Trina Balough
Google
I had a wonderful spa experience at Forest Spa and a decent stay at the lodge yesterday. I really wish I could give the estate a 5 star rating, but there were a handful of things that just didn’t quite meet the mark. For starters, it was very confusing how to get to the spa - signage definitely needs to be increased. Once in the spa, the lockers are located in the waiting/dining room which was odd in my opinion (I’ve been to a ton of spas and never seen this before). The staff were extremely friendly and my massage/scrub/facial session was amazing, which is why I wish I could give them 5 stars. For those that come for a spa day, you preselect your lunch choices at check in. It was clear the snacks were a separate charge, but the form made it appear as though the dessert was part of the package. At checkout, I was surprised that I was being charged 9 quid for a small scoop (seemed like half a scoop honestly) of sorbet with a little bit of granola. Pretty absurd. As for the lodge itself, check in was extremely confusing as it was hard to find the reception desk in the dark (since it gets dark around 4pm now) and then once checked in, they give you a map and leave you to find your room on the massive property (not just one central building). After lugging my bags to the reception desk (most of the way was gravel so had to carry my suitcase), I had to lug my bags back to where I started and ended up going in circles trying to find my room in the dark since there was little signage or help available. I ended up having to go back to reception and confirm where I needed to go and eventually found my way. This definitely put a damper on my spa day and completely reversed the relaxation I experienced earlier. Once in my room, the shower looked like an accessible room type shower (even though it was definitely not an accessible room since on the second floor with no elevator) with no door or barrier dividing the shower floor from the rest of the floor and I knew that was going to be interesting - I was in fact right once taking a shower. The bathroom floor was soaking wet after my shower, but thankfully it was only me staying in the room so I was able to use the extra towels provided for a second guest to mop up the water. The room was spacious and cute and the bed comfy, however, the pillows had a weird smell to them that almost made me think they weren’t clean. Dinner at the Coach House was nice, however, I paid 50 quid for a drink, water (that I didn’t ask for) and a main dish - seemed excessive, but I guess that’s what you get when staying at a place like this. Overall, the staff and service I received at the spa, lodge and restaurant were all fantastic. Just really wish the estate was able to meet the mark on all other areas.
