Spa Gazing
The Vale Resort, Hensol Park
Signature treatment: Temple Spa My Kinda Skin (55 mins, £60) is a bespoke treatment that is designed to address your own specific skincare needs. The ultimate in personal service.
Prices: Given the ritziness of the joint and that, by definition, spa-ing is a luxury pursuit, the pricing here is remarkably competitive. The Classic Spa Day, including a 90-minute treatment of your choice, comes in at a reasonable 99 quid.
Service: High-end without any hoity-toitiness, the attention to detail is impressive.
The X Factor: It’s such a cover-all-bases destination. As the name states, this 4-starrer really is a resort. It boasts, not only a clutch of bars and restaurants, but a state-of-the-art gym, a 20-metre swimming pool, tennis and squash courts and not one but two topflight golf courses that attract both amateurs and pros alike. It’s all set slap-bang in 650 acres of sprawling, lush countryside. All that, and it’s still only 15 minutes from Cardiff city centre so has the best of both worlds.
Score: A knockout 9 out of 10.
