Beyond the holistic spa menu, the award-winning facilities also span thermal cabins, a post-treatment relaxation room, a large lounge with a skincare mixology bar, and a separate brasserie serving a seasonal menu. The treatments, which use Natural Spa Factory or 111SKIN products and oil blends, are well thought-out and beautifully calming for body and mind. On the other side of this feature, a dimly lit lounge area sets the tone for the calm ambience, with curtains drawn, rugs padding the carpet and flickering candles. One place you might not expect to find a mammoth fireplace is the swimming pool, though this 20-metre masterpiece (which runs directly into an outdoor hydrotherapy pool) does in fact boast a limestone-clad one that lines the water itself, bringing the atmosphere of the manor house to its most modern addition and adding an intimate quality to the large, glass-roofed atrium. Anya MeyerowitzĪddress: The Langley, Avenue Dr, Uxbridge Rd, Iver, Slough S元 6DU Price: Doubles from £435 per nightĪ 90-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of the city, Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa sits at the end of a tree-flanked driveway dotted with original 18th-century features, squashy furniture and colossal fireplaces. Outside, just metres from the wicker cabanas that line the river flowing past the hotel, a wonderfully-heated outdoor pool sits, shaded from the breeze by a wall of trees and vibrant plantlife, and equally as well-equipped with sunbeds, towels and a water machine. There is also a large jacuzzi area complete with hammams, various jets and relaxation rooms, creating a spacious central zone, while a private VIP suite with a vitality pool, a juniper sauna and amethyst crystal steam room, a hair, beauty and mani-pedi lounge, relaxation rooms, ladies-only thermal spa, a gym including personal training sessions and a café complete the outfit. A feat of modern design at the roots of one rooted in history, the centrepiece here is the 16-metre indoor pool, clad in glittering mosaic and surrounded by sumptuous beds. And though the myriad turrets and courtyards of the latter are grander in many ways, what this five-star hotel has that we very much doubt is present at the palace is a 1,600 square metre underground spa. Once home to the Duke of Marlborough – whose official seat was Blenheim Palace – The Langley nestles in parkland just 15 minutes from another regal residence, Windsor Castle.

Spa day break