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REVIEW: Bath College Beauty Studios & Spa

I was excited to visit Bath College to review a spa afternoon led by their Spa and Complementary Therapies students.

As a Bath college Alumni, myself, I knew before going that the colleges hair and beauty team have always had a very professional way of working when they welcome members of the public in for treatments, but I don’t think I had realised just how high quality the treatments I was about to receive would be….

I arrived at the Bath College main reception 10-minutes before my agreed appointment time, they were super friendly and seemed to be aware of my arrival which got the experience off to a great start. They signed me in using their digital system and then directed me to take a seat in the college atrium whilst I waited for my spa therapist to come and collect me.

It was a short wait as within a couple of minutes, I was collected by one of the senior beauty lecturers who greeted me with such enthusiasm and warmth, this made me feel extremely relaxed, and ready to get my spa afternoon started.

We headed up the stairs to the hair and beauty academy where I was introduced to the lovely team on reception and then shown down to the small spa facility. It does have a slight clinical feel to it as you would possibly expect from a college spa but please do not let this put you off as this did not detract from the quality of the overall experience.

I was guided through how I could use the spa’s sauna and experience shower ahead of my treatment. I was left to get changed into swimwear and was able to relax and enjoy the sauna facility for 15/20 minutes before I was invited to use their incredibly unique dry flotation bed. The flotation bed is something that I’ve never ever seen before, but I jumped at the chance of having a try. I laid on the flat, warm surface of the flotation bed before the therapist pressed a button that lowered the bed and gave a total weightlessness to my whole body, it was INCREDIBLE!

I have never felt full body tension release like it before, my neck, arms, back was all supported and I was left to float weightlessly for around 15-minutes, this was the ideal preparation for the treatment, if I’m honest, I could have stayed there all day. I would HIGHLY recommend a go on this, and the best part is, you don’t get wet before your treatment as all the water is under the surface, win, win!

To get the treatment part of the experience started, I had a short consultation with my spa therapist Callie so that she could find out about any allergies, health or skin challenges or concerns that I may have, she was so friendly and asked all the questions in a detailed but not intrusive way that I felt very relaxed with, I was even offered a foot soak bowl to enjoy whilst we spoke.

It was time for my treatments to start, Callie explained to me that she was going to start with a mini cleanse facial, followed by a head/scalp massage, then onto a full body massage, finished off with some reflexology…I genuinely thought I was in heaven at this point. Callie knew I was suffering from hay fever at the time, so she placed a lovely inhalation bowl under the massage table so I could breathe freely and easily during the treatment.

We started with the facial, this was a lovely cleanse using ESPA products, my skin felt fresh straight away, as soon as Callie had placed on the products, the facial lasted around 10-minutes and we were then onto the head/scalp massage. This was incredible, I could genuinely feel the tension immediately slip away, it was clear that Callie knew exactly what she was doing, she knew all the pressure points to address, I cannot recommend this highly enough. After the dreamy head massage, we moved onto the back, neck, and body massage. I am someone who can struggle with massage as I am not a fan of gentle, aromatherapy light touch massage but like an expert, Callie checked that the pressure was just right. Like the facial, the full body massage was perfection, I could feel the knots leaving my body, it was so incredible that I fell asleep whilst Callie was working on my legs, a clear sign of total relaxation.

Thankfully I woke up in time to enjoy some of the reflexology on my feet, what a treat. Once the treatment was over, Callie left me to get organised with my robe, and bought me some water. She explained all she had done to remove tension and explained that she had worked on the digestive and allergy pressure points in my feet as she could feel that they were blocked/tightened. She asked if I had any questions and allowed me to explore the reflexology further, always having the answers to my questions.

I can honestly say that this was one of the BEST treatment experiences that I have ever had (and I’ve worked in 5-star hospitality for many years and been lucky enough to enjoy lots of brilliant treatments). The students really know their stuff, they are hospitable, knowledgeable, welcoming, and highly skilled at what they are learning.

If you are in Bath during term-time and would like to enjoy a spa treatment that also helps the students to build up therapist experience, then Bath College Academy is the place for you. There is no compromise on quality, and you will be left feeling wonderful and raring to return, I for one cannot wait to go back for another treatment very soon.

To find out more and to book click HERE!

If you’re interested in joining one of Bath College’s Complementary Therapies Courses, you can find out more via the links below.

Written by Sarah Moon