A luxury country hotel is set to open the first-ever spa on the Malvern Hills.
The Forest Spa, built at a cost of around £400,000, is located at The Cottage in the Wood in Malvern—a boutique retreat known as a favourite of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The spa has been in a ‘soft launch’ phase for hotel residents but will open to the public from November 15.
Couple celebrate 10 years at Cottage in the Wood hotel
Spokeswoman Beth Harvey said: “The Cottage in the Wood’s new indoor-outdoor spa sees the Water Cure reimagined for the modern day.
“Designed as a space to escape from the ‘always on’ nature of modern life, it brings the outside in, through natural textures, calming tones, and spaces filled with light.”
Malvern’s reputation as a spa town dates back to the 19th century and is rooted in the Victorian Water Cure, a hydropathy movement that drew visitors such as Florence Nightingale, Charles Dickens, and Charles Darwin.
Despite this heritage, the Forest Spa is believed to be the first facility of its kind located on the hills themselves.
The spa includes treatments such as massage. a relaxation room, hot tub, sauna, fire pit, and a cold-water plunge pool.
It offers views over the Severn Valley and Cotswolds.
Treatments overlook the scenery of the Malvern Hills (Image: Cottage in the Wood, Malvern)
The Cottage in the Wood’s well-known restaurant which offers a British culinary experience.
The Forest Spa joins the hotel’s award-winning 1919 restaurant, which has become renowned for its countryside views and modern British menu
The hotel itself has hosted a number of high-profile guests over the years, including Joan Collins, CS Lewis, and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.
Drs James Wilson and James Gully created the Victorian Water Cure which put the hillside town on the tourism map as the birthplace of the British wellness retreat.
