Detox vs Retox
Stay: The Royal Crescent Hotel sprawls between two central buildings on that most majestic sweep of 18th Century architecture. Upstairs calm ensues, with many touches to turn your stay from hotel to homely, such as a squishy sofa and a stack of glossies in the room, and fresh flowers are just about on every surface.
Eat: Although the Dower House’s seasonal offerings are just about devourable off the page – with summer beach getaways around the corner, it’s no to degustation, and yes to Royal Detox: three days of Madal Bal natural tree syrup together with lemon’s purifying qualities.
Do: Nothing too active, but with lovely treatments scheduled throughout, this won’t be hard. Day one involves a thorough consultation and a tasting to “tweak” the formula. In the evening, pick a treatment from the Bath House’s spa menu to send you off to sleep.
Relax: Day two, more syrup and the Bath House’s signature treatment, including a full-body sea salt and essential oil exfoliation. The salt scrub helps stimulate the lymphatic system whilst the oils moisturise and rejuvenate. Then consultation number two, and one of the strangest, yet most relaxing treatments, “Watsu”: a water-based shiatsu treatment, performed in The Bath House’s heated pool. Basically, you’re held weightlessly in the arms of the Watsu practitioner as he pulls you through the water and rocks you gently.
And finally… Wrap up the experience with a take-home programme to either gently reintroduce food to your system, or continue the purification process for up to 10 days. Detoxing is hard; being pampered like a queen makes much more enjoyable – and, ultimately, successful.
From £620, at Royal Crescent Hotel, 16 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LS, 01225 823 367, www.lemondetox.com
Stay: Purported to be one of the sunniest cities in the UK, Bristol’s waterfront is where you want to be. The Bristol Hotel is smack bang on the floating harbour, with all the luxuries there and accounted for, plus a few unexpected, but deeply appreciated, touches
like Nespresso coffee machines in every room.
Eat: The River Grille is The Bristol Hotel’s crowning glory. The beauty of the waterfront restaurant is in its floor to ceiling windows. The menu is simple but moreish, with starters of Exmoor blue cheese and mains such as grilled steak served on a wooden chopping board with crisp, thrice-cooked chips and grilled Portobello mushrooms.
Do: Banksy has returned to his home town to put on what could be the largest public display of his work – and the first in Bristol in almost a decade – with over 70 pieces of previously unseen pieces.
Relax: Well, maybe not quite relax. Piccolinos (01179 293 255, www.piccolinorestaurants.co.uk) is the sleekest offering on Bristol’s lively after-dark scene. There’s no shortage of beautiful Bristolians swooning at the chartreuse green and chrome bar. Swoon to mixologist Lee’s deft hand, but if hunger pangs override, wander into the restaurant for seriously good modern Italian food.
And finally… Drive the M48 Severn Bridge in a Jaguar. The road was voted one of the UK’s top 10 places to drive by researchers at sat-nav experts Garmin, and Jag’s new supercharged XKR is the perfect roadster to do it in. The five-litre monster V8 literally straightens the spaghetti junction at Hotwell Road, but it’s the sensitive sequential shift that has rev-heads’ fingers really trembling.
(From £69,505, www.jaguar.co.uk)
From £79, The Bristol, Hotel, Prince Street, BS1 4QF, 01179 230 333, www.doylecollection.com