What better way to wind down after a long day of travel than with a relaxing spa day? Inside the five-star Merchant Hotel in downtown Belfast is The Spa at The Merchant Hotel, open to both guests and visitors. This urban oasis contains five treatment rooms, a relaxation room, plus a hydrotherapy area with adjacent steam and sauna rooms.
I was booked in for a 55-minute VOYA Jet Lag Revitalizing Treatment (£100) the afternoon after my arrival into Belfast. The description on the Merchant Spa website alone was enough to entice me to reserve a few hours for self-care ahead of a busy few days exploring the Northern Ireland capital.
My masseuse Jaqueline joins me in the spa lounge and brings me to a blue-lit massage room where we briefly discuss the treatment, preferred massage strength, and any ongoing physical issues. She begins to soothe the tightness in my back (hoisting backpacks through busy airports is not kind to our bodies!), and works on my tired muscles as I begin to unwind.
I am eventually turned onto my back and soon feel the slight tingling as my legs are treated to a peppermint scrub to help alleviate any swelling from flying while increasing circulation in the legs. My feet are then wrapped in strips of VOYA seaweed from County Sligo followed by warm towels to form a nourishing compress. While this is being worked into my feet, she does a brief scalp massage, and I begin to float in a state of semi-conscious bliss.
The seaweed and towels are gently removed, which ends our session together. I take several moments in the quiet surroundings and slowly get back into my bathrobe (my slippers have already found their way back onto my feet).
Jacqueline sends me on my way with the seaweed from my leg wrap packaged into a small plastic bag to use in my hotel’s bathtub that evening. This, I’ve been promised, will continue to add natural moisture to my legs post-travel.
After the massage, I’m brought to the spa’s relaxation room, where quiet music, six large lounge chairs, a cup of chamomile tea, a mandarin and a glass of water await.
Other treatments at the Merchant Hotel Spa include a VOYA Organic Peppermint and Seaweed exfoliating sugar glow, Elemis Lime and Ginger (or Frangipani) Salt Scrub, as well as full body massages, stress relief massages, a foot ritual, plus a large variety of facial offerings.
The spa’s hydropool, thermal loungers, sauna, drench showers and aromatic steam room are available as an all-in-one session that can be booked for either 60 minutes (£45) or as an add-on to any treatment for £20. Note that both hydropool area and lounges are gender neutral.
The Spa at The Merchant Hotel Belfast is located at 16 Skipper Street in Belfast.
My VOYA treatment and hydrotherapy session were complimentary for the purpose of experiencing and featuring the Spa at the Merchant Hotel Belfast. Opinions, as always, are my own. Non-watermarked images courtesy of The Spa at Merchant Hotel Belfast.
