Reach for the Spas

By Gaby Soutar, Alison Gray. Jessica Kiddle & Anna Smyth

When you were small a Mother’s Day surprise might have meant breakfast in bed consisting of burnt toast and spilt orange juice. Now that you’re older it’s time for a proper treat, one that doesn’t leave her with indigestion. I took my lucky mummy along to The Balmoral for their Mother’s Day Indulgence package. We took advantage of the swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, then wrapped ourselves in fluffy dressing gowns in time for our treatments.

An 80-minute Jessica Deluxe Manicure with Thermal Mittens was followed by an 80-minute ESPA Face and Back Facial for me and an ESPA Age Defyer Facial for my age-defying ma.

After more than three hours of unparalleled bliss we reconvened in the Relaxation Room, looking glowing and fresh. My mother was taken with her vampy new coral-coloured nails and had thoroughly enjoyed her facial, which incorporated a scalp massage with ESPA’s Pink Hair and Scalp Mud. My treatment had been equally good, with an invigorating back massage and scrub as part of the package.

We finished our morning as ladies who lunch in Hadrian’s restaurant. That’s part of the package and the spa menu is mercifully unhealthy. We enjoyed buttery eggs Benedict to start, I had sea bass for my main and mum had salmon, then for pud we both enjoyed a vanilla pannacotta with dark chocolate sauce.

This really had been the creme de la creme of Mother’s Day treats; surely your lovely mum deserves nothing less?

GABY SOUTAR

Mother’s Day Indulgence, GBP 130. The Balmoral Spa, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh (0131-622 8880, balthespa@roccofortehotels.com).

IF YOU want to pamper your mum without leaving the central belt, choose a city centre hotel such as Hilton Glasgow which has a luxurious basement spa. My mum had a cold and was in need of a bit of TLC so she chose the ESPA Holistic Hand and Nail Treatment with hot stones, which she found very relaxing. Her forearms were massaged before three hot stones were placed on each arm.

Each arm was then wrapped in a towel while she had a hand massage. She adored this as each palm rested on a hot stone. The treatment ended with a manicure and she chose a shell pink for a natural-looking finish. “Very restful” was her verdict on the experience.

I went for the Jessica ZenSpa Deluxe pedicure. The treatment included an exfoliating leg massage and my cuticles were expertly dealt with before I selected a bubblegum pink for my toes. Who needs pastels when someone with a steady hand is doing the application? After our treatments we retired to the lounge and compared notes on our nails while sipping tea and leafing through the Sunday papers. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable mother-daughter, pampering day.

ALISON GRAY

ESPA Holistic Hand and Nail Treatment with hot stones (50 mins) GBP 35. Jessica ZenSpa Deluxe Pedicure (50 minutes) GBP 40. Hilton Glasgow, 1 William Street, Glasgow (0141-204 5555, sales.glasgow@hilton.com).

If your busy mum has only a short window for a spot of pampering, the Indulgence Party at Celeste in Edinburgh is the perfect treat. The two-hour package is great for stressed-out mothers (and daughters) who want to relax and have a bit of a giggle but don’t have all day to do it.

The treatment began in separate rooms as mother and daughter headed off for a neck, back and scalp massage, followed by a Decleor facial tailored to your skin type. One of the highlights of the treatment was the Decleor diagnostic back massage, where your therapist “reads” your back. Each part relates to an area of your body, and problems such as dehydration or digestive difficulties can be highlighted. The session finishes with a cooling eye treatment and mask – perfect.

Feeling relaxed and refreshed, mother and daughter were reunited and whisked off to a separate treatment room for a glass of bubbly. Champagne in hand, my mum and I chuckled and chatted with the therapists while enjoying an express Leighton Denny pedicure before making for the nail bar for an express manicure.

As we headed home, trying not to chip our nails, we agreed that we’d particularly enjoyed the balance of private time and mother- daughter bonding time. Separate treatments are all very well, but for Mother’s Day, something extra special is called for, and gossiping over Champagne is right on the mark.

ALICE WYLLIE

Indulgence Party, GBP 85 per person. Celeste, 1-1a Leven Street, Edinburgh (0131-221 1900, info@celestebeauty.co.uk).

If you’re trying to tell your mum how much you care, a trip to One Spa in Edinburgh will demonstrate your sentiments in style. Running until the end of Monday, their Mum’s the Word package allows you to use the facilities as well as sample a spa treatment. There’s no greater place for a girlie gossip than a sauna and so began our mother-daughter time – first in the rock sauna, then bio-sauna, then laconium (my mum wanted to try them all). After a quick swim in the rooftop hydropool we slipped into our robes and slippers and padded downstairs to the spa. Bonding time over, this bit of the package is earmarked for serious relaxation, and so we were taken off to separate treatment rooms where we were given intensive facials (including a lymph drainage and pressure point massage – perfect for improving blood flow to the skin for a youthful, plump look) and oriental head massage. Oiled up and mercifully tension free, we were wrapped up and left to recline on the beds in the relaxation area of the spa.

This gave my high-maintenance mummy a chance to pass comment on the experience. I was sure she would find fault in something, but instead she remarked on the professionalism of the staff (polite and helpful and, when it came to the treatment, chatty but not overly so), as well as the firmness of the massage. I have never known her to give a place such a thumbs up and would have expressed my surprise had I been able to muster the energy to do so. However, I was so blissed out, I simply nodded and shut my eyes.

JESSICA KIDDLE

Mum’s the Word, GBP 80 per person. One Spa, 8 Conference Square, Edinburgh (0131-221 7777, info@one-spa.com).

There are some things all daughters should do for their mums in gratitude of their lifelong service, and making them feel ten years younger is most certainly one of them. Such was the success of my mum’s Clarins Pro-Activ facial that I appear to have erased all negative effects from her having carried, delivered and reared me. Who knew it was that simple?

We were treated to twin treatments at the Clarins Skin Spa at Jenners in Edinburgh, and chose the Pro-Activ Face Therapy. The “Rolls-Royce” of the Clarins range, it comes in three forms (Hydrating, Radiance and Anti-Ageing), so you can tailor your 80- minute therapy to your specific age group. The skin-specific products will work on your target needs, but all of the facials have the same basic elements: a four-phase, deep pore cleanse, more serums and facial massages than you can keep track of, two tailored face masks and a hand, scalp, neck and shoulder massage.

I opted for the Hydrating facial which left my skin feeling more plump and nourished than it’s been since I was 16. But by far the most satisfying part of the morning was as I was dressing afterwards. So keen was my mum to show me the results of her Radiance facial that she sought out my treatment room and started telling me about it through the closed door. I’ve not heard her so excited since Cliff came to town.

The results were incredible. Her skin did indeed look firmer, more evenly toned and radiant than it had in years, and I got an e- mail later in the day telling me her colleagues had all noticed. Having never been much of a spa bunny she stands converted and has already booked her next appointment.

ANNA SMYTH

Pro-Activ Facial, GBP 53. Clarins Skin Spa, Jenners, Princes Street, Edinburgh (0131-226 4645). Book within the next two weeks and receive 50 per cent off all treatments.

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