Hale Country Club and Spa is a haven for leisure, fitness and dining, says Beatrice Tetteh. Put it on your Christmas wish list!
In the last few years Hale Country Club has provided members and visitors alike with uncompromised luxury in the form of a fantastic health and wellness spa, expertly trained personal trainers and an elegant Japanese Izakaya restaurant. Subtly referred to by many as Cheshire’s best kept secret, here are my findings of a beautiful luxury experience.
I was greeted with a smile at the reception and directed to a tranquil changing area with dimmed lighting, plush seating and a distinct ambience. A theme that continued throughout the club, the upstairs gym artfully focused your mind on the session with splashes of red lighting and dark interior.
I found my personal trainer Stefan and we made our way to the cinema room (yes that is correct), what better way to start a workout than to watch your favourite film? Here the club shows your favourite shows and films all day to be enjoyed on high tech cross trainers.
The club has tried to provide its members with a relaxed training environment that is prepared for all types of programs. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for Olympic training or overall fitness; the gym is so well equipped that there will always be something to benefit you. That means forget ever waiting for a treadmill with around 28 in the gym and expect top of the range equipment suitable for track stars, like the rare self powered slat belt treadmill used by specialists with athletes. ‘It’s a great atmosphere,’ said Stefan, who has been with the club since it launched. ‘I spend my time in the gym doing my workouts and then I can come down to the bar and chat to people as everyone knows each other.’
Stefan, chatted to me about my concerns and target areas, this would help him to carve out a bespoke session for my needs. In the main gym area we found a matt and worked on a few exercises that helped with neuromuscular activation he said this would be key in achieving better workouts and quicker recovery. We worked on the perfect squat using the Olympic bar and I was showed correct stretching techniques as well as how to identify and problem areas, on this occasion the problem lay in a stiff right hamstring.
When the session was over I knew it was time to relax, back to the changing area and then on to the second floor spa. Indulge your senses with one of the three steam rooms. The Japanese themed Zen room is heated to around 45 degrees and infused with scents of mandarin. While, the Fire and Ice room is heated up hotter than normal steam rooms, the idea here is that crushed ice falls into the centre allowing you to stay in the room for longer.
My personal favourite is the Salt cave, visually it really does look like a salt cave, but the magic lies in the salt infused air helping to gently cleanse your respiratory system. Not to mention possibly the most popular aspect of the spa, the bubbling rooftop wellness pool, it overlooks the serene Cheshire countryside. Part of the dazzle is being in the warmth of the pool while in the crisp winter air.
For my treatment I opted for the newly added, Poultice Ritual, £165, this is an advanced signature treatment that involves traditional foot cleanses and a full body salt and oil exfoliation. My treatment was carried out by Lucy, who skilfully performed gentle Thai-style massages using herbal poultices and a range of personalised techniques.
Lucy used a combination of ESPA Resistance Body Oil and the ESPA Fitness Body Oil. The idea is to combine gentle exfoliation using heated poultices soothing muscular aches and to purify and moisturise skin. I felt completely replenished by the end of the 120 minute treatment.
Of course by this time I had worked up quite the appetite, luckily Hale country club has its very own health conscious restaurant. Fuzen is ran by head chef, Luke Johnson and features a delectable menu of exquisitely coupled Eastern flavours and British recipes, all created by executive chef, Scott Gavin. Clean eating is at the forefront of the restaurant, focusing on simple dishes some containing only 3 or 4 ingredients and cooking everything in coconut oil.
Spoilt for choice, I opted for the Peanut butter coconut milk soup and a signature sushi called ‘The roll with no name’, both were a delightful blend of flavours and certainly something I would order again and again. Hale country club was a fantastic experience and would be a great start to a healthier lifestyle and all while in a luxurious environment.
Hale Country Club, Clay Lane, Hale, Cheshire, WA15 7AF Tel: 0161 904 5939 www.halecountryclub.co.uk
