Editor-in-Chief Katy Sunnassee paired a spa day at Riverhills Health Club & Spa in Ipswich with an overnight stay at the nearby Salthouse Harbour Hotel.
Words: Katy Sunnassee. Images: Riverhills and Salthouse Harbour Hotel.
‘Do something today that your future self will thank you for’, says one of the framed motivational quotes in the corridor leading to the gym at Riverhills Health Club in Ipswich.
That, along with ‘Small changes can make a big difference,’ and, my personal favourite, ‘Fitness is not about being better than someone else, it’s about being better than you used to be,’ are all so true.
Doing lots of small, healthy things daily is, after all, what adds up to a healthy life and which is echoed in the Top Santé manifesto. And while visits to the gym might already be a daily thing for you, a spa day at one can be the icing on the wellness cake, so to speak. So, if you’re seeking a relaxing spa day in Suffolk, Riverhills provides just what you need.
Re-opening with a £6million refurbishment earlier this year, the club is a shining example of what a wellness destination ought to be, with great spa credentials and high-tech gym equipment – even my PT husband was impressed at the range of equipment, and he’s rarely impressed!
The gym boasts a large, thoughtfully laid out training zone with plenty of plates and racks, machines to work every body part, and a cardio zone with enough treadmills, rowers and cross-trainers for everyone.
Building up a sweat was a great start to our visit, as it helped work up an appetite for lunch, which we ate out on the terrace as it was a gorgeous sunny day.
The perfectly manicured terrace invites an air of calm and tranquillity – the large, gently flowing water feature being a centrepiece of the geometrically designed landscaping, which reminded me somewhat of a Zen garden, albeit with a lot more foliage (visit instagram.com/thehealtheditor to see it).
Secluded sofas and chairs dotted around invite you to hide away among the greenery. Our two-course lunch was fresh and restaurant quality: ciabatta with asparagus and poached egg, followed by beautifully cooked sea bass with mash and seasonal veg.
After lunch we headed to the main spa area, where there’s a thermal suite comprising a lap pool, two large jacuzzis, a sauna and steam room, heated loungers, plus a snow machine that emitted a constant and gentle stream of actual snowflakes so you can cool off from the steam room in a more gentle fashion than plunging under an ice-cold shower – although you can do that if preferred!
The spa offers every treatment under the sun including a Serail mud chamber and a halo infrared sauna cabin, along with your usual facials and body treatments, plus mani-pedis. I plumped for a relaxing TempleSpa Drift Away body massage – a firm yet soothing sequence of strokes that felt tailored to my needs.
Time to indulge
You can also extend the relaxation by pairing your spa day with an overnight stay at nearby Salthouse Harbour Hotel in the heart of Ipswich’s bustling marina. We stayed in one of their top-floor nautical-themed rooms, complete with an old-fashioned copper bathtub.
The lively hotel restaurant serves modern British cuisine with a 2-AA Rosettes status. For starters, I had Felixstowe crab and hot smoked salmon fish cakes (I couldn’t resist, as my gran was from Felixstowe), followed by a beautiful fillet steak with truffle and Parmesan chips, cauliflower and broccoli cheese gratin, plus green beans, cabbage and broccoli.
And for dessert, we squeezed in a chocolate fondant and a cheesecake. A short stroll along the waterfront was in order after that, and with the bustling Isaacs bar next door it was tempting to stay out for a few drinks, but with such an inviting room awaiting, we called it an early-ish night. Breakfast was leisurely and a full English affair – delish!
Pairing a day at Riverhills with an overnight stay at The Salthouse was just what the doctor ordered: relaxed, refreshing, reviving. A repeat would make a great start to the new year.
For more information about spa days, visit riverhills.co.uk. And to book a stay at the Salthouse Harbour Hotel, head to salthouseharbour.co.uk.
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