In March it was my Mum’s birthday and Mother’s Day so I wanted to treat her to a spa night away. She lives in Northamptonshire and I’m in London so we needed somewhere in the middle. I found that The Waterfront Hotel at Wyboston Lakes Resort, close to Northampton, Bedford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge, plus, only 50 minutes from London by train to be a great fit! Luckily they were happy to have me and show me what a spa stay looks like at The Waterfront Hotel.
Our plan of staying in March didn’t work out due to the snow so instead, we went in mid-April and we had a great time! Here’s why and why you should also stay at the Y Spa at Wyboston Lakes Resort Hotel!
The Waterfront Hotel Y Spa Review
Getting to The Waterfront Hotel
I caught a 40-minute train from London Kings Cross station after work on Friday, followed by a 10-minute taxi for £8.00 and before I knew it I was meeting my mum in the beautiful reception area.
The Waterfront Hotel is really close to many main roads including the A1 but once I entered the hotel it felt like we were in the middle of the countryside.
The Waterfront Hotel Wyboston Lakes
We arrived at 7:00 pm so after dropping our bags off in our lovely twin room we went straight for dinner in The Waterfront Restaurant, at this point the hotel and restaurant name all made sense as it is indeed, right on the waterfront!
One of the reasons I was glad the booking changed from March to April is that it was still light when we sat down for dinner so we had a lovely view of the lake and the trees in the distance.
Included in the spa package at The Waterfront Hotel is a 3-course dinner and a glass of champagne. With me being Vegan I wasn’t sure how many options I would have, looking at the main menu I knew I could adapt the starter and main but as soon as I said I was Vegan to the waiter he said ‘oh we have a Vegan menu!’. Well, this was the best thing I could have been told and he returned with a Vegan menu with 3 choices for each course.. perfect!
The food was perfectly arranged and the perfect size as well so we headed to bed feeling full and satisfied but not totally stuffed.
I had the most amazing sleep which consisted of about 9.5 hours! The mattress was soo comfy and I could have stayed in bed a lot longer! My mum said it was pretty noisy at night and in the morning as we were quite close to the road. I wore earplugs which meant I didn’t hear any of it but just a tip to bring some if you’re a light sleeper too in case you get a room closer to the road.
Apart from that, there were no complaints about our twin room which I believe was a standard twin room, although there was nothing standard about it! It was a comfortable size with a fancy bathroom, a great shower, a coffee machine and we even had a fruit bowl and a note from the manager which was really nice because it’s the little things that make a big difference right?
Breakfast was served in a different restaurant than dinner but still overlooking the lake, there were options for a full english breakfast, pastries, cereal and fruit which meant again we left breakfast feeling full but not horribly full and I felt I had enough options as a Vegan.
We headed back to our room, got our swimsuits and dressing gowns on, checked out, and headed into Y Spa which is the onsite spa and the main draw to me wanting to stay at The Waterfront Hotel. Especially as I had read online that their philosophy is – working on the principle of pleasure, enjoying a lot of what’s good for you and a little of what you like!
This is my kind of philosophy!
Y Spa Wyboston Lakes
The spa is located just by a reception, they have a great system whereby we were given a wrist band for access into the changing rooms as the spa facilities within Y Spa are only available when booking on a spa package. If you’re not on a package or you arrive the day before your spa day, there are other leisure facilities available to use including a pool, sauna and steam room.
We were explained by a lovely lady where everything was, what time our treatments were that we had booked as extra, and what time lunch was as this was part of our package too.
The spa opens at 9:00 am which is when our 4-hour package started so I wanted to get there as early as possible (the reason I didn’t keep sleeping when I easily could have!), we arrived at about 9:45 am and the hydrotherapy pool, which I would say is the main attraction, was already quite full so I do recommend getting here as close to 9:00 am as possible for the morning slot!
It wasn’t uncomfortably full though and it was nice to see lots of groups enjoying their stay, there was a hen group, couples, mothers and daughters like us, and groups of friends!
The hydrotherapy pool is literally heaven too! There is side access so in the winter you don’t need to go outside on the patio but there is access into the pool from the patio too. One side of the pool is lined with metal beds which meant we could lie down and have the power of the water go into our back and shoulders.
Back inside there are two sauna’s, one very hot, the other softer. Two steam rooms, one steamy, the other salty. A frost wall and different types of showers. Plus a chill-out area with beds and some water beds!
We tried pretty much all of these although we found the salty steam room to be a bit too much and only my hand went on the frost wall! My favourite things were the Hydrotherapy pool and the soft sauna which looks out onto the pool as you can see in the photo below.
The facilities are explained well on their website by saying that all of the thermal spa experiences are designed to offer different body sensations as a result of changes in external temperatures. This process stimulates your circulation and aids the body in eliminating toxins through perspiration and exfoliates dead skin.
What more could you want from a Spa day?
Well, actually we did want a bit more so we booked a treatment each in advance. I had the Made for Life – Catch the Breath massage, it was really light but the idea of this being a very holistic and meditative treatment drew me to it and I’m really glad I went for it. My mum had a deep tissue massage which she really liked too, and both of the therapist was very good, friendly and professional.
After our treatment, we headed back into the pool, the steam rooms and the sauna’s to ensure we made the most of our few hours. To be honest, I had thought that we might have wanted more time but actually by 12:30 we were ready for lunch so we headed back into the restaurant, still in our robes, for a 3-course buffet lunch. As with Dinner and Breakfast, it was served with the same lovely view and there was a great selection of food!
Before I knew it I was heading back to the train station and back to London. I asked the hotel to call me a taxi but Christian the Concierge offered to take me back to the station in the Executive car after hearing that a taxi couldn’t come for another 40 minutes which I thought was such a nice thing to do. I no way expected it and I was really blown away by this nice offer.
In fact, all of the staff at The Waterfront Hotel and Y Spa were so so nice! I know what it’s like to work a busy Friday evening and Saturday hotel shift but we had constant, friendly Hello’s, Goodbye’s, Enjoy your meal, Can I get you anything else? From the staff, the whole time and both of us commented on how nice this was and it really adds to the friendly and relaxed atmosphere of the hotel.
Overall, as you can probably tell, I loved my stay at The Waterfront Hotel at Wyboston Lakes Resort, and I loved my experience in Y Spa.
The location is perfect, as I mentioned it’s so close to some main cities, towns and main roads, but being surrounded by water and countryside really gives it a special and secluded feel. As I also said, the staff were great! The food was amazing and we really didn’t want or need anything else from this mini spa break away from real life.
If I was to go again or if you are thinking of going I would suggest heading into Cambridge whilst you’re there too. Christian told me that the bus stop for a bus into Cambridge is just a 10-minute walk from the hotel which I didn’t realise, so this makes it the perfect hotel to stay in for a Spa & City break!
I’ll end on a quote from the hotel’s website which I think sums up my experience and the experience that is offered:
“Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.”
To Book a Spa Break at The Waterfront Hotel at Wyboston Lakes Resort, click here!!
To book train tickets, have a look on The Train Line for the best times and prices!
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I stayed at The Waterfront Hotel complimentary in return for this review but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links but at no extra cost to you.
Rachel
Friday 17th of August 2018
How lovely to have treated your mum! I love the look of the spa - so fun and relaxing! Wish I could afford to book a quick stay now!!
TheWanderingQuinn
Saturday 18th of August 2018
It was so nice! Hopefully one day you can go there or to another place :)