Destination of the Month: Spa SPC at The Stoke Park Club

All over the globe, the spa industry is booming, and today’s savvy travelers are seeking out the best each destination has to offer. From old-world European mineral hot spring “cures” to modern day spas featuring the latest technology, it’s all just a plane ride—or mouse click—away. Every month, we profile one of our favorite spas, and whether international or domestic, each one is out of this world.

 

The Stoke Park Club & Spa (Spa SPC), Buckinghamshire, Great Britain



In honor of the release of the latest James Bond movie, Casino Royale, which hits theaters later this month, we headed to a spa that has ties to the world of 007—and would be the perfect place for some post-mission R&R. Located less than an hour outside of London, The Stoke Park Club is a historic, 350-acre property that includes a five-star 21-room hotel, top-notch restaurants, a membership golf club, and a spa that’s routinely voted among the best in England. Bond movies like “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “Goldfinger” have filmed here, and Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant shot the memorable “mini-break” scene from “Bridget Jones’ Diary” in the hotel’s Pennsylvania Suite.

 

Set apart from the main house in it’s own pavilion, the Spa SPC is much more than your typical hotel offering. Upon entry, guests are escorted to the locker room to change into robes and slippers; if there’s time before their appointment, they can enjoy the adjacent swimming pool, steam room or drench shower. Client forms are filled out in the spacious atrium, where guests relax on plush couches with a glass of fresh juice or pot of herbal tea as fish swim around in the wall-sized aquarium. Then it’s on to one of ten cozy treatment rooms—including one hydrotherapy suite—for services; afterwards, blissed-out clients can chill as long as they want in one of two Deep Relaxation rooms, which are outfitted with duvet-covered days beds and massaging armchairs. Warning: Be sure to let an attendant know if you’re on a time schedule, since it’s easy to fall fast asleep in these warm, dimly-lit lairs.

 

While the vast space and luxurious touches are enough to set Spa SPC apart, it’s the treatments that are the real stars. In place of standard European fare, the menu exhibits a number of Asian influences. Holistic Thai line Ytsara is used in the Tropical Flower Facial, which includes marma point massage and organic ingredients like lotus flower, tamarind, papaya, and white orchid. Other services, like the Ta Squay Eye Treatment, incorporate Ayurvedic scalp massage, while body treatments like the Tanaka Golden Triangle Body Cleansing, Akhasa Anti-Aging Mask and Samunprai Herbal Heat Energizer Massage feature ancient Thai remedies like tanaka tree powder, bamboo shoot concentrate or herbal poultices. Spa SPC is also one of the only places in the world to offer Prada facials, starring the Italian designer’s coveted skincare line. Available in 60- and 90-minute versions, the skin treatments use exfoliation, acupressure, lymphatic massage, and antioxidant-packed botanical products to leave complexions hydrated and glowing.

 

Men’s and maternity services, a hair salon, a well-stocked boutique, and high-tech workout facilities are also available to spa and hotel guests. For more information on Stoke Park Club and to view the complete spa menu, see www.stokeparkclub.com.

--Sandra Ramani

 

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