USP On the city’s waterfront with views of the River Tyne, Millennium Bridge and Baltic Arts Centre, Malmaison Hotel is a Grade II converted warehouse in a lively, mainly pedestrianised, area of the quayside.
AMBIENCE The Asian inspired spa on the lower-ground floor of this seven-storey stylish hotel gives seclusion and privacy away from the hub-bub of the hotel above.
There are four treatment rooms, a sauna and tanning room. The relaxation ‘area’ is bascially a throughway from reception to the spa and is not the calmest place to relax. With three motorised black leather massage chairs, which were surprisingly noisy when operated, a beanbag and footstall with loud upholstery, the area did not work for me as a calm place nor did the d?cor fit with the Asian theme. There were also unlit candles along the corridors and the lighting was too bright.
QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE The Chakra balancing treatment was just what I needed on a cold autumn day. A full body brush and exfoliation followed by a deep body face and scalp massage using hot volcanic stones.
My therapist Jennifer consulted with me before we began to choose oils depending on my skin type and personal preference by smell; she was personable and confident and explained everything in detail.
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I took a sauna as recommended before the treatment, a good way to warm up the body and relax the muscles.
The treatment was thoroughly relaxing; the hot stones slipped along my oiled skin and gave a heat that felt both mesmerising and healing, a fabulously deep-tissue massage without the pain. Perfect.
The treatment ended with a scalp massage, an ideal way to bring two hours of total escapism to an end. It stimulated my senses and stirred me from my relaxed state.
FOOD I was lucky enough to eat in two of the three dining venues within the hotel - the first-floor bar, serving light dishes including bagels and burgers all day long with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the river, and The Brasserie, a more intimate evening venue, with a Mediterranean inspired menu and an in-house sommelier. At street level is Caf? Mal, a deli-style caf? on the quayside serving salads, muffins, cappuccinos and freshly squeeze orange juice.
IN-CROWD Well groomed Newcastle city dwellers. The spa’s location and its affordability attracts all kinds, from students studying at the nearby university, local office workers, to those visiting the town on a city break. I changed alongside three ladies preparing with the bride for her wedding day.
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WALLET WATCH The Chakra balancing treatment costs £75 for two hours, great value for money for such a smart hotel. There is a wide range of treatments, from an eyebrow tint at £10, to the Ultimate Indulgence – five hours of treatments for £220. They also suggest treatments for gents, which is a nice touch.
NEED TO KNOW Malmaison Newcastle, Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 3DX (0191 245 5000; www.malmaison.com)