'A very lovely old English hotel with lavish bedrooms, tasty food and relaxing treatments'
Living near to Bishopstrow House and Spa I had been told about it numerous times before but assumed from the website that it was overpriced for what we were going to get. However, I was very wrong it was a very lovely old English hotel with very lavish bedrooms, tasty food and relaxing treatments.
We booked ourselves in for their Winter Spa Break (Feb, 2023) at a price of £120 per person, per night. This included:
Luxurious Hotel Room (Kingsized Bed)
Evening Meal (£30pp Food Allowance)
Breakfast (Table Service, Cooked or Continental)
Use of Spa & Gym
25 Minute Treatment
Robes & Slippers
Local Walks
The Hotel
The hotel looked lovely from the outside and it was great to see in the reception area that it has won recent awards.
The hotel had two lounges, multiple dining rooms, gym, large spa (indoor and outdoor experiences, lovely grounds and local walks (walking guides on request at reception).
The two lounges were open for you to have a drink, play board games, read a book and relax. Mum and I made use of one of the lounges to relax and read our books on our final day. We were allowed to use the spa until 12 noon and then we wanted to make the most of the hotel and the time to relax so I treated myself to pineapple juice and Mum to a cup of tea and we settled down for a few hours of relaxation and reading...it was bliss!!
The decor of the hotel was really unusual, it felt luxurious but with really unusual bits of art, wallpapers and ornaments that made it a fun and interesting place to be.
The Bedroom
The hotel room was the nicest room I have ever stayed in! I felt like a princess and could not believe how small Mum looked when she was tucked up bed. I felt like I was staying the night in a National Trust house or in a movie.
I really liked that there were two comfy chairs to sit in and read a book or have a drink. One of the things I hate the most about most hotel rooms is that you generally have no choice but to sit on the bed all evening.
I really liked that both Mum and I had a separate mattress and duvet this meant that we both could move in the night without waking each other. Plus, I was not at risk of stealing all the covers and feeling guilty.
The only downside for me was that both pillows were duck feather and down which isn't great if you are sensitive like me and it causes my nose to block up. However, I am sure if you ask they have alternative pillows and would request non-feather pillows during the booking process if I was to stay again.
I really liked the control we had over the heating and could get the room to the perfect temperature to sleep. You were also able to open the windows to let in some fresh air.
The room was really clean and well maintained with really luxurious and interesting decorative features.
I was very excited to experience a rolled-top bath for the first time, this really added extra luxury to the room. Plus, the bathroom floor was heated and the lighting in the whole room could be altered to just what you needed. I just wished that I had been able to have some extra time in the bath as 30 minutes before breakfast did feel a little rushed.
Overall, I loved the room it was pure luxury and look forward to staying in more rooms like this one again in the future.
The Evening Meal
I do not usually dress up for dinner when I visit a spa hotel but as I had not all dressed up for a long time I decided to go for it. I really enjoyed having a shower in the room, used the Dyson hair dryer provided and put on a little makeup and a pretty dress.
We then walked downstairs to dinner and were seated by a lovely waiter. We were asked if we wanted some water for the table to which I said yes. Remember here that you will get charged for it unless you ask for tap water. However, as I am not a wine drinker to me it felt like a treat. One other thing to note that we did not realise at the time is that drinks were not included within the dinner allowance. Just remember that if you book a deal to check.
I was really pleased that I was brought a special menu once I mentioned that I had food intolerances. It was the same layout but it had GF/+GF, DF/+DF, V/+V next to most of the dishes. It made me to feel calmer and more confident about making the decision of what I was going to have for dinner. I liked that they would go to the extra effort of making a dish gluten and/or dairy free and it felt like nothing was too much effort. There were lots of options for both starters and mains varying from your more traditional pub dishes to more à la carte options.
I was a little disappointed about the options for dessert, I really wanted something chocolaty but my only option was a fruit salad and sorbet. However, it was actually really yummy so I totally take it back! I loved that they sorted it out for me and they made sure I felt that I had something special.
The Breakfast
Mum and I really enjoyed our breakfast, the staff were once again really lovely which really added to the experience. We were offered hot drinks and juice, I had loose-leaf peppermint tea and pineapple juice. We both started with salad bowls, we said we were going to share but they brought two and I am glad they did as it felt like they were saying relax ladies you deserve one each. They also brought out a croissant each but unfortunately, I could not eat mine as it was not gluten and dairy-free, however, Mum happily enjoyed both.
We both went for a cooked breakfast which was really lovely. I really fancied hot chocolate and it was no bother for them to make me a dairy-free version. I left the table very full and very happy.
The Spa
The Spa - Image from Guides for Brides
Unlike other spas that I have been to the facilities were split into separate areas. One area with a sauna, steam room and monsoon shower was next to the spa reception area, treatment rooms, and relaxation area. Then if you wanted to access the pools, hot tubs and loungers you had to walk along the corridor and through the changing rooms to access them.
While, I would prefer that you could access all of the spa facilities in one area it did have its benefits. Firstly, it encouraged me to use the steam room and sauna in the Finish style, warming myself up and then using a cold shower to cool myself down in repeated cycles. This made me feel incredibly relaxed, yet energised. Secondly, it was nice to feel that we were not spending hours and hours in the same space as you got to move around the spa to different areas.
The sauna has some lovely music playing and the smell of the warm wood was relaxing and grounding. The steam room smelt fresh and clean something I really look out for as someone who tried to avoid mouldy spaces.
On the otherside of the spa was the indoor pool that you are able to see in the image above. We spent a little bit of time here but not as long as we did in other areas of the spa. They had loungers around the pool that were lovely to relax on for a short while and read my book but unfortunately the jacuzzi was full the majority of the time we were there so I did not get to test it out. The pool was a lovely size for relaxed swimming and a nice temperature (not too hot or cold). There were some children in the pool when were there which isn't what I am used to in a spa but they were well behaved and I did not mind.
Outside Pool - Image from Booking.com
The final section of the spa was outside where there was an outdoor pool (closed for winter) and a large outside jacuzzi. We went out a few times to access the outdoor jacuzzi but each time we went out it was being used by a large group celebrating a birthday party. We did manage to go in it for 10 minutes quickly before we left the spa for dinner and it was free early the next morning. Just be prepared that even in February you may not be able to use all of the facilities.
We then went back into the spa the next morning, we really made up for not spending very long in the outdoor hot tube the day before. We put on all of the jets after a club member showed us how, listened to the morning bird song and felt the sun on our faces. It was really lovely!
The one thing I would change about the spa is having to walk through the changing rooms to get to move between the two main sections of the spa. There were no changing cubicles just benches in the middle of the small room and this meant that most times when you walked through you would have to awkwardly pass someone trying to get changed. However, this alone would not stop me from going back.
The Treatments
To make the most of our time at Bishopstrow we asked for our treatments to be at 2pm even though our check-in for the room and spa was not until 3pm.
We went to the spa reception to check-in and were shown into a relaxation space, which was warm and dimly lit. I really liked that there were multiple places to sit and each seat looked inviting and comfortable. There was cold water on the table and it was lovely to sit with Mum and have a few minutes of relaxation before our treatment, allowing us time to get over the drive and arrival.
We were taken into individual rooms and asked to relax face-first onto the massage table. I am not sure if it is because I have had a number of massages now or it was a particularly great service, but it was the first time I had actually relaxed and enjoyed a massage completely. Previously, I would have been so worried about what to expect or it felt too weird to be rubbed in oil by a stranger that I could only half relax. I think the fact that the massage table was warm really helped and I enjoyed the music in the background.
The massage was really lovely, not too hard and not too soft. It felt like the therapist was getting blood and lymph to all the right places. When I got off the treatment bed I noticed how much calmer I felt and I even noticed how slowly I was moving compared to before the treatment.
After the treatment we were shown back into the relaxation area and enjoyed some time there before heading back to our rooms to get ourselves ready for the spa.
Grounds & Local Area
One of the greatest parts of the Bishipstrow hotel & spa is the local area. It is located right on the edge of Warminster town centre and it had a village-like feel to it. We asked for a copy of the hotel's suggested walks enjoyed a short talk over to the river and garden opposite the hotel which looked lovely in the sunshine (Image above). The area does need some work but it will one day be a real asset to the hotel.
After this, we started the 1 hour guided walk and both felt like children following a treasure map. The map was a little hard to follow at times so a map rather than just written words would have improved the experience but it was really cool to walk around some of the Salisbury plain with military vehicles and tanks moving from place to place.
One thing well worth doing while you are staying at Bishopstrow is to buy some eggs from the farm (Bishopstrow free range egg shed) a few metres from Bishopstrows entrance. They had free-range organic eggs for sale in a range of quantities at a really good price. You can pay online or in the cash box.
Mum and I are both local so we went to Bishipstrow for the spa, but if you are not local there are lots of great places to visit locally. Including: Longleat, Frome, Bath, Heaven's Gate, Shearwater and Cley Hill.
Below is a quick list of the pros and cons
List of Pros
Luxurious, large hotel room
Great restaurant with lovely food
Interesting hotel decor
Lovely and relaxing treatments
Use of lounge areas to relax in during and after you have checked out
Ground and local walks
List of Cons
Duck feather and down pillows in bedroom (I mildly react to real feathers)
Drinks were not included in our dinner allowance
Not being able to access the jacuzzi easily due to them being continuously used by large groups
Having to walk through the changing rooms to move between the two parts of the spa.
Tips and Tricks
If you react to feather pillows request alternative during the booking process.
Book your treatment in at 2pm on the day of arrival to extend your stay.
When offered water at the start of a meal it is a payable extra. If you want to avoid the added charge ask for tap water.
All drinks were a chargeable extra and not included in our dinner allowance. Check your deal before ordering drinks.
Ask at reception for walking guides.
Conclusion
We really enjoyed our stay at Bishopstrow House and Spa. It was the first time we have had the privilege of staying in such a lovely building with luxurious bedrooms. While the layout of the spa was a little annoying we will most certainly be keeping an eye out for future deals and look forward to visiting again in the future!
To view more of our recommended product, services and practitioners visit THP Recommends.
Happy Puzzling!