The entrance to the hotel itself is pretty impressive. Located on the border between Sussex and Surrey, the manor house is set amongst 120 acres of beautiful countryside. The long drive up to the hotel allows you to take in the views from the surrounding areas and if truth be told, also makes you feel like you're at the beginning of something special.
On entering the spa, we were given our robes and itinerary for the day as well as a two-course lunch menu to choose from. Although Utopia does not boast an extensive menu, there were a few good choices. Admittedly, the portions were small and the food was healthy- but this is a spa day, after all! I went for the asparagus salad for starter, followed by a delicious turkey burger with salad for my main course.
After the greetings and welcomes were out of the way, we swiftly changed into our swimwear and made our way to the spa areas. Utopia boasts a large domed-shaped therapy pool, heated indoor swimming pool and two hot tubs- one indoor and one set outside in the spa garden. As well as this, they have a steam room and sauna. The area is enhanced by mood lighting and sun loungers dotted around the outside with a selection of glossy magazines perched beside them. If I'm honest, whilst a lot of people seemed to be relaxing on the loungers with their books, it isn't something we used- we were far too busy exploring everything else Utopia had to offer!
The therapy pool is a large hot-tub style pool with six seperate areas containing different water jets to target different areas of your body. My personal favourite was the large powerful jet that targeted your back muscles- slightly painful but oh so worth it for the feeling afterwards. The outdoor hot tub was as fantastic as promised. Situated just outside in the Spa Garden, we were lucky enough for the sun to come out- laying in a hot tub with the sun on you is probably the most relaxing experience ever.
Although the facilities were brilliant, it was the treatments that made our spa day so wonderful. I had chosen to have a Hot Oil Massage and a Repose Aromatherapy Facial whilst my Mum had chosen a Mud Detox and Reflexology session. Feedback for all treatments was very good. Mum loved the relaxation of the reflexology session as well as the diagnosis they gave you at the end. Her mud wrap was lovely, and she was treated to a head and scalp massage as well as a full body massage.
The hot oil massage I recieved was a real treat. Drizzled with hot oil, I was given a full body massage and head massage before being wrapped with towels. The facial was my highlight of the day- the aromatherapy fragrances and oils that were used made the experience very relaxing and left my skin feeling and looking fantastic. The beautician who treated my skin also advised me to use a serum daily and my skin has improved dramatically because of it.
All in all, a day at Utopia Spa was fantastic and a great way to celebrate my birthday. Now all I need to do is marry a rich man and I'll be there every week!
Disclaimer: All pictures are credit to Alexander House Hotel. We took advantage of the great Spa Treats offer that Alexander House Hotel is currently advertising. For more information, follow the link.
