Spa Review: Kinspa at the Kinmel Hotel

You may have read that I recently completed my first ever sprint triathlon. Well, quite soon after booking the triathlon, I suggested it would be a great idea to book a spa day; this of course was to help us recover. Any excuse hey?

Lucky for me, my friend is a well seasoned spa goer herself and didn’t need any persuading, so off we went and chose the Kinspa. The Kinspa is attached to The Kinmel hotel in Abergele, North Wales. It was really easy to find as it is set just off the main road and is a great location if you want a base to explore North Wales.

The entrance to the spa faces away from the road and overlooks the beautiful Welsh country side. Even though it is close to a busy road, all you could hear were the birds singing. To get to the entrance you walk through the large patio and garden area, which were both immaculately kept and so pretty. There was lots of seating and I imagine sitting outside on a summer’s day would be absolutely glorious.

On arrival to the Kinspa, we were greeted very warmly and instantly made to feel comfortable. The Kinspa felt very contemporary and the features made it feel very zen, instantly putting you into a spa day mindset.

We were shown around the facilities which are set on two levels; the upper level included the gymnasium, treatment rooms, the tranquillity suite and Chiang Mai – a Thai restaurant. The lower level was home to the thermal suite which had: a petite swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, and aromatherapy steam room. Upon entering the thermal suite it felt very intimate due to the low level lighting and warm temperature. Spotlights lit the thermal suite, with pink and blue lighting accenting certain areas. The colour scheme throughout the thermal suite was muted greys and browns, with beautiful shimmery bronze mosaic tiles, giving it a glamorous look.

I was really impressed by the thermal suite, the steam room was by far the best I’ve experienced. It was designed with curved seating making it even easier to recline and unwind. My favourite part of the thermal suite was the hydrotherapy pool. There was a waterfall that acted as a doorway but allowed the hydro pool to flow through to a bright, airy space which had large sliding windows overlooking the gardens. It was really nice being able to choose what type of setting I wanted to relax in.

After a mammoth thermal session, we headed upstairs for our treatments. I’d opted for the Elemis deep tissue back of the body massage and my friend had the Elemis fruit active glow facial. We both felt the therapists were extremely friendly, interested in our treatment needs and knowledgeable about which products would be most suited to us. The treatment rooms were decorated with subtle colour tones and played soothing music. There was a heated blanket on my massage bed – which added spa factor points as I love feeling cosy, and from experience, I feel so much for anyone who has had to endure a massage in a cold treatment room. I found she used the perfect pressure throughout the massage and she had pre warned me about one technique that could be sensitive so there were no surprises mid massage.

Post treatment we headed to the tranquillity room, which was exclusive to spa guests. The tranquillity room had floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the Welsh countryside and coast line, although lovely, it should be mentioned in the distance the road runs through the views. To enable you to lie back and take in the surroundings, there were reclining beds with fleecy blankets facing the windows. I particularly enjoyed looking out at the field full of baby lambs whilst sipping the complimentary tea and fruit juices.

I think that leads us nicely on to our amazingly delicious lunch. We chose from the Thai lunch menu and had two courses. There were several good options to choose from for each course, I had Tom Yam Gong soup followed by King Prawn Phad Thai and my friend had Satay Chicken Skewers and a Green Thai Chicken Curry.  All the dishes arrived beautifully presented as well as fresh and flavoursome. Whilst dining we sat on the heated balcony and looked out onto the garden and surrounding hills. Our dining experience was further enhanced when the sun decided to shine onto the balcony, supporting my view that this spa would be even more wonderful to visit on a bright day because of the fabulous outdoor space.

Regardless of the time of year, I would definitely recommend visiting the Kinspa and would happily return. Spa days start from around £89 for a 60 minute treatment, full use of the facilities and lunch. However the Kinspa regularly run special offers providing great value packages with added extras. We purchased a spring offer and for £69 we had a: 45 minute treatment, a 2 course lunch, a smoothie and the option of a fitness class.

 Given the nature of the spa trip I can’t say whether the fitness class would have been a worthwhile addition or not, but, we both thoroughly enjoyed our very leisurely day, spending almost 10 hours there!

What had the ‘Spa Factor’ –  the location was easy to find and is in a great area to explore the rest of North Wales, the friendly and knowledgeable staff team, the garden view hydrotherapy pool, well designed steam room, everything about the Chiang Mai restaurant,  and the sun trapped stunning garden areas.

What would add to the ‘spa factor’ – there was a mix of pre and post treatment spa guests in the tranquillity room. Although there were no unruly guests, a second relaxation room for those who like to snooze following a treatment would be a welcome addition.

Do you think you would like to visit the Kinspa? I’d love to hear.

Stay BeYOUtiful

Eleri