Spa review: Fredrick's Hotel and Spa, Berkshire

by Clare Spurrell

With treatments from across Europe, a mosaic-tiled bath-for-two and iPods in the relaxation room, the intimate Fredrick's Hotel and Spa offers a cosmopolitan spa experience, merely 20 minutes from Heathrow airport

Fredrick's Hotel and Spa
Shoppenhangers Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire SL6 2PZ
reservations@Fredrick's-hotel.co.uk
www.fredricks-hotel.co.uk

I had a notion that a spa day would leave me feeling poked and prodded, albeit from the comfort of a fluffy bathrobe. But as I pulled away from the gravel courtyard after an afternoon at the Fredrick's Hotel and Spa, I found myself in a pleasant haze, fully relaxed, and wondering where the last few hours had gone.

Situated in the heart of Berkshire, Fredrick's lets city-weary travellers trade their tired muscles for a few hours of indulgent serenity. The grand reception with dark wood furniture resting on cream marbled flooring sets the tone of Fredrick's; a mixture of modern European chic engulfed in old English charm amid two-and-a-half acres of perfectly manicured gardens.

I was introduced to Elaine, who would be looking after me for the day, and managing my treatments. The treatment rooms, all relatively small, emphasise intimacy over grandeur. The female changing room exemplifies this philosophy -- more screen-star dressing room than public-pool locker room. 'We are not interested in quantity,' says proprietor Caroline Losel. 'We want to create an automatic atmosphere of calm, so there are rarely more than three or four people in the spa at any one time.' I didn't see anyone else on my visit.

Before long I was robed up and padding down a short corridor to the Flotarium for the Fredrick's Dream Bath Experience. The Flotarium has a deep wide set bath in one corner, covered with dark blue and gold leaf mosaic tiles. The room was filled with candles and as I sank deeper into water laced with goats' milk, rose petals and aromatherapy oils, the soft piano music accompanied the sound of my breathing and I drifted away.

As I lay suspended in almost darkness, almost silence, with only the twinkling of the LED 'night sky' on the ceiling to occupy my mind, I felt completely at ease, physically and mentally. I'm not sure if I fell asleep, but I was underwater with only my nostrils poking out when the music (which you can hear above and below surface) was turned off, a signal that my time was up.

The Dream Bath can be experienced à deux and is particularly popular on Valentine's Day. The twinkling night sky, quivering candlelight and heady scents make a perfect romantic treat. With Heathrow just around the corner, you can imagine stopping at Fredrick's for a day or overnight to have some pre-flight pampering before a dirty weekend away or honeymoon trip.

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Spa review: Fredrick's Hotel and Spa, Berkshire