Bath time in Bellinter
Make a beeline for Bellinter House in Meath and when you get there head straight to the Bathhouse Spa, which gets its name from its signature seaweed baths. It uses Irish skincare hero Voya, maker of the world's first certified organic seaweed-based products. These include gorgeous blends of seaweed with shea butter, beeswax, Dead Sea salts, aloe vera and essential oils. Opt for an Ocean Fresh Deluxe Facial or a Seaweed Leaf Wrap. Enjoy a soak in warm spiced mud or take a Cleopatra-style milk and honey bath. Afterwards slip in to the sauna or steam room and take a dip in the outdoor hot tub. The property runs all sorts of additional wellness options including yoga, Pilates and mindfulness workshops, so keep an eye on its website for details. Overnight stays from €99 per person sharing (pps).
For more, visit bellinterhouse.com
Seascapes in Inchydoney
Unplug and unwind at the Island Spa at Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa in west Cork. It’s all about the sea here. Inchydoney opened Ireland’s first thalassotherapy spa in 1998 allowing spa-goers to benefit from the use of seawater as well as sea muds, seaweed and fresh sea air. The thalassotherapy spa pumps the Atlantic waters outside into its seawater therapy pool – heated to 31 degrees – and tops it all off with a wide range of Elemis and Les Luneïdes Paris beauty and body treatments plus relaxation rituals. A two-night stay with breakfast and one five-course dinner in its award winning Gulfstream Restaurant, with a seawater bath and back, neck and shoulder massage, plus complimentary access to its heated seawater therapy pool, costs from €323 pps.
For more, visit Inchidoneyisland.com
Be well at Wells
The Wells Spa at Brook Lodge in the depths of rural Wicklow is the perfect spot for a relaxing break. It features skincare products as lush as the surrounding landscape. These include Kerry-based Flourish Organics and German skincare brand, Babor. There are all sorts of treatments available, including a hammam massage room, wet and dry flotation, a mud chamber, aroma steam room, sauna and indoor to outdoor swimming pool. Stay for an overnight B&B package this autumn from just €78 pps on selected dates and book a 30-minute “immune system booster back massage” for an additional €50.
For more, visit Brooklodge.com
Face up to some pampering
The Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel’s KO Spa is another good option for a relaxing break, and great value. It uses Voya face and body treatments with some terrific offers available this autumn, just book them when you are booking your accommodation. It includes 25-minute treatments from just €40, from a mini facial to a choice of massage, and a one-hour face and body bundle for €75. Don’t miss the Seaweed Eye Marine Treatment facial, perfect for refreshing weary peepers.
For more, visit kilkennyormonde.com
Health springs at Amber Springs
Get the year’s last drop of vitamin D in the sunny southeast this autumn and combine it with a stay at the Amber Springs hotel in Gorey, Co Wexford. If you’re planning on bringing the kids, but want to escape for a bit of me-time, it has all sorts of kids’ activities on-site and an aptly named Cocoon Spa featuring Voya and Elemis products. For a quick remedy, take the Cocoon Time Out overnight package, including B&B, access to its leisure centre and either a facial, a scalp massage or a hot oil back massage. The package costs from €150 pps with €50 back in dining credit.
For more, visit ambersprings.ie
A gym for skin
The Ashdown Park Hotel just up the road in Gorey has both a leisure centre and a Skin Gym salon. Its Voya Escape package comprises overnight stay with the hotel room bath filled with Voya seaweed products to soothe aches and pains, moisturise skin and boost circulation. You'll find robes, slippers and herbal tea in your room on arrival, then take your pick of either a Voya facial or a massage, and make full use of the property's pool and gym, from €232 per night. There's also a package for older guests called the Royal Treatment; it includes a massage for two people, with no skin-on-skin contact but instead guests are wrapped in a warm sheet while the therapist performs a rhythmical body palming and hot-stone massage, from €199 per night per room.
For more, visit ashdownparkhotel.com
Escape to Eske
Donegal’s romantic Lough Eske Castle is a sight for sore eyes, set on the lake shore surrounded by the Bluestack mountains. The fine dining will make you feel better too but don’t miss the chance to enjoy a treatment in its Cara Organic Beauty Spa. The Luxury Spa Eskape package includes an hour’s massage using Espa products and Swedish technique. The package includes B&B, a three-course meal in Cedars Restaurant and a 60-minute signature massage for two people in its couples’ room, from €500 per couple for one night, or €700 for two nights.
For more, visit lougheskecastlehotel.com
Keep cool at Coolbawn
The treatment rooms at Coolbawn Quay in Tipperary have an idyllic and peaceful setting on the shores of Lough Derg. There's a big emphasis on wellness with yoga and wild swimming only some of the activities on offer. There's a wide range of treatments available including a 30-minute Superfood Radiance facial from €55 to a Sensitive Skin Soother anti-redness facial which starts at €120 for a 60-minute treatment. For information on face and body treatment packages see
For more, visit coolbawnquay.com/treats-retreats
Superboost in the city
The Spa at The Shelbourne in Dublin city centre has a Super Boost package, featuring Elemis products designed to put a pep in your step as we head into winter. The Super Boost journey begins with a healthy anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory shot, a stimulating 10-minute green tea back exfoliation followed by a half-hour Elemis Fire & Ice back massage. It incorporates both hot-stone massage and an instantly cooling and refreshing gel with arnica, camphor and menthol, designed to stimulate and improve the circulation. Enjoy a luscious Elemis Superfood facial too. The whole treatment takes 95-minutes and is available until the end of October for €185. Top it off with an overnight stay with the Moments package – B&B plus dinner in The Saddle Room, with free parking, from €349 per night.
For more, visit theshelbourne.com
Spa and cycle at the Plaza
Make a break for the Killarney Plaza Hotel for a two-night stay including breakfast and a four-course dinner on the night of your choice, plus a 60-minute spa treatment. While you’re there make the most of its Gulf Stream Hydrotherapy Pool and Relaxation Garden. It’s a perfect wellness option for those looking to benefit from a little extra fresh air and exercise too as it includes complimentary bike hire so you can explore the wonders of Killarney National Park, just next door. The two-night package costs from €252 pps.
For more, visit killarneyplaza.com
Go large in Laois
The Heritage Hotel in Laois has one of the country’s largest spas, an array of treatments and thermal suite experiences, and lovely packages such as a spa treatment and afternoon tea, or a two-night full-on spa break. All spa breaks include access to its Spa Experience thermal suites . One of its most popular packages is its Relax and Unwind Retreat, which includes two nights’ B&B, one afternoon tea, one dinner, all sorts of heat, sensory and aqua therapies, plus a choice of a massage or facial. Outside there’s golf, a walking track and complimentary bicycles, from €239 pps.
For more, visit theheritage.com
