Chewton Glen
Luxury tree house with your spa anyone? Multi-award-winning New Forest favourite, Chewton Glen, has a much-loved spa, it’s a hop and a skip from the coast and has plenty of outside space for a game of croquet or some al fresco dining.
The lowdown
One of the UK’s original and best luxury spa hotels, Chewton Glen sits on the edge of the New Forest, just a stone’s throw from the sea. It has earned its exclusive reputation, delighting guests by making them feel special in its classic, luxurious take on a traditional country house hotel.
Set in spacious grounds, hotel highlights include two fabulous restaurants and a good-sized spa, plus fourteen self-contained luxury tree houses. The grounds accommodate various activities, from croquet to helicopter arrivals, and you can enjoy a pretty walk to the sea. There’s a newly refurbed Tennis Centre and outdoor tennis courts too. And golfers are well catered for with a none-hole golf course and driving range.
Spavellous for
Special occasion, couples, spa with friends, solo spa break, families, dogs, coastal spa break, tree house fun. It’s also perfect for a multi-gnerational stay.
Spa info
Chewton Glen’s spa centres around a colonnaded 17m pool, surrounded by comfy loungers. There’s also a generous hydrotherapy pool with six bubbly hydro stations and a pool-side steam room. Outside, there’s another decent-sized pool, with its own bar, more loungers and an inviting hot tub.
Upstairs, the large changing rooms have their own sauna and a steam room. Robes are fluffy, hairdryers are Dyson and showers are stocked with upmarket Noble Isle products.
Treatments, spa days and wellness packages are available to both residents and spa day guests alike. It’s worth being aware that the spa is on several levels, but the pool can be reached from ground level and has its own changing room space. Plus, treatments can be carried out in guest bedrooms by arrangement, including on Treehouse balconies.
Treatment highlights
Chewton Glen has ten treatment rooms and offers a variety of quality treatments, ranging from benefit-driven facials by Natura Bissé, Oskia to seaweed-nutrient-rich treatments by Seabody.
Other treatments to try are the popular Sweet Dreams treatment and the Quiro Golf face and body treatment which incorporates golf balls.
The treatment menu also includes the decadent couples’ ‘Treat for Two’, the fabulous ayurvedic ‘Body Recovery’ treatment, which is tailored to how you feel on the day,
plus other complementary therapies like reflexology and reiki.
Chewton Glen now has its own product range, developed with spa product experts Oskia. The spa also offers Jessica manicures and pedicures, specially developed junior spa treatments for teens, and therapists are cancer care trained by Amethyst Trust.
I was booked in for the Seabody Touch Facial and was greeted at the spa by one of the friendly team members. The staff here are genuinely lovely and always happy to help. After a quick tour of the spa – recently refreshed but still retaining its classic charm – I was ready for my treatment.
The Seabody Touch Facial
I was booked in for the Seabody Touch Facial, one of the spa’s newest treatments. After a few minutes relaxing in the low-lit waiting area, I was led to a treatment room with double doors for extra soundproofing – a nice touch that made the space feel even more private and relaxing.
Once I was settled on the heated treatment bed, my therapist invited me to take three deep, grounding breaths before starting the facial. She began with a double cleanse using Seabody’s gentle exfoliating cleanser, the second emulsified with water to switch up the sensation. This felt soothing, yet effective, and I loved the feeling of the cleanser being removed with a warm towel – and already, my skin felt fresher.
One of the things that stood out about this facial was how deeply relaxing it was. The flowing massage movements used for the product application, incorporating gentle pressure-point techniques, made it clear that it was a treatment for both skin and mind.
Next, the therapist used a gua sha quartz stone to help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. The slow, sculpting motion was incredibly soothing – and much easier than trying to do it myself at home!
By this point, I was in full relaxation mode when the therapist softly brushed on a cooling face mask and placed a rose quartz eye mask over my eyes. The face mask had a light marine scent and felt active for the first couple of minutes before settling down. While it worked its algae-powered magic, I was treated to an arm, hand, and scalp massage, which felt amazing – particularly on my palms, an area which is often neglected in spa treatments.
After about ten minutes – though by then I had pretty much lost track of time – the mask was gently removed with a warm cloth, another welcome pampering touch.
To finish, my therapist applied Seabody’s serum, cooling eye gel, and rich moisturiser, leaving my skin feeling soft and refreshed.
Final Thoughts
After the treatment, my skin looked brighter, smoother, and firmer – especially around my eyes.
If you’re after a luxurious but natural facial that’s as much about relaxation as it is results, the Seabody Touch Facial is a great choice. It’s a total skin + self-care reset, and I’d definitely book it again.
Other Seabody treatments available at Chewton Glen spa are the Seabody Connect Massage which uses wave-like techniques to target tension and boost circulation, and the Seabody Rebalance Ritual, which incorporates breathwork, exfoliation and a body mask.
Seabody treatments can be booked as stand-alone treatments or included as part of a spa day at Chewton Glen.
Rooms
All 72 bedrooms and suites are some kind of luxurious, with the sumptuous suites in a luxe league of their own, and some have their own hot tub or terrace.
This includes 14 treehouse suites, uber-luxe cabins on stilts, nestled in their own valley a short walk or golf cart ride from the main hotel. The ultimate in special treat accommodation, some of the treehouses have their own private hot tub, and you can even bring your dog – or kids!
Wining and Dining
The Dining Room delivers culinary excellence, while keeping food miles to a minimum, with its celebrated fine dining offering focusing on creative seasonal fare.
The Kitchen, Chewton’s second eatery, has a more modern, informal vibe and offers a fresh, seasonal menu incorporating plenty of fish and shellfish alongside ingredients from the hotel’s Kitchen Garden, alongside freshly stretched pizzas.
The hotel also has its own cookery school where hotel guests and regulars can hone their culinary skills. For drinks, the deep red bar harks back to a by-gone era and is the perfect place to indulge in a little escapism with a classic cocktail or two.
why so spavellous?
Chewton Glen was a shoo-in for the latest Spavellous List, with such high standards in everything it does – from top notch spa treatments in luxurious surroundings, to immaculate décor and seamless service. The location is lovely, and the unique treehouses take luxury to the next level – literally.
spavellous tips
If you’re lucky enough to be staying in one of the treehouses, why not really push the boat out and get a Treetop Tranquillity massage on your terrace – because you can.
Chewton Glen is family-friendly – children, or ‘little VIPs’, are actively welcomed rather than tolerated, so it’s worth familiarising yourself with family swim times – an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon last time we visited.
It’s also great for active spa-goers – as well as being a lovely walk to the beach, Chewton has indoor and outdoor tennis court and a 9-hole golf course.
Spa Goers say...
‘I felt like royalty in the spotlessly clean spa – even random staff knew my name’
‘Possibly the biggest and best hydro pool in the UK’
‘This is our happy place – it’s like a luxury home from home’