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Spa break for one - recommendations

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  • Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Lionel Small Bodyguard


    Jerrica wrote: »
    Go for it. The facial I had there is the best I've ever experienced, and I'm a facial junkie so there's been a few :D

    That's a pretty good deal actually, I'd be very tempted to go for it too. Have a relaxing walk up in Crone woods, pop into Avoca Powerscourt for some fresh food then into the Spa for a few hours' of doing nothing. Pretty perfect way to spend a day!

    The Spa will provide you with lovely robes, slippers/ flip flops/ lockers/ luxury hair products in showers etc.

    Sold! :D
    Friend and I have our birthdays within a week of each other so we asked what do you want, then came up with that idea. Hopefully we get to do it :D


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    Have done both Dunboyne and Monart. They don't really compare, Dunboyne is a hotel where you may have functions blaring and kids running around the hotel. Monart is adult only and a spa first and foremost, no "Fields of Athenry" at 3 am.

    I have been back to Monart every year since it opened. Try to get a room overlooking the back of the hotel -ie looking out onto the lake.If you can go midweek , you will get some really good deals.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 102 ✭✭promises


    Myself and my friend are heading to Ritz Carlton for my birthday. It looks great and good offers at the moment. Cant wait :-)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,324 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    Dunboyne is chilly & bleak. It is filled with long corridors & people & children yelling . They shunt you from lounge area to bat to nightclub as the evening goes on so they can turn off the radiators. & let the staff home early. I wouldn't recommend it from our experiences there.

    Radison SAS -Cavan -Farnam -is FABULOUS. You can spend the day there in the spa in your fluffy bathrobe & not spend a penny on treatments . V cool foot spa area , ice pools for tired feet, sauna with little window to look out on the countryside on, different types of tropical rainforest showers, HUGE Warm natural daylight lounge area with tons of magazines, poolside bar service ( can't remember if this was just healthy stuff like smoothies), heated infinity pool with cows walking by, lots of room to swim in, cafe attached to spa so you can dine in your fluffy robe & not have to get out of your swimsuits, poolside service. What's not to like.

    Monart was obscenely expensive for far far less.

    Carlton didn't let us use the pool or spa when we went there for meal & spa treatments - residents only policy - and the treatment " rooms" we're tiny ; & I mean TINY with shower curtain type dividers :(

    Powerscourt -the OLD one not the ritz Carlton was shocking poor - I would consider it an early 80's effort - and very overpriced. I wouldn't even consider it.

    I bought Ritz Carton stay & spa as a gift for my mom & went down to check it out - big sleek James Bond shimmering black underground pool, beautiful treatment rooms, & the most amazing afternoon lunches with mad deserts -lavender biscuits with cardamon & rum icecream - that kind of thing -I tried that part - fab! Treated like royalty.

    I really liked the treatments in the Radison Galway ; big very Thai style treatment rooms - underground but beautifully done - & fabulous service. Not really anywhere you could hang out after thou for the rest of the day .

    Castle Durrow is an AMAZING place to stay if you get the old four poster bed rooms & just want to hang out in the general areas. They serve you fab treats & teas : ) They have lovely Victorian style treatment rooms but no pool or anything ; you could go ( horse!) riding in the afternoon if you booked it!!

    Le Spa Therapie in Mslahide used to be fab but it's not residential - its been taken over now but the place was really beautifully laid out with great style & staff. You could do worse than to book in for a few treatments there & head for an evening meal in the Michelin star place across the road - groupon sometimes do deals - or to one of the ( many!) great lical restaurants - or stay in the Grand which has a pool & leisure centre ( thou this will be jammed with kids!) or do a B&B in one of the places overlooking the sea & do all that outdoor healthy chillaxing thing too.

    I had friends over last weekend & they got an amazing deal at the Portmarnock Spa & Golf Links - the old country club - main meals, breakfasts, 2x spa treatments & 2 nights accommodation for I think e150 each!!! They loved it & the pics looked fab!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,411 ✭✭✭✭woodchuck


    Radison SAS -Cavan -Farnam -is FABULOUS. You can spend the day there in the spa in your fluffy bathrobe & not spend a penny on treatments . V cool foot spa area , ice pools for tired feet, sauna with little window to look out on the countryside on, different types of tropical rainforest showers, HUGE Warm natural daylight lounge area with tons of magazines, poolside bar service ( can't remember if this was just healthy stuff like smoothies), heated infinity pool with cows walking by, lots of room to swim in, cafe attached to spa so you can dine in your fluffy robe & not have to get out of your swimsuits, poolside service. What's not to like.

    Thanks a million for the tip... I'm going there for a few nights in a weeks time :D

    I was just wondering what the etiquette is like though... I've never been to a spa in my life! I've a few treatments booked, but I've no idea what to wear and/or bring when coming and going from the spa (or even just going down to the pool!). Any advice appreciated :o Even down to do you have to bring your wallet down or do they just charge everything to your room and settle the bill when checking out? Don't want to make a fool of myself :P

    I know every place is probably a bit different, so if there is any advice for Farnham in particular that would be great, but even some generic advice from anyone would be appreciated :o


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  • Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Lionel Small Bodyguard


    woodchuck wrote: »
    Thanks a million for the tip... I'm going there for a few nights in a weeks time :D

    I was just wondering what the etiquette is like though... I've never been to a spa in my life! I've a few treatments booked, but I've no idea what to wear and/or bring when coming and going from the spa (or even just going down to the pool!). Any advice appreciated :o Even down to do you have to bring your wallet down or do they just charge everything to your room and settle the bill when checking out? Don't want to make a fool of myself :P

    I know every place is probably a bit different, so if there is any advice for Farnham in particular that would be great, but even some generic advice from anyone would be appreciated :o

    They tell you explicitly at the time or are happy to answer questions on it :)

    In farnham, you can just wear your swimsuit or underwear and bath robe and slippers directly from the room and don't have to bring anything if you want to just charge it to your room and settle it later
    They give you a towel at the little spa reception desk if you want to use the pool IIRC

    I felt a bit odd wandering around the hotel in a housecoat but everyone else was doing it as well so yeah


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,411 ✭✭✭✭woodchuck


    bluewolf wrote: »
    They tell you explicitly at the time or are happy to answer questions on it :)

    In farnham, you can just wear your swimsuit or underwear and bath robe and slippers directly from the room and don't have to bring anything if you want to just charge it to your room and settle it later
    They give you a towel at the little spa reception desk if you want to use the pool IIRC

    I felt a bit odd wandering around the hotel in a housecoat but everyone else was doing it as well so yeah

    That's great, thanks a million :) Yeah the idea of walking around in a robe sounds a little odd to me, but I'll adjust :D (first word problems eh?! :P)


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