75 minutes of pure bliss
Nothing is better then a day treating yourself to some rest and relaxation. Coming away from the day recharged, rejuvenated and energised to face the world. This is exactly how I felt last week after my visit to the Castlemartyr Spa. As soon as I walked into the relaxed atmosphere of the spa, I was greeted by the friendly staff who escorted me upstairs for a mini tour of the spa. As we walked along, I was shown the relaxation rooms, water lounge, vitality pool and much more. A peaceful, tranquil atmosphere. I put on my comfortable robe and slippers and strolled into the relaxation room before my treatment. There are two relaxation rooms in the spa, a light or a dark room. I fell in love with the light room, overlooking the mature garden. It is almost as if you are relaxing in the garden as the decor brings a little touch of the outside inside. Looking out the big windows overlooking the garden, you cannot help but relax as you drift into a sleep in the balmy room.
I was lucky enough to be trying the amazing ‘Castlemartyr Signature’ on my visit. I was greeted by the lovely Gráinne for my treatment. Before the treatment even began, I loved the way I was given so much time. As I chatted to Gráinne, I realised that each treatment is suited to the person and the way in which they are feeling on the day. Each person will be different. Gráinne’s knowledge was just unbelievable as she talked about skin, health and relaxation. The treatment is suited to you, your skin and the way in which you are feeling. By smelling the oils, you pick which oil appeals to you more. The one you pick shows what your body is looking for and what it needs. It also means your body will be more accepting of the oil. The oils I chose on the day were made with Juniper, Cypress and grapefruit, which placed focused on detox.
After the full consultation we began the treatment. The Castlemartyr Signature includes a back exfoliation and back mud treatment, a foot and leg massage, followed by a hot stone massage (this was my favourite part), a boutique facial and either a scalp massage or a arm/hand massage. Yes, I know – it was a pure 75 minutes of heaven. It began with a bath inhalation with the oils I had chosen. A small bowl of hot water and the oil was placed underneath the massage table. I closed my eyes, took three deep breaths in and entered a world of peace, tranquility and relaxation. We began with the back exfoliation, which consisted of sea salt exfoliation, followed by the mud back treatment. This was something I wasn’t sure what to expect. The warm mud was placed on my back and covered to allow my skin to absorb it (My skin now feels amazing and very soft after the exfoliation and mud treatment). In the meantime, I fell into a relaxing sleep during the foot and leg message.
Now it was time for my favourite part. I had heard lots about hot stone massages but I had never tried one. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it turned out to be my favourite part of the ‘Castlemartyr Signature’. The stones were heated to a perfect temperature and massaged around your back and neck, relieving all the tension. As the massage moved up to my neck, I felt extremely relaxed and Gráinne worked in deep to remove the tension and tightness in my neck. Supposedly this is where us women hold a lot of our tension. Following this I had a facial. What I loved about the facial is the fact that Gráinne was able to look at my skin using a skin vision ultraviolet lamp and see what exactly my skin needed that day. The knowledge throughout the treatment is something that really stuck out to me. Gráinne worked on the areas of my face that needed a little tender, love and care. To finish up the treatment, I enjoyed a lovely arm and hand massage, which really took me into a deep relaxation. After my treatment, I was brought back to the relaxation room with a little snack. Some fruit, probiotic smoothie and a homemade granola bar. The relaxation room also had water with lemon, lots more fruit and lovely hot, fruity teas. What more could a girl want!
I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the water lounge and vitality pool overlooking the mature garden. I ended the day with a sauna, steam room and a little sleep in the relaxation room. Pure heaven and luxury.
Sometimes you need to look after yourself and treat yourself. The ‘Castlemartyr Signature’ treatment is just perfect – it covers you from head to toe with a sense of relaxation and calmness. This treat will have you energised, recharged and ready for the world again. At the end of the day, I got a little fresh air with a walk of the grounds. Luxury all around.
It is a little piece of heaven on earth….trust me!!
As you all know, Stephanie is now the blogger for Castlemartyr Resort! Follow their blog to read all about our adventures with them here.
