Popularity of pampering continues to rise

The UK spa industry is worth more than £1.6bn a year, with hotels, fitness clubs and individual therapists all offering treatments to release stressed muscles and boost our beauty regimes.

Bannatyne’s Health Club in Blackpool is among the latest to respond to the trend, recently investing £80,000 in new spa facilities at its gym on Rigby Road.

Its spa manager Lyndsey McFarlane says people are increasingly recognising the value of body maintenance.

She said: “I think people like the pampering aspect of it, and a day out at a spa for mums and daughters, or best friends, is really popular.

“We have a dual room where they can have their treatments together and people really like that.

“People have such busy lives these days, but they see the importance of taking time out, and with all the offers available treatments are affordable too.”

Many of the therapies go hand in hand with health and wellbeing, so staff are trained to a high skill level.

Lindsey added: “We don’t ever stop training as we’re always learning new techniques and things change all the time, with new treatments coming out, and it is important to keep up with it.

“I think it is good to have a spa within a gym, because many people come in asking for help with a specific issue.

“We also have lotions people can use prior to training and afterwards which can help with aches and pains from the gym.”

'‹Even men’s grooming is a growing sector with sales of products increasing every year.'‹

Lindsey said: “Men used to come to spas because they were dragged there by their partners and they complained about it. But that’s changed now. For men it’s mainly massages and facials they like, and there is a new generation of products specifically for men.

“The techniques and products for men are different because their skin is tougher than a woman’s.”

Ribby Hall Village at Wrea Green opened its spa in 2011, and spa manager Jane Tregonning says she has seen first hand how demand has grown for the spa.

She said: “Spa stays certainly seem to be on the rise.

“ At The Spa Hotel we have noticed an increase in demand, whether that be a day spa or a short stay incorporating treatments.

“Wellness is huge. We are all striving for a better work-life balance. A spa visit is an easy way to keep that balance in check, manage stress and take some time out.

“Our spa menu has evolved over time. People are no longer just looking for a massage or facial.

“They want a specialist massage, a targeted facial. Our menu now also incorporates hypnotherapy, physiotherapy, crystal healing and reflexology.

“The Aqua Thermal Journey also adds another element, with a two-hour heat experience that aids relaxation and offers an abundance of holistic and therapeutic benefits.

“Last year we won an award from the Good Spa Guide recognising The Spa Hotel as Best Spa for Value.

“The fact there is even a category now that recognises people do want to spa but do have budgets really demonstrates how the market has changed.”

Visits on the up

· A recent report by Global Spa Wellness indicates a nine per cent growth annually in spa visits over the coming years, which is 50 per cent faster growth than ‘regular’ tourism.'‹

· UK consumers make an estimated six million visits per year to spas throughout Britain.

· Massage is still the most popular treatment with aromatherapy oils.

Reporter Shelagh Parkinson tried out one of the treatments offered at Bannatyne’s Health Club

A bit like ordering a coffee, ordering a massage is no longer a simple choice.

Forget just deciding between lower back or full body, these days there is a whole raft of options.

How about a Swedish massage to release toxins for example, or hot stones to rebalance your system?

In the end I went for something completely different, with a part lava shells massage and part bamboo.

Both have exotic origins, with the shells originally coming from the Philippines (but now man-made in the interests of conservation).

Meanwhile bamboo massage has its roots in India.

No matter, that I was in the rather less glamorous location of Blackpool, the effect was still uplifting.

Heated shells were gently used to massage my back, getting tight knots out from my shoulders.

At first glance, the bamboo looked more like an instrument of torture than pleasure.

Shaped like a thin rolling pin, Lindsey rolled the bamboo over my thighs and calves to loosen tight muscles.

With oils also massaged into the skin, there is no doubt afterwards my body felt more relaxed – certainly a great way to unwind.