It was a special birthday and my daughter and I returned to Champneys Henlow for a three-night spa break last month to celebrate. Henlow Grange is a health spa located in Bedfordshire which is set in 150 acres of beautiful grounds. Refurbishment of the spa began in 2017 and work is still ongoing. We visit every year so it was with great interest that we noted the changes which have succeeded in blending the old familiar traditional feel of the place with contemporary innovations. Our ultra-stylish Luxe room was on the ground floor opposite the weir so we had a splendid private patio area with terrific views, and we were lucky to have lots of warm sunny weather during our stay too.
Our little piece of heaven at Champneys Henlow!
The lush grounds are the epitome of peace and tranquility.
We started our blissful four days with a substantial Afternoon Tea in the restaurant
With the emphasis being on healthy eating food is always one of the highlights on a Champney’s spa break, and this was an example of a four-course dinner we enjoyed one evening. All the meals are low calorie or light diet and the portion sizes are small but surprisingly tasty and filling.
To start – the Amuse-bouche of the dayFollowed by a delicious home-made soupAnd my favourite dish – a twice-baked cheese SouffléFor dessert – a meringue nest with soft fruit
And my favourite dish – a twice-baked cheese souffle
For dessert – meringue nest with soft fruit
At Champneys Henlow we took advantage of being able to eat outside most lunchtimesThe pool has an adjacent jacuzzi and several seating areas and day beds for lounging aroundWe spent a lot of time relaxing in the stunning pool and spa areaWe particularly liked this new garden area which was a delightful place to sit……and appreciate the beautiful plants and water features
With special thanks to Lucy and Hannah who made our stay special with thoughtful gestures like this cake for my birthday. A lovely surprise at lunchtime on our final day!
Welcome to our latest spa resort experience at Champneys Tring. This month my daughter and I returned to one of our favourite places to celebrate her birthday with one aim, – to indulge in three days of relaxation and pampering and this is the perfect place to do just that!
We enjoyed sampling the new summer menu with the accent very much on healthy eating combined with the Champneys food philosophy of moderation, balance and variety. Dining here is always a pleasure with excellent service and beautifully presented dishes.
These plates of food are typical examples of the starter, main and dessert courses we enjoyed during our stay. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style with an enormous choice available, and dinner is a more formal three course meal from an a la carte menu.
The gardens and extensive grounds are beautifully kept and visiting in June we saw the resort at its best bathed in sunshine. We made the most of the outdoor seating and pool areas, and staying in a Ground Floor Garden room on this visit we also had our own patio with chairs, table and sun loungers.
The Mansion House is an elegant building at the heart of the resort with several lounge rooms designed for rest, relaxation and comfort which are tastefully furnished to a high standard.
Last month my daughter and I enjoyed a fabulous six-day spa break at Champneys Tring, a health resort and well-being retreat which is set in 170 acres of idyllic Hertfordshire countryside. The once Rothschild family-owned estate complete with a Downton style driveway impressed from the moment we arrived. Outside the front entrance is a dramatic, modern fountain.
Inside, the decor is modern, cool and elegant with an instantly calming sense of light and space.
Britain’s original health spa was established by eccentric naturopath Stanley Lief in 1925 at Tring and it’s the flagship property of the Champneys Group.
A frosty start to a sunny morning at Champneys, Tring. This was the splendid view from the patio of our Ground Floor Garden Room.
We exchanged the routine of work and the stresses and strains of everyday life for a week of healthy eating, exercise classes and treatments in the tranquil bubble of the spa.
One of the fabulous relaxation rooms at TringThe Champneys Plate
The Champneys Plate illustrates what a balanced diet actually looks like, showing how
much should be eaten from each of the three main food groups, with an equal proportion of 33 percent. The Champneys food philosophy relies on the principle of balance, moderation and variety and therefore, all Champney’s cuisine is high in fibre, low in fat and uses complex carbohydrates. For guests who are looking to lose weight, Champneys also has a Light Diet Menu and Plate offering 25 percent complex carbohydrates, 25 percent protein and 50 percent fruit/vegetables.
One of my choices for a typical nutritious breakfast! Champneys soaked muesli with soya milk and added nuts. Half a banana, Orange juice, and for a treat – a mini blueberry muffin.
There was a wide range of hot and cold dishes available at the lunch buffet with lots of different salads and vegetables
Three examples of the yummy desserts which were available at lunchtime
Examples of the desserts which were available every day at the lunchtime buffet
We usually started our lunch with a bowl of delicious soup every day
At all the Champneys resorts the dress code is relaxed during the daytime and most guests wear their signature white towelling robes for breakfast and lunch, although for dinner smart casual wear is requested in the evening. At lunchtime, there is soup, a choice of hot dishes and a selection of colourful superfood salads. Desserts were of the healthy variety and came in small portions including an apple crumble, coconut rice pudding and fruit mousses, with the additional choice of fresh fruit or yoghurts.
The spacious dining room is split-level with upholstered dining chairs and white linen tables, and the large French windows let in lots of light. We helped ourselves from the extensive self-service buffet for breakfast and lunch, and for dinner which is table service in the restaurant, there was a three-course meal with a wide range of healthy eating or light diet choices of starters, mains and desserts.
Dinner is a rather grand affair and on our first evening, a pianist was playing in the restaurant. I particularly enjoyed some excellent fish dishes which were accompanied by flavoursome sauces that certainly didn’t taste low cal but were the epitome of healthy, nutritious cuisine. Game and poultry are on offer and even some red meat dishes. Champneys take food intolerances seriously with plenty of gluten-free and lactose-free choices. There is no bar at Champneys Tring but they do offer wine or Prosecco with meals. We were very good and just drank copious amounts of water and soft drinks for the duration of our stay.
Incidentally, all meals are included in the price of the Champneys spa stay packages which make it excellent value. Guests could spend a whole week here and not pay anything extra unless you want to add treatments or drinks.
Everything you could wish for in a spa is on offer at Champneys Tring: a 25-metre pool, a well-equipped gym, two activity studios with a wide range of classes and a host of thermal experiences.We spent a lot of time in the water during our week at Tring, as we attended Aquafit classes twice every day, and enjoyed using the Thalassotherapy pool and jacuzzi frequently too. One day when the temperatures were barely above freezing we even braved the large outdoor whirlpool for a very short while! A separate area houses the largewarm saltwater thalassotherapypool which has glass windows overlooking the grounds and a wall of slate with a soothing waterfall running down it. The water is enriched with minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium and iron to nourish the skin and aid the detoxification process whilst the pool’s hydrotherapy jets stimulate and tone. It was my daughters’ favourite place at the spa!
The surrounding 170 acres of gardens and woodland make Champneys Tring a peaceful and quiet place to relax and provides the opportunity for a countryside stroll. However, we only ventured out once for a short walk around the beautiful grounds on a cold and frosty morning when the sun was shining.
The Marine and Wellness Spa is a new feature exclusive to the Tring resort with its own Reception area so we were keen to see what was on offer there. We booked in for a guided wellness “journey”, a combination of treatments designed to de-stress, detox, slim or rejuvenate. The full treatment lasts for two-and-a-half hours and costs £125, but we chose the shorter version which was £75 and included a foot spa, a salt scrub, an algae wrap and a session in the salt and oxygen inhalation chamber.
My daughter and I have been guests at many different health resorts and spas over the years but Champneys Tring is the very best we have ever experienced for location, treatments, classes, food, facilities, and customer service. If you are looking to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul and beat the winter blues this place has it all and is highly recommended.
Last month my daughter and I stayed at Champneys Premier health sparesortat Tring for a birthday treat for me. We were very fortunate to enjoy two days of pampering, and rest and relaxation whilst basking in glorious hot sunshine. Having skipped lunch on the day we arrived we decided to sample the Champneys Healthy Afternoon Tea, which was an interesting and different take on the usual fare.
The view of the rear of the spa resort showing the Mansion House and the Terrace café
Our Healthy Afternoon Tea was served al fresco on the café terrace on a classic three tiered stand, in brilliant sunshineA sweet and savoury tierAnd a second tier of cakesAnother view of our healthy afternoon tea!
The Champneys Healthy Afternoon Tea menu included sandwiches made with Granary bread, filled with Coronation Chicken and Free Range Egg and Watercress, with an Oat biscuit topped with Smoked Scottish Salmon and Cottage Cheese for the savoury tier. A homemade Wholemeal and Cranberry Scone with Strawberry Jam and Fromage Frais, and a selection of mini tartletts of lemon curd and raspberry, chocolate and orange mouse, vanilla cream and blueberry, with a square of carob and beetroot cake, and a square of carrot cake. Also included were a pot of tea or coffee or a choice of herbal infusions. Very good value at £25.00 for two people.
Freshly made and simply delicious!
A selection of beautiful flowering plants adorned the terrace and patio of the cafeThe view from our patio as we lay on the sun loungers soaking up the heat of the day ‘Granny Apples’ reclining on a bed of green velvet cushions in her favourite spot, a pagoda in the grounds of the spaWe stayed in a ground floor garden room with patio in the new low rise block behind the glass pool to the far right of this picThe impressive rear view of the Mansion House, and adjoining Terrace Cafe, which are set in spectacular gardensA perfect summer’s day and Champneys Tring provided the perfect setting to enjoy our al fresco healthy afternoon tea
Other Champneys resorts are available at Henlow, Forest Mere and Springs for day spas and spa breaks.
Top tip – it’s well worth signing up to Champneys mailing list for offers, as we do. The ‘Bring a friend for free’ deal makes a spa stay an affordable treat when it becomes half price and you can split the cost.
We enjoyed sampling the new summer menu with the accent very much on healthy eating combined with the Champneys food philosophy of moderation, balance and variety. Dining here is always a pleasure with excellent service and beautifully presented dishes.
A separate area houses the large warm saltwater thalassotherapy pool which has glass windows overlooking the grounds and a wall of slate with a soothing waterfall running down it. The water is enriched with minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium and iron to nourish the skin and aid the detoxification process whilst the pool’s hydrotherapy jets stimulate and tone. It was my daughters’ favourite place at the spa!
Taste with Granny Apples 