New Year, New You!

The first months of the New Year make us all think about a fresh start and doing things differently. January and February are always a busy time in our spas and health clubs, with people looking to improve fitness and make time for relaxation.

We have nine hotels with spas and health clubs across the UK, Jersey and Guernsey, for overnight and day guests to enjoy some invigorating treatments and exercise. Our spas offer detox day visits and winter rescue Champagne escapes. The hotels are all splendid former country houses in glorious settings, with the emphasis on unwinding.

With technology meaning that we rarely switch off, many people are aware that they need to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa in Nantwich, Cheshire, is running two-day stress management makeover courses with an expert tutor, plus workouts, classes and treatments. Regular visits to a health club may also offer a good solution to improving stress management. Many of our hotels attract local people who join and make the most of the fully equipped gyms, weights, exercise studios and pools.

Set alongside our hotel in Redhill is the Nutfield Priory Health Club & Spa. A dedicated facility, this offers a fully-equipped gym, dedicated free-weights room, indoor pool, sauna and steam rooms, exercise studio and squash courts, plus a cafe bar and garden.

Fawsley Hall Hotel, Daventry, Northamptonshire, joined the Hand Picked Hotels collection last year. The hotel has an excellent spa and health club, with treatment and therapy rooms, indoor swimming pool, outdoor hydro pool and state-of-the-art Nautilus Gym.

North of the border, Norton House Hotel & Spa, has an award-winning spa and health club. Facilities include treatment rooms, relaxation room, Rasul, steam room, sauna, swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool and exercise studio.

If exercise is anathema to you, a couple of days away at one of our hotels, with excellent food and wine, and a winter walk in the countryside, could help to recharge your batteries. The poet W H Davies summed it up brilliantly: “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”