If all roads lead to Rome, then weary travellers should feel right at home unwinding in the luxurious environs of Verulamium Spa, in St Albans’ Westminster Lodge leisure centre, as it draws on the ancient Romans for inspiration.
With health facilities and beauty salons commonplace on the streets of St Albans, standing out from the crowd is always going to be difficult.
So the designers of Verulamium Spa looked to the past in shaping this particular venue, offering a spectacular view of St Albans’ medieval cathedral from the outdoor terrace, and bringing a contemporary twist to the Roman Baths of yesteryear inside.
They wanted to absorb and echo the city’s ancestry in the design, layout and finishes, and unite these with the style of contemporary spa features.
The mix of different pools and hot rooms have an obvious Zoman theme. The Caldarium and Tepidarium were a part of the Old Roman Bath experience, whereas the Laconium is something which was brought in during the Spartan reign.
The Caldarium and Laconium are hot rooms with a slight difference in temperature and humidity with under floor heating, and can be used simultaneously.
Users would then take a cold shower and can relax in the ornamented Tepidarium or reside in the Hydrospa pool.
It is this attention to detail which makes Verulamium different from the majority of spas, and there are even gold leaf tiles embedded in these areas to add to the opulence.
Beyond the pool area, lunch on the terrace offers private views over the park, and somewhere to enjoy lunch from the Westminster Lodge bistro and the papers on a sunny day.
Of course the main attraction Verulamium Spa offers for most people is the selection of treatments, which range from massages and facials to mud wraps and pedicures, all using the finest range of beauty products in the process.
If you come with your partner or friend, there are couples rooms also available, but after a refreshing few hours unwinding at the spa, the chance of staying awake during a relaxing all-over hot stone massage is minimal.
We have a fantastic spa package available to win by one lucky Herts Advertiser reader.
Worth £190, this wonderful prize includes an Espa Full Body Hot Stones Massage for two guests in the couples suite as well as use of the spa.
The highly trained therapists will help you choose from a selection of aromatherapy oils, your body will surrender to the gentle heat of the volcanic stones that are massaged on to the body.
A relaxing experience which will leave you and your partner feeling revitalized and refreshed.
To be in with a chance of winning this incredible package, simply answer the following question:
What are the origins of the Laconium?
A. Sparta;
B. Athens;
C. Troy.
To enter, text HA PACKAGE followed by your answer (A, B or C), name, age, full postal address and email to 80058.
Texts cost 50p plus your standard network rate. The closing date is 12 noon on October 17.
The winner will be the first correct entry selected at random after the closing date. This prize is non-transferable, cannot be exchanged and no cash alternative will be offered. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Usual Archant competition rules apply, see page two for details.
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