USP Victor - the spa’s manager and guru is a trendy-specced 50-year-old therapist who has Thai-Filipino roots and grew up in LA. He has devised holistic treatments for the hallowed Chiva Som resort in Thailand and worked at Babington House in Somerset where he rubbed shoulders (literally) with everyone from Kate Moss to Matt Lucas. He has a detailed, rhythmic style that fuses techniques (Thai, Shiatsu, Filipino and Javanese) garnered from his 20 years’ global experience.

AMBIENCE From the outside the Bedruthan Steps Hotel has an undisguised utilitarian look but who cares when it has killer views of Mawgan Porth beach and a five-star character and conscience to boot (the hotel is hot on sustainable practice). The Ocean spa, to the side of the indoor swimming pool, has a small reception area and a couple of treatment rooms. There’s also a steam room, sauna, whirlpool and cool-off pool. The wet area is a bit frayed at the edges and, at least when I visited, overrun with unsupervised kids. The whole spa is due for a makeover.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE Victor’s signature treatment – Maharlika massage therapy - started with a warm damp towel wrapped around my head and face – with the narrowest of spaces for breathing. It was a bit claustrophobic but a sort of test of trust. I survived – we moved on. Maharlika was originally designed as a ritual to treat royalty during the Spanish era in the Philippines. Victor’s careful arrangement of my limbs made me feel like human origami. He made solid use of his forearms pushing them into my back, and worked my legs like a skilled carpenter uses a plane. The “relaxing” oil from the organic Arcania Apothecary range, handmade on a farm in Somerset, was in keeping with the hotel’s “green” ethos and did its job – I scarcely registered the occasional plane bound for nearby St Mawgan airport.

The next day, after a spectacular walk on the coastal path, I had a lime and ginger salt foot scrub – which tickled between the toes but left my “plates [of meat]” gleaming.

FOOD The spa has Cornish bottled water. The Indigo Bay restaurant is a showcase of locally sourced food, which might include wild garlic picked freshly by the chef. There’s natural undyed smoked Newlyn haddock with Trevean farm free-range eggs for breakfast. The wine list has couple of English wines - though the Beenleigh “Red table Wine” from Sharpham Vineyard is richly (over)priced at £49 a bottle - and there’s bottled Cornish ales and cider in the boutique bar. Rooms have Clipper tea and coffee and Fairtrade sugar.

IN CROWD Temporarily free mums, having dropped the children off at one of the many supervised activities. Chiva Som this is not but the car park is brimming with German made 4x4s.

WALLET WATCH VIP Ocean Maharlika – signature massage (£60 for 70 minutes); a Maharlika head massage is £40 for 40 minutes and the Ocean Spa Top to Toe (£117 for 2 hours).

NEED TO KNOW Ocean Spa, the Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall (01637 860555; www.bedruthan.com)

Times recommends

• October: the time for foodie breaks to France
• The 10 best winter sun music festivals
• Your Say Pick of the Week – Oct 6