I couple of weeks ago I was invited along to the beautiful Moddershall Oaks for an overnight stay and some much needed R&R and mother daughter time. Moddershall Oaks is a spa in Staffordshire and is tucked away a twenty minute car journey from my house, and I was astounded that only a short drive out of the business and hecticness of a city there was a resort of absolute calm and serenity on hand to ease any stress or troubled minds.

Having never been to a “proper” spa before, I was completely unaware what to expect when we arrived. My only previous experience of a spa day was a day at a Bannatynes Leisure Club in Burton where we shared the facilities with gym members.  Moddershall Oaks already had one up on that experience with its beautiful setting and the fact that although there were a few other people there on the day (mainly mother and daughters and groups of friends) it didn’t feel overly busy or crowded at any point.

On arrival we were greeted with a welcome drink in the ranch style deli which serves a selection of cold food, cakes and beverages whilst we filled out our medical declaration forms and were talked through our itineraries for the next couple of days as we had dinner and treatment arranged during the stay.  After the is were dotted and the ts were crossed it was time to be shown to our luxury Moroccan style suite for the evening.  Moddershall Oaks is home to 10 exclusive on site suites that offer absolute luxury with boutique decor, under floor heating, toiletries brought to you by non other than the beautifying skin range, Elemis, an LCD flat screen TV with DVD/CD player, soft seating area inside and a covered private deck with access to the outdoor hot tub.

After coo-ing over the room and changing into our swimwear and obligatory fluffy brown robes, we were given a tour of the spas facilities by one of the lovely members of staff who gave us a bit of a run down on the various areas including The Snug, the outdoor heated pool and the inside spa.

Although we’re far flung into June, the typical British weather meant that our stay at Moddershall Oaks was reminiscent of the rainy days at Kellerman’s in Dirty Dancing (without the hot dance instructor and pretty dresses) so we spent the majority of our first afternoon making like mermaids in the indoor pool, stretching my water baby legs and surprisingly not having to suppress an ounce of self conciousness as I wandered around the pools edge in my bathing attire.  The inside spa features the swimming pool, a hydrotherapy pool, soothing reflexology foot baths, serene showers, steam rooms and heated loungers that once a lay on them I had to be more or less coaxed off because of how relaxing and tranquil it was.  Despite the miserable rain outside there was plenty inside to keep us occupied and we even spent some time in the hydrotherapy pool chatting with a fellow mother/daughter who we discovered were heading to Venice and we sat exchanging travel hints and tips whilst enjoying the ambience of the indoor spa.

Eventually the rain cleared up and the sun began to poke through the grey clouds, so we spent the majority of the day in the heated vitality pool within an out door courtyard that overlooks the stunning landscape of the resort and is surrounded by an outdoor seating area of soft seating and loungers.  Although the sun came out it was actually still a little nippy out (thank god for those robes)  and the vitality pool was a welcoming warm equipped with air and water jet features that operates at an average temperature of 38 degrees C.   We spent the afternoon hopping between the vitality pool and the sauna for the remainder of the afternoon in between light patches of drizzle before heading back to our boutique suite to shower and get ready for our dinner reservation at 7:30pm.

Our treatment was set for the second day just after check out, so after indulging in breakfast in bed (I was getting the hand of this relaxation malarky) and a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed orange juice we headed up to the treatment suites for 55 minutes of Moddershall Oak’s best selling treatment, the Elemis Face and Body Sensation.  After a consultation with my beauty therapist where we discussed any particular tension in my muscles and my skin type, any areas of concern (oily TZone and occasional breakouts) I was treated to a treatment that featured a variety of Elemis products, beginning with dry body brushing to the back, neck, shoulders and backs of the legs to smooth any rough or dry skin (celebs SWEAR by body brushing to brighten skin and eliminate the appearance of cellulite due to the breaking down of unwanted toxins).  After the body brushing, hot oil is applied to the soles of the feet, legs and back and followed by a hot stone massage that utilises the use of smooth, heated stones as an extension of the masseuse’s hands. The heat of the stones was extremely relaxing and can be both deeply relaxing and helps to warm up tight muscles so the therapist can work more deeply, more quickly.

Following the massage I was to a custom intensive and anti ageing facial based focusing on a deep cleanse utilising the Tri Enzyme Resurfacing Serum and the Papaya Enzyme Peel Face Mask to help resurface the skin and bring a glow to my tired and  lack lustre looking skin.  This unique treatment also targets blemishes and addresses the likes of uneven skin tone, superficial facial scarring and fine lines.  My skin felt softer than it has for a long time and as well as glowing, my skin felt much plumper and healthier.

After enjoying some time in the courtyard reading we took a dip in the vitality pool again before enjoying some lunch from the beautiful deli that overlooks the courtyard area, including a Bellini cocktail before handing over our robes at round 3:30pm to leave the spot of serenity for the day.

I absolutely adored our couple of days away at Moddershall Oaks.  I’m so used to busy nights away or city breaks where my schedule is jam packed from morning til night that this overnight stay was a little bit of a shock to the system for both my mum and myself.  It took us a while to realise that other than when to eat and our treatment time that there was no schedule and the sole purpose was to kick back and unwind which can admittedly be quite hard to do at times.  After consciously deciding that time away from the technology driven is what I need to unwind sometimes, my phone only came with me in my robe pocket for Instagram purposes and I found it refreshing to not be constantly connected.  It was also lovely to spend some much needed mother daughter time together away from the entrapments and stress of every day life; being at Moddershall Oaks felt like we were hours away from home.

I would most definitely recommend a trip to Moddershall Oaks, if not for an overnight stay then for one of the full or half day packages they offer for a treat for a mother/daughter day or a girly getaway or even a couples relaxation.  There really is no greater feeling than relaxing next to a pool within beautiful surroundings with a glass of something fruity and with good company.  Taking time away from the stresses of normal life can never be over or under estimated.

* we were ever so kindly invited along to Moddershall Oaks for some unwind and relaxation.  My opinion as always is completely honest and this review is written under no bias at all.