with hot stone benches to sit or lie on. The center of the room features a giant hot shower fed by the thermal spring. The powerful jets are quite harsh but give a good massage. For further relaxation there are foot baths in which to calm your tired feet.

For additional fees there are a range of over 50 treatments and massages available including Hot Stone therapies, Thermal treatments, featuring the Vichy Shower and Watsu, and ‘Kraxen’ Stove.

The cafe is nicely presented and serves a range of good quality snacks and light meals. The windows catch the evening sun and so its a great place to sit and relax if you’re there later in the day.

Summary:

Thermae Bath Spa is surely a very good thermal spa with its beautiful architecture and stunning settings in the heart of the historic city, but falls short due to a lack of attention to detail. Overall a great experience that you won’t quickly forget.

Best thing:

Views from the rooftop pool really make the baths a special experience.

Worst thing:

A lack of attention to detail spoils the visit with a catalogue of trivial irritations. By the time you have figured out how to open the door of your cubicle and found your way to the pools, it’s almost time to leave, but the clocks have no numbers on and by now your digital wrist band has probably fallen off. We could go on, but we’d be here all night.

Top Tip:

Take the twilight package in spring or autumn. It’s not only the best value package at Thermae Bath Spa (includes dinner, robe+towel), but you can watch the sunset from the rooftop pool, and thanks to the reflection in the pools glass railings, you get a beautiful double sunset effect.

Rating:

Setting: 5/5

Architecture: 4/5

Ambience: 4/5

Facilities: 4/5

Value: 2/5

TOTAL: 19/25 (3 stars)