LEADING a life that's predominantly hectic and energetic means you very easily forget how to sit still, unwind and allow yourself the time to enjoy a few luxuries.
It took me all of five minutes to go from arrival to feeling relaxed at Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa, near Melton Mowbray.
We were greeted with impeccable service – a friendly, warm front-of-house, along with valet parking and the collection and distribution of our luggage.
You get an immediate feeling of unpretentious luxury from the Victorian building's cosy reception area.
Our visit began with a complimentary drink in the garden room caf�, while our bags were being taken to our room, allowing us time to sit back and review the treatment and activities brochure.
After our helpful and extremely useful guided tour of the building, we enjoyed a delicious, healthy lunch in the verandah bar and made our way to our room to get changed into what became our attire for almost the whole break: swimming costumes teamed with Ragdale Hall robes and slippers.
What makes the retreat feel special is that, even though you're staying in what feels like a high-class hotel, there is an atmosphere of relaxed informality and guests are encouraged to wear whatever they feel comfortable in.
It's clear that Ragdale Hall's ethos has been to concentrate on absolute quality of service and experience. The entire Ragdale team, regardless of department, have the same genuinely friendly and helpful manner and nothing seemed to be too much trouble.
The multi-million-pound state-of-the-art thermal spa opened in 2007. It still feels like a new addition, as it's beautifully well-kept and caters for all aspects of a water-based health spa.
Within the thermal spa are five pools and 11 heat facilities, including various saunas and steam rooms, an ice niche, a scented room, foot baths, a silent candle pool and the indoor and outdoor waterfall pool, which is kept at 34C.
Being outdoor allows you to bathe in what feels like a natural hot spring, surrounded by steam and changeable coloured underwater lighting.
This was my friend's and my particular favourite. We visited it on both evenings and made it our final, parting Ragdale experience.
The spa and fitness area encompasses a mixture of relaxation, with the whirlpools, massage jets, steam rooms and sanarium, along with a focus on fitness and exercise, with a 25-metre swimming pool, separate exercise pool, exercise studios and a well-equipped gymnasium.
If you're there for two days, you'll be hard pushed to fit everything in, but we had a really good shot at it.
If you're interested in exercise classes, there's a wide range, from high to minimum impact. These include dance, aerobics, step and cardio combat, to those focused on well-being, such as yoga, pilates and candlelight stretch.
They also offer the use of well-maintained tennis courts, which we used after breakfast, mountain bikes, croquet, boules and a pitch-and-putt course.
Our room was beautiful – again, with unpretentious, yet high-quality style. It felt spacious and homely, with a large modern bathroom and a balcony overlooking the garden.
We couldn't fault our first evening, which began with a full body massage – 50 minutes of pure heaven.
They use a Swedish style with movements to promote a relaxing or detoxifying effect, while improving circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Whatever the technicalities behind the process, the outcome was one of complete satisfaction for myself and my friend. We practically floated across to the thermal spa, for an hour's snooze (more so on my part) in the tall wicker chairs, which curl around you, keeping you hidden.
We took a night-time swim in the outdoor waterfall pool, continuing our feeling of total karma and serenity, before getting changed for dinner.
Ragdale offers a vast array of healthy, tasty food options, as well as the occasional deserved treat.
You start the day with breakfast in bed, which you select on arrival, and enjoy a wonderful three-course hot and cold buffet lunch in the dining room. But be careful not to over-indulge before swimming, as we did.
And the evening's dining provides a warm, settled environment to enjoy a delectable three-course menu.
If, like me, it's been a while since you last gave yourself a real break from the heavy trappings of day-to-day life, then treating yourself and a friend or loved one to one or two days in the laid-back, peaceful world of Ragdale Hall, will certainly lighten the load.
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