HEALTH & WELLBEING Take good care of yourself with Vale Life’s guide to healthcare in the Vale HENSOL
Vale Resort Spa A new spa, a new you Following the recent complete transformation at the Vale Spa at the luxurious Vale Resort, we spoke to regular spa-goer Hannah Williams on what she thought of the new spa and her Sundari treatment. Who are you and what is your profession? Hannah Williams and I’m Partner at Hugh James Solicitors in Cardiff. Was this your first visit to the spa or do you visit regularly? No, I have been here quite a few times before but I haven’t been since the spa has had its amazing refurbishment – and the Sundari treatments are a recent addition to the spa too so it was a new experience for me. Do you visit alone or with friends? If I’ve had a particularly busy or stressful week at work then, perhaps, I’ll decide to treat myself to a bit of pampering and visit on my own but generally I tend to go with friends. For the last few years my close girlfriends and I have all chipped in to buy each other a spa voucher for the Vale for each others’ birthdays. Then we all book in for a treatment and spend a pampering day here – we all love it, it’s just such a nice way to spend time together.
What treatments do you generally have? I love having facials and last time I had the Clarins Luxury Elixir Facial which is one that’s exclusive to the Vale Spa. It’s absolutely the best facial I’ve ever had. They concentrate on your back and scalp as well as your face so it’s much more than just a straightforward facial and it really is fabulous! What treatment did you have for the review? I had a treatment called Odati – it’s one of the new Sundari treatments. Who was your therapist? Natalie. Talk me through the treatment? When I arrived I actually had a ‘dosha’ consultation with Natalie where she got me to fill in a form about aspects of my personality. It is something that they do specifically with Sundari treatments and helps the therapists to determine exactly the right treatment for you. Then, before the Odati even started, Natalie treated me to a wonderful foot scrub which she told me was traditional for any ‘honoured’ guest in ancient Eastern traditions! She then gave me a full back massage, three different back cleanses and a deep exfoliation, before she applied a neem and green tea back mask. Whilst the back mask was on she did a massage on my legs which was lovely. The treatment finished with a fantastically relaxing face and scalp massage.
Did she put you at your ease? Yes, she was absolutely lovely. We had a little chat before we started and she gave me a good overview of what she was going to do which was good as the Sundari concept is new to me. However once she started she just let me lie back, relax, and enjoy the treatment which was perfect. Were you happy with the results? Yes, it was fabulous! I was honestly so relaxed I was in a bit of a trance for a couple of hours. Luckily I was able to go straight from the treatment room into the relaxation zone where I just chilled out for a bit longer. They have changed the whole area since I was here last and they now have a ‘water’ zone where you can lie on waterbeds which were amazing, I want one for my house now! How much did the treatment cost and do you think it was value for money? It was £70 which I think was very reasonable considering it was a 70 minute treatment. Would you go again? Absolutely! Would you recommend the spa to your colleagues, family etc. Yes – in fact I’ve already booked a date in with the girls for our next spa day!
Vale Spa at the Vale Resort Hensol Park, Hensol Vale of Glamorgan CF72 8JY 01443 665888 www.vale-hotel.com
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