'This was an amazing spa break deal and the hotel exceeded our expectations!'
I was looking for a hotel with a spa to stay at with a friend (and fellow nutritionist) half way between where we both live. The town in the middle was Bridgend in the south of Wales and that is how we came across the Heronston Hotel and Spa.
We booked ourselves in for two back to back Schmootiful Spa Breaks (Tuesday 27th Feb - Thursday 29th Feb, 2024) at a price of £85 per person, per night. This included:
Twin bed hotel room
Evening meal (Choice of restaurant or bar, £18 per person/night allowance)
Buffet breakfast
Use of spa facilities
25 minute spa treatment (1 per night booked)
Robes and slippers
Fresh spa towels when required
I had low expectations for the hotel and the bedrooms due to previous hotel experiences for deals of the same price. However, I was really happy to find that it went above and beyond my expectations. The two reception staff checking us in were lovely and I felt able to ask all of my questions. The bedroom was much more luxurious than I had imagined and I relaxed more than I expected during my stay.
The Hotel
Hotel Entrance - Image from Travel Weekly
We arrived at Bridgend via train and had lunch in the Corvo Lounge a few minutes from the station. After lunch we walked the 25 minute walk to the hotel. It was flat but some of the roads were tricky to cross due to the amount of traffic.
We then arrived at the hotel and from the outside it did look a little run down but inside I was surprised to see that the reception area, restaurant, bar and most of the bedrooms had been newly refurbished.
Bar Area - Image from Bridgend Business Forum
Having arrived an hour earlier than check-in we left our bags in the storage area and headed down the road to the local supermarket to pick up some supplies.
When we came to check-in it was really nice to be served by two members of staff who were both lovely, had big smiles and answered all of our questions. It did take a little while to check-in but one of the members of staff was new so it was understandable.
The Bedroom
Twin Bedroom (Similar Layout) - Image taken from Expedia
The bedroom can make or break a trip away and we were super pleased that it exceeded our expectations. It was a medium sized room with twin beds, wardrobe, suitcase rack, desk, TV, table & chairs and bathroom.
There were complementary tea & coffee making facilities, pencil & paper and shower products. Room service was available at £5 per tray if required.
The bed was comfy and the shower was nice and warm with good pressure. You could open the window to allow fresh air in but unfortunately we had a fan/air vent outside our window which was quite loud. However, the noise was continuous and I did learn to ignore it. The heating could be adjusted but even when it was off and the window was open it still felt very warm to sleep. However, by taking the duvet out of the duvet cover it did allow me to get a good nights sleep. We has no noise disturbance by people passing our door or being in any of the adjoining rooms.
We would both happily stay in this room again.
The Evening Meal
Restaurant - Image from Visit Wales
The food in both the resultant and bar was very mixed in terms of quality. Some dishes were cheap and flavourless, while others were tasty and of much better quality.
It was lovely to have a large choice of dishes to choose from and we liked the ambiance of both the restaurant and bar. Upon asking a waiter to make a dish dairy free and to not have the garlic sauce over the vegetables I was surprised that it was no bother at all. This felt great as I am usually met with an eye role and they would have to check with the chef, but not here!
The food did take a long time to come and we overhead a number of guests saying the same thing. I would recommend going at least half an hour before you would like to eat.
The staff were polite and on hand the entire time if we did ever need anything.
The Buffet Breakfast
We were not quite sure what was going to happen for breakfast and we were pleased to see it was buffet style. I asked for gluten free toast and it was brought to the table.
The buffet breakfast was made up of pastries, toast, yogurt, fruit, pancakes, cooked breakfast (i.e. beans, hash browns, sausages), fruit juice and tea and coffee station. It was nice to be able to load ourselves up with the food and drink we wanted and it was a really pleasant experience that we enjoyed together.
The Spa
Spa (old image with working jacuzzi and different loungers) - Image from Best Western
We got changed for the spa in our room (swim-ware, robe and slippers) and then had to head down to reception to switch our room key for the spa key. This was a little frustrating that we had to go to reception in our robes to get the key but we asked for 2 keys in the end that meant that we only had to go to reception twice a day.
Upon entering the spa you go through the female, male or disabled changing rooms (showers, toilets, lockers and swimsuit drying machine) and out into the main spa.
In the main spa there was a sauna, steam room, poolside shower, medium sized pool, loungers and jacuzzi (not working). The spa had a very low level of light, creating a relaxed environment.
The spa was very quiet with just 1-3 couples per day on spa packages and a few club members who came in for a short while. This allowed us to enjoy having our own loungers for the day. We were able to leave our things out and come back and relax on them whenever we felt like it. The poolside was warm and it was so nice during the cold days of February to lie with our books and relax as if we were by the pool abroad.
The pool was quite cold but it was nice after spending a lot of time in the sauna. It was big enough to swim lengths but the water was a bit cloudy for my liking.
The sauna was one of the best things at the hotel, it was very hot but I enjoyed going back and forth to the cold shower in cycles. With it being so quiet my friend and I often had it to ourselves, allowing for a deeper level of relaxation.
I would defiantly go back again as it was very relaxing, but hopefully next time the jacuzzi and shower will be fixed and the steamroom given a good clean.
The Treatments
We both had treatments on our second day (a head massage) and the final morning (a facial). We both found them to be relaxing but one of the beauticians didn’t have her heart in the job as much as the other two.
While I left feeling relaxed, the head massage focused less on the head than I imagined. It was a mixture between an oily facial and a neck and head massage. Within the half an hour it would have been nice to have had more work done on my head. With the first treatment while the room was nice and the music was relaxing, the towel I was given to cover myself with was too small (I am 5 foot, 3). I would have been nice to have been wrapped in a thicker and longer towel. However, as I said I did leave feeling relaxed and enjoyed a short nap by the poolside afterwards.
The second treatment of a facial was much better for me than the head massage but I did swap beauticians with my friend (who’s facial was not as good). I didn’t have any skin problems and therefore the beautician choose for me. She opted for an oily skin routine, which I probably would not have chosen having seen the other options after my treatment. If you are going for a facial it might be worth asking to have a look at the options first and choosing. I think I would have opted for the anti-aging option that was packed with vitamins. However, I did really enjoy the facial, the towel was longer the second time round and I felt nice and relaxed again once it was finished.
Below is a quick list of the pros and cons
List of Pros
Newly refurbished hotel & bedroom
Comfy beds
Friendly reception staff
Buffet breakfast
Hot, woody sauna
Comfortable poolside loungers (good enough to have a nap)
Free water available in the spa
Really lovely local club members who want to have a chat
Lovely treatment from 2 of the beauticians
Replacement room and spa towels provided
Value for money!
List of Cons
Evening meals could have had more flavour and been of better quality overall (the soup of the day and the almond tart were both extremely cheaply made and of poor quality, while the pizza and fish and chips were both lovely).
Having a spa key for the entire stay (having to go back and swap for the room key at reception was frustrating).
Steam room had an unpleasant smell.
Pool water was cloudy.
The jacuzzi was broken.
The shower only offered cold or extra cold.
One of the beauty therapists was not as dedicated to her job as the other two, resulting in a poorer service. However, two of the beauticians were fantastic.
Tips and Tricks
Ask for 2 room keys as this will mean you only have to switch your spa key for a room key in the morning and evening.
Ask for your treatment on the day that you leave. This will give you access to the spa on the day that you leave, after you have checked out.
Ask for the list of facial options before going into the treatment room.
Conclusion
We were incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to make the most of this spa break deal and we were really impressed with the hotel and our newly refurbished twin bedroom. While a number of things let it down we would both still highly rate the hotel as it was peaceful, the staff were helpful, we both deeply relaxed and have come home feeling like we have had a mini holiday. A two night stay was the perfect amount of time for both of use and now having experiences a two night spa trip it would be hard to go back to one!
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Happy Puzzling!