My January has started off on an incredibly calming and peaceful note thanks to a visit to HarSPA at the Christchurch Harbour Hotel with many other lovely Bournemouth Bloggers where we were so kindly invited to visit the recently refurbished HarSPA facilities for a much-needed wellness boost for the year ahead with an additional luxury afternoon tea.

The Hotel

The Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa is a relaxed coastal spa retreat, situated against the idyllic backdrop of Mudeford Quay with spectacular harbour views across the quay and beyond in Dorset on the South Coast of England. The hotel is truly a hidden gem and a place to drift away for days of great local food, luxurious pampering and for exploring the stunning Dorset coastline on your doorstep.

The Christchurch Harbour Hotel is on the site of the former Avonmouth Hotel. It was built in the 1830s as a gentleman’s residence, and the Bournemouth hotel is now a grade II listed building that has recently been renovated to reveal an exceptionally sophisticated and relaxed venue for all seasons coupled with a fascinating history of the popularity of holidaying in Dorset.

Not long after the original foundations were built, that is now the Christchurch Harbour Hotel, there were only a few hundred people living in Bournemouth and Christchurch, both then in the county of Hampshire. However, in 1840, a well-renowned physician called Augustus Bozzi Granville, the author of a book called ‘The Spas of England’ which described health resorts around the country, visited this area. As a result of his visit, Dr. Granville included a chapter on Bournemouth in the second edition of his book. This feature truly put this part of Dorset on the map as the perfect place for people with health problems, especially chest complaints, that were far more common in the 19th century than today.

Soon after, Bournemouth and Christchurch quickly became a destination for affluent holiday-makers and for those in search of the sea air and this remains as true as ever today, and the Christchurch Harbour Hotel and HarSPA are a true embodiment of this historical spirit of luxury and a haven for those seeking tranquillity in a stunning part of the country.

The Spa

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The brand new Harbour Spa, called HarSPA, is a tranquil harbourside retreat located within the Christchurch Harbour Hotel where calming treatments, soothing massages, and peaceful relaxation will be your main priorities. 

The beautiful HarSPA has been purposefully designed to nurture and nourish both body and soul to leave you feeling totally relaxed. As you enter the spa, through heavenly scents, your senses merge with soothing sounds and harmonious colours to create a private, peaceful ambiance that is everything I needed.

You can pick from either a Spa Day, including treatments and lunch or Spa Breaks including accommodation and other treats. We were all treated to the half day Spa Day where you can pick from four varying treatments and then lunch afterwards. You can also make full use of the spa facilities that include a 14m swimming pool that is perfect for a leisurely dip, a Hydrotherapy pool where you can truly float away amongst the bubbles and finally a sauna and steam room all renowned for being wonderful for both the skin and for creating a sense of calm within. In addition, just upstairs from the spa a vintage-pin up dream can be found in their relaxation room as seen above that opens up to the gorgeous terrace.

The Treatment

As part of our half Spa Day at HarSPA, we were able to pick from either an express facial or a bespoke back massage. I decided to go for the express facial because I am just coming out of a PCOs flare up with my skin (I’ll discuss how I manage these flare-ups in more detail soon, but facials are so vital to my healing process!) and decided this would be the most restorative treatment for my body and soul. 

The HarSPA offers a huge variety of facial treatments but I often go for express or mini facial treatments are they are ideal for those on the go or if you’re not too familiar with facials and want to test what products work for your skintype. After discussing my skincare and skin history my lovely therapist gently cleansed and lightly exfoliated the skin. She then applied the specialist HarSPA Rasul mud mask to draw out impurities and remove dead skin cells. While the mask is working wonders, you are then pampered even more with a shoulder, neck and scalp massage that was truly divine. I left with my skin feeling a million times less irritated, looking radiant and mentally feeling so light and centered. 

Christchurch Harbour Hotel’s HarSPA is staffed by highly qualified and professional therapists in their five treatment suites at the Harbour Spa where you can forget about the outside world as you experience the nurturing care of professional therapies each designed to strip away stress and help you relax. 

The Dairy-Free Afternoon Tea

Along with many of the bedrooms, the hotel’s restaurants and public areas boast magnificent views over the outstanding beauty of the harbour towards Hengistbury Head; the ideal location for our next treat: a scrumptious afternoon tea!

Served from 3.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday, after soothing your mind and relaxing your body in HarSPA, afternoon tea at Christchurch Harbour Hotel is a perfect way to end your spa day, and to satisfy your sweet tooth all in one delightfully decadent day! 

A full menu for the afternoon tea Christchurch Harbour Hotel offer can be found here, as I was so kindly treated to a special dairy free afternoon tea because of my allergy.

I’m sure for any of you reading this with a food allergy, especially to gluten or dairy, finding a great place for afternoon tea is not always easy. Whilst most restaurants and hotels will cater for individual dietary needs, not all will bake something extra special so that you don’t miss out on all the delectable treats your friends are tucking into. And Christchurch Harbour Hotel delivered this and more for me! It was hands down one of the most divine selection of treats I have ever encountered.

Additionally, the whole dairy free afternoon tea was beautifully presented and served by friendly, smiling staff who could explain to me exactly what each thing contained perfectly. From traditional scones with jam and coconut cream to dainty sandwiches with plant-based fillings to mostly vegan patisseries I recommend the Christchurch Afternoon Tea to anyone and everyone. 

A huge thank you once again to the Christchurch Harbour Hotel, HarSPA and Bournemouth Bloggers for such a special afternoon. This truly was the perfect January treat I could have wished for. In our fast-paced modern world, with a plethora of varying pressures, it’s so important to dedicate time for your body and soul.

A day at HarSPA is truly well spent in this regards, and I hope to find more time this year where I can take time from my busy schedule to nurture, pamper, love and nourish my body and soul more than ever. I believe a true spa day well spent should be the ultimate spiritual detox designed to empower you, to make some time for the most important person in your world – YOU. Thank you for allowing me to embrace this HarSPA! I’m sure Dr. Granville would also approve!

Details 

The Christchurch Harbour Hotel, Avonmouth, 95 Mudeford, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 3NT
 01202 400955

** This Spa Day was complimentary for the purpose of review however all thoughts are my own ** 

***  The photos from inside the spa are all from the hotel’s website apart from the one of me in the pool! And the lovely swimming costume is courtesy of the lovely people at UK Swimwear ***