Titanic Spa – The UK’s first Eco Spa

Indulgent spa breaks are not the usual destination for eco types, but the UK’s first eco spa is all about challenging perceptions. The converted textile mill is a tall uniformed building which has been transformed inside from a place of hard graft to a tranquil sanctuary.

As a typically lavish retreat you wouldn’t suspect Titanic was ‘eco’ unless you were already in the know about the £1.5 million spent on creating a carbon neutral building and the bore hole 100m below the surface, which provides vast quantities of pure Yorkshire water to the spa, washing those eco worries away.

After feasting our eyes on the treatment menu we opted for ‘A True Cocoon of Effectiveness’, admittedly largely because of the name, and after being massaged, smoothed and enveloped in a heated, er , cocoon, it was officially a good choice.

A couple of hours are easily lost in the Heat Experience, along with unwanted toxins. The saunas are complemented with a mosaic steam bath and meditative aromatherapy room as well as a variety of ways to cool yourself down, all of which should be bravely attempted.

You can take advantage of the gym but if you consider the heat rooms to count for enough sweating for one day, a swim in the chlorine-free, salt regulated swimming pool is a more serene option.

I think all the luxury of the day must have gone to our heads as, usually blasé about where we lay our heads, we were so impressed with the apartment we wanted to move in.  As we were there for the whole works that to us meant undoing the spa’s good work and washing down a full three courses with an unspecified amount of wine. I’d have to advise skipping the dessert, not that I’m the slightest bit concerned about your waistline, but it was the only course that wasn’t brilliant – that’ll teach us.

Titanic is relaxed about what time you leave. You do have to check out by 10am but as you’re able to leave your bags and use the facilities you’ll want to get up to eek that bit more out of your stay.

It’s not flawless on the eco credentials, for example the spa products used are not typically green, but that’s largely because there’s still plenty of room on the market for top range organic spa products, but I would have liked to see the breakfast hamper stashed with organic, Fairtrade selections, as it’s easy to do and still in keeping with the luxury facade. So it just misses out on the five stars as there are further steps the ‘Eco Spa’ could take to lower its carbon footprint, but all in all it’s definitely a great place to spend a wet April day getting yourself buffed for summer. 

Cost: Day packages start from £70 per person