BUSY parents don’t get many opportunities to relax together.

But The Other Half and I recently charged our batteries in the gorgeous Grade II-listed Tylney Hall, one of the most prestigious local venues. A mansion existed on its site since 1561 and in 1898, Lionel Philips rebuilt the beautiful house which is there today.

Since then, the house has also been a hospital and served as military quarters during the first and second World Wars. It was a school until 1984 and finally opened as a hotel after extensive refurbishment by Elite Hotels in 1986.     

It was my husband's birthday, and I felt the need to push the boat out by coming up with a surprise for the occasion - he didn’t know a thing about it until he spotted a few signs for the venue, one he’d never previously visited.

Fortunately, the venue has come up with the perfect treat package with its Summer Spa Day for two, which is valid from Monday to Thursday until August 29. It costs £150 in total and is terrific value, given that it includes a welcome drink upon arrival, one treatment per person, a light lunch plus the use of the country house hotel’s leisure facilities, including the indoor and outdoor pools, the whirlpool, the mini saunas (located in the changing rooms next to the showers) and the billiards room.  

We were led to the spa area by a friendly member of staff who explained the basics before one of the girls working in the treatment centre took over. She presented our robes and slippers and went through more of the details of the day before we popped off to get into a fit state to be pampered properly.

Treatment wise, you can choose to have a body massage, a Kerstin Florian Express Facial, a Tylney manicure or a pedicure, and the VitaMan Express Facial is perfect for the male of the species.

I have never previously had a full body massage and the lovely therapist Claire put me immediately at ease - essential for what’s supposed to be a relaxing experience. Her manner ensured that I was able to relax throughout and I was extremely impressed by both her technique and by her warm and welcoming manner.

The husband was over the moon with his facial – his first – and you can read his account below.

Afterwards, we retired to the pool area, where the temperature meant that we could relax in swim wear despite the rain outside. I was disappointed not to have been able to explore the 66 acres of beautiful grounds, or to indulge myself at length with an outdoor swim, but that’s the British weather for you!

And it meant that I could be as lazy as I liked, reading a book in the heat whilst waiting for lunch.

The latter arrived bang on time, and we had opted to enjoy it on a tray in the pool area. He enjoyed the salad caprese of buffalo mozzarella, vine ripened plum tomatoes and pesto served with balsamic dressing, whilst I was absolutely delighted by my stylish seared fillet of salmon salad with orange, fennel and avocado.

Other mouthwatering options include a Thai marinated chicken salad with pineapple, chilli, coriander and spring onion with soya and honey dressing, a classic chicken Caesar salad and asparagus tortellini with smoked salmon, asparagus spears and crème frâiche.

Post lunch, he headed off to the gym, whilst I continued to recline. It was utterly peaceful and a really intimate spa experience as opposed to those which take place in locations where there are lots of other people around. 

Afterwards, as we evaluated our spoiling, I confessed that I had only missed one thing – a socket in the changing room to plug my hair straighteners into! Other than that, it was an absolute triumph.

The Other Half gives his verdict on the VitaMan facial, which uses a combination of ancient and traditional, body and mind calming therapies to provide the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation experience possible:

“With thoughts of a large man performing a chopping action on my exposed flesh firmly placed to the back of my mind, I waited for my VitaMan treatment to begin with eager anticipation.

"As somewhat of a massage novice, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. However, I found the whole experience an incredibly enjoyable and worthwhile one.

"Starting with a neck and shoulder message, which released several ‘knots’ in my muscles, the process then moved to include cleansing, steaming and moisturising.

"There’s certainly time to relax into the experience and, with little more than minty shower gel finding its way into my pores on an ordinary day, this did leave me feeling more than a little bit rejuvenated. Recommended."

To book the Summer Spa Day, contact reservations on 01256 764881 or email reservations@tylneyhall.com. Log on to tylneyhall.co.uk to find out more.