USP Pennyhill’s spa is huge – the sprawling complex at the back of the hotel is not as pretty as the hotel’s ivy-clad façade but its facilities more than make up for what it lacks in aesthetics.

It has 21 treatments rooms, indoor pool with underwater music, outdoor pools, herbal sauna, aromatic steam room, outdoor and indoor Jacuzzis, and a host of fun Roman-style rooms such as a tepidarium and a laconium (warm rooms with heated tiled seats or beds).

There’s also an ice room that has the usual bucket of ice cubes plus two ice walls that entice the brave to stand against them before immersing themselves back into the heat of the steam room next door.

AMBIENCE The treatment rooms were large, with granite surfaces and clean lines softened by a candlelit glow and warm lighting. The treatment tables were comfortable and stable, so they didn’t wobble during the massage, and the waffle towels were soft and pure white.

Bamford Hay Barn Spa, Gloucs

Is this Cotswolds retreat Britain's best new day spa? Armed with a video, Alice Fishburn finds out

• The Good Spa Guide: Day

Ask our expert: wheelchairs and spas

Miranda Allard advises a reader on where to find spas with wheelchair access

• Ask our expert: a day spa in Mallorca?

Background

• Top 5 exotic detox retreats

• Top 5 serene retreats

• Top 5 adventure retreats

• Top 10 breaks to get you out of a rut

• 10 classic lifestyle holidays

Related Internet Links

• Find more spas in the South East

My two therapists were both quick to ask whether I was happy with the temperature and floaty spa music, which was pleasant but forgettable, as I suppose it should be.

The rest of the spa and Thermal Suite was clean and modern, but a little busy because I visited on a weekend. There were jugs of water everywhere, lots of fresh towels and the changing room deserves a mention – it was vast with generous lockers, powerful showers, hair dryers and hair straightners, and even a swinging chair.

There’s a gym, exercise studio with a sprung floor and classes including pilates, yoga and body sculpt. There’s personal training on offer for £70 an hour and fitness training in the pool for £50 for 40 minutes. If you want to burn off calories outdoors there’s a nine-hole golf course, tennis court, clay pigeon shooting and archery on offer

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE Spending and hour or two using the spa’s facilities before or after a treatment is a must – dipping between warm and cold experiences helps to open the pores and relax the muscles which means you should get more out of your treatment. It also means the spa is better value because you get so much more for your money.

I had a Kodo massage using Li’Tya products to start and then a Terrake facial – using two of the three product ranges used in the spa.

The former is an Australian range of products that uses native plants and essences of Aboriginal beliefs about wellbeing. The Kodo treatment started with what she called a “smudging ceremony” when a pleasant smelling leaf was burnt in a pot. The rest of the treatment was less left-field – a choice of oils depending on which aroma I preferred and a good massage that didn’t shy away from working on my knotted shoulders.

The facial was good, but didn’t start with a ritual owing to the change of products. It included a cleanse, exfoliation, massage, mask that peeled off and a neck and shoulder massage while the mask sunk in.

For both treatments the therapists were professional – quietly spoken but confident so you were put at ease.

I spent 30 minutes lying on the heated beds of the laconium after the first treatment on the advice of my therapist, which kept my muscles warm after the massage and was a gentle introduction back to the real world.

IN CROWD Mostly 30-something couples and groups of women (but no raucous hen parties) and children under 16 are banned.

FOOD In the spa restaurant eating in your bathrobe is de rigeur. It’s a simple café-style layout next to the spa reception with a buffet selection and a la carte menu.

The menu incorporates organic ingredients, which may explain the price tag - £17.50 for fish and chips, £14 for a grilled steak sandwich and £15 for a chicken Caesar salad. The buffet was also steep at £18.50, but had a good spread of healthy fresh salads and nibbles. That said, there were plenty of unhealthy options, including cakes, muffins, biscuits and alcoholic drinks.

WALLET WATCH The Kodo massage lasts 60 minutes and costs £85. The Terrake facial lasts 60 minutes and costs £95 – there are four to choose from: anti-ageing, face hydration, anti-stress and detoxification and face nourishment.

NEED TO KNOW The Spa at Pennyhill Park Hotel, London Road, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5EU (01279 486100 www.exclusivehotels.co.uk); enquiries@thespa.uk.com

For more than 260 independent spa reviews click here: timesonline.co.uk/goodspaguide

Explore Travel

• Travel News

• Where To Stay

• Your Say

• Business Travel

• Best of Britain

• Travel Images

• Good Spa Guide

Times recommends

• Win a Zeppelin flight over London
• A first timer's guide to... Morocco
• The budget guide to the French Riviera