Overnight stay at Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa, New Forest

Spa trips are one of life's little indulgences and for a relaxing break there's nothing better than overnight stay followed by a long treatment. Living in London I'm spoilt for choice with hotels and spas but sometimes it's nice to get away from it all and Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa in the New Forest was just what I needed: 

 Photo source - Careys Manor Hotel

It always surprises me how close other places are and Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa was less than 2 hours away from London Waterloo. With it's wooden decor, long corridors and open fires it reminded me rather of an old stately home and surrounded by large areas of greenery and trees it felt like a world away from the hustle and bustle of London. 

As I've gotten older I've really come appreciate a nice hotel room and I'm pleased to say Careys Manor didn't disappoint. The giant double bed couldn't have been comfier, there's a sofa to relax on and let's just take a moment to appreciate that view! There's even hot chocolate and biscuits hidden away in a draw should you want a little treat. 

Our treatments weren't till the next day so after a quick tour we made our way to the onsite SenSpa for some serious relaxation. I'm a keen swimmer so was really pleased to see a decent length pool and half an hour of gentle exercise really helped me to unwind. There's a whole host of saunas and steam rooms to choose from but my favourite has to be hydrotherapy pool. Powerful jets of bubbles blast around you as you sit and relax and afterwards I was even brave enough to take advantage of the cold experience shower and ice treatment. 

The food was another highlight and there are two restaurants to choose from - Cambium which offers locally sourced fine dining and Zen Gardens which offers Thai. I loved that there was an authentic Thai restaurant on site and with dishes such as beef stirfry, duck curry and pad thai it was a real highlight and something that made Careys Manor/Senspa stand out against all the other spas I've been too. 

Breakfast was a buffet of hot and cold dishes and with such a huge selection of items there really was something for everyone. They even had Tabasco for us hot sauce lovers so a big thumbs up from me! 

Now onto the treatment, I opted for the Sen fusion signature massage which was just 90 minutes of pure bliss. SenSpa treatments are based on traditional Thai techniques and their staff here undergo regular training, which you can tell in quality of the treatment. I asked for a firm massage and after a quick chat my therapist really got to work getting rid of all the knots and tensions in my shoulder. This was then followed by an all over body and head massage which was so relaxing that had it not involved several position changes I would have definitely fallen asleep.

Although I only stayed for one night it's safe to say that after the treatment I left feeling revived and far more relaxed. For me there are two things that made Careys Manor/SenSpa stand out - the quality of the treatment and the fact that you can get Thai food on site. I've since incorporated a few of their products into my daily routine but being so close to London I'll no doubt be back for another stay and if you're looking for a relaxing UK break then I would definitely recommend.

Have you ever been to Careys Manor/Senspa? Where are your favourite places to go for a relaxing break?