First Impressions
Sopwell House sits on the outskirts of the Cathedral city of St Albans, making it the perfect place to visit for a day or even a weekend. I had seen the renovations Sopwell House had gone through to create this new, incredible spa and I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted to experience it. There are two distinct areas to the Spa. Cottonmill is part of the original hotel and facilities include an indoor pool, two vitality pools, a sauna, steam room, and a state of the art gym. However, for a taste of real luxury, make sure you book The Club at Cottonmill. This haven is perfectly private in a walled garden with only the trees and bird song for company. It features a spa garden, Garden room, Whisper room, 2 saunas, 2 steam rooms, hot tubs, indoor and outdoor pools, and Deep Relaxation room.
Rooms
To visit The Club at Cottonmill you have to either stay in a Mews Suites or be a club member. This made me want to stay in a Mews Suite so I could make the most of the spa facilities available at the hotel. The Mews Suites are separate from the main hotel, and are set within a stunning landscaped garden created by an RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace flower show gold award winner. In the communal garden is a hydro pool where you can relax in at your own leisure too. The suites are all individually designed and you can choose from a cosy room for 2 or a cottage. They include features such as fireplaces, four-poster beds, in-room baths, private terraces, and cedar wood spa baths.
Spa
Walking into the spa on our first day, was the best experience and I instantly felt relaxed and calm but also excited to try our all the different experiences. The spa is split across 2 floors with a different sauna and steam room on each and lots of areas to unwind. The indoor, outdoor pool was a great feature and most people spent their time relaxing here. You could even order drinks to the pool, so you could sip away on a glass of champagne whilst floating around in the water. You get access from 12 on the day you check in and they stay open till late in the evening. My best tip is return back around 7:30/8pm (we decided to just get room service so popped back to our room for a while) as everyone else had gone to dinner, so we had the whole place to ourselves.
Dining
We arrived on time for lunch on our first day, so headed straight to one of their restaurants, the Conservatory Bar. Here you could order sandwiches, wraps, salads and more, which was the perfect amount for a lunch time meal. During our time in the spa we ordered a selection of drinks which they bring straight to you, which was the perfect touch. That evening, we decided to just stay in our room and get cosy with room service. This was a great idea as it meant we could continue our day of relaxation in our dressing gowns and not have to worry about getting dressed up. For breakfast the next day, we headed to The Brasserie, where you can help yourself to anything you could possibly think and want of for breakfast.
Overall Impression
I absolutely loved Sopwell house spa and will definitely return. I went with my partner, which was lovely, however I also think it would make a great getaway as a girls trip. The service was always friendly, the food delicious and the spa facilities were one of the best I have been too. It is quite expensive for a spa break, however you definitely get what you pay for and it was worth every penny. I would definitely recommend staying in a Mews Suite as you will want to experience The Club at Cottonmill and the room was just what we needed for a night away. For an indulgent, luxury and exceptional spa, it doesn’t get much better than this.
For more spa stays, check out our article about the best spas in the UK, and our review of Fawsley Hall Spa.
