Where the Vogue team is checking in this month.
The Vogue Review: Eynsham Baths at Estelle Manor
What’s the vibe?
Five years in the making, the spa opening of Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, has been as anticipated as when the house itself opened earlier this year and it is absolutely worth the wait. A celebration of ancient rituals mixed in with a sprinkling of modern science, it’s a neoclassical Roman bath-inspired villa that houses 3,000 square metres of sublime spa space. Once checked in and escorted down the stairs through the changing rooms into the main Tepidarium, it’s hard to not be bowled over by the sheer scale and design feat of the fully marbled room, but it’s the little touches that really excel this spa experience into another league: ponchos replace robes as the attire of choice; the faint chanting that is played throughout the spa is almost imperceptible but subconsciously puts you into an immediately relaxed state of mind; the hay sauna, so called because it features bales of hay secured to the ceiling to maintain dry heat, also are infused with lavender which makes you wonder why all saunas don’t have some sort of scented experience. The devil lies in the details here.
What is the best treatment to unwind?
Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese traditions feature throughout the treatment menu. Choose from Chakra Healing or Indian Potli massage, as well as Tibetan stretching and acupressure techniques, alongside IV Drips or Skin Design London facials. But it’s the in-house signature oil remedies developed by Eiesha Bharti Pasricha, the Artistic Director at both Estelle and its sister site Gleneagles in Scotland, that are worth noting. You will be offered to smell all five in advance of your treatment to decide which best suits you at that moment to achieve maximum benefits. The Calm That Slipped Away, a blend of jasmine, Indian sandalwood and tuberose, needs to be bottled and available for public consumption immediately – it is that good.
What sets this spa apart from the others?
Undoubtedly, it is the bathing hall that makes this sanctuary so unique. The best way to experience the contrast therapy (going from hot to cold) is to try the suggested “thermal journeys”, that map out lengths of time and the order in which to experience the Tepidarium (36°C), the Caldarium (40°C), and two cold plunge pools in the Frigidarium (6°C); try their Scottish Bucket Full Cold Plunge if you dare. But what is also especially impressive about this wellness concept is that rather than it being a solitary experience, as many spas can be, its main point of difference is the social aspect of its offering: dip in the main thermal pool and there are pockets of friends calibrated in the corners having a catch-up, there are communal Wim Hof breathwork classes in the outdoor pool, or you can take part in a group sound bath session while breathing in the vapours of the expansive hammam.
What’s the food?
In the spa proper, there is a ponchos-only tea lounge where you can relax before or after your treatment serving a vast array of teas as well as delicious light bites curated by the Manor’s food team. But the true culinary delights are experienced in the main house; eat in the The Billiards Room for a decadent traditional Chinese culinary experience.
Where am I staying?
Staying in the Jacobean manor house and its surrounding garden or stable cottages are as much of a treat as the spa itself. The best way to experience the Manor in the Estelle way is to stay in the main house itself, where the rooms are decorated to perfection, if a little dark, but comfort and cosiness is key: think large four-poster beds with linen so soft it’s akin to sleeping in a cloud, and be sure to ask for a room on the rear side of the house for views of the 60-acre estate, as well as their celebrated outdoor pool, that you will see people swimming in irrespective of the time of year and whatever inclement weather the British ecosystem decides to throw at us.
What about after dark?
If you thought that partying on-site would be restricted to the main manor, then think again, as the spa houses a members’ only open-air hideaway to kick back and relax in its dedicated private pool complete with walled garden and waterfall, adjacent to the King Triton bar that is complete with a coral-decorate chandelier and Roman tile marble floor. The phrase “what happens in the hideaway, stays in the hideaway” springs to mind, but whoever said that spas shouldn’t be a decadently fun experience as well as being ridiculously relaxing? Not Estelle Manor.
Before you go:
Watch:
Be sure to watch the ultimate Roman Empire blockbuster with Russell Crowe as Maximus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Are you not entertained?
Pamper:
Treat yourself to a pedicure at Dryby London so that toes are perfectly prepped for lounging barefoot throughout the spa.
Shop:
A spa tote somewhat elevates proceedings when moving around the bath and its environs. Chloe’s leather trimmed raffia tote is just the right amount of boho quiet luxury.
What you need to know:
Spa access, plus the guided thermal journey, is complimentary for Estelle members and £95 per person for hotel guests and Estelle members’ guests.
For Eynsham Baths information, please visit www.estellemanor.com