Sitting back in the warm bubbly water, I wasn’t bothered in the slightest that I was being rained on. There was something utterly blissful about sitting outside on a cold spring day in a warm jacuzzi as the rain poured down. Directly in front of me, just outside of the pool was an undercover snug area where a fire crackled away – giving off plumes of that gorgeous smokey smell. This was the ideal girl’s weekend away.
I was in the Brimstone spa in Ambleside, a true hidden gem in the Lake District. My friend and I had popped here for two nights in a luxury suite where we could wander over to the spa, enjoy fabulous treatments, eat, drink and explore the local scenery.
The perfect girl’s weekend
I’m lucky enough that over the years I have visited quite a few spas, but Brimstone will always stand out for me. When you walk in, you’re greeted by the lovely staff who hand over a bag of smelling salts to add to your foot baths. There’s a heat journey to go on too, not just a sauna and steam room, but experiences ranging from a lava room to a laconium (heated beds), Himalayan salt steam and the foot spas.
We started out our girl’s weekend by going through the journey, trying to stick to the order they advise when you arrive at the spa. After two hours of pure relaxation, we then headed to the waiting area to meet our therapists. Both my friend and I had a full body massage, with a therapist who was well-trained in the art of releasing stress and tension.
The spa deli was the next stop, where they served up sharing boards that included both meat and veggie options. Lounging around with a plate of picky bits in a dressing gown whilst sipping on sparkling wine is probably one of my favourite pastimes!
Amazing views
The spa is located in an area of outstanding beauty in the Lakes and our room took full advantage of that vista. Opening up the balcony doors, you’re staring out at the treetops where birds and squirrels are waiting to say hello. The picturesque hills sit in the background, beyond the hotel’s own lake below.
One of the most surprising perks when staying at the Brimstone was the service. After our very busy day at the spa, we went back to the room to get ready for dinner when there was a knock on the door. A mixologist stood there with a shaker, glasses and ingredients ready to make us their own delicious bespoke cocktail. If you fancied a drink after that too before dinner, the Reading Room in the hotel offers complimentary wine and snacks. Yum!
Time to eat
We had dinner at the on-site Stove restaurant. And I kid you not when I say this, we both agreed that the pizzas we had there for dinner were the best we’d ever had. The food was really delicious, from the starters to the puddings – I could honestly not recommend it enough.
The Brimstone is a real slice of luxury, perfect for a girl’s weekend. It’s not the cheapest, but for a treat away you really can’t go wrong. To find out more and to book visit their website here.
We have lots of great travel spots we’ve explored, read more about them here.
The Joy 