http://www.templespa.iehttp://www.templespa.ieTemple Spa,
Horseleap,
Moate,
County Westmeath
Temple Spa enquiries
www.templespa.ie
While Ireland is gone quite “spa crazy” in recent years and many hotels are opening excellent facilities, Temple Country Retreat is a world apart. In fact Declan and Bernadette Fagan were at the forefront of Spa development in Ireland when they established Temple in 1987 in a 250 year country house surrounded by rolling parkland.
When we visited recently they had opened a new extension less than a year previously – December 2005 to be exact - and they now offer a wider range of treatments, facilities and accommodation. We loved the exclusivity of the location, and the beautifully laid out new extension which is built around the Zen Garden. Lots of glass allows you to enjoy the surrounding countryside and careful lighting enhances the soft, muted and natural colour scheme.
We settled into our beautifully appointed room, donned the extra-fluffy robes and slippers and made ourselves completely at home for our 24 hour escape. The core principle “A temple for the Mind, Body and Spirit” makes the experience very different from your average spa break. Visiting Temple is about more than the treatments, it is about relaxing in peaceful, idyllic surroundings. Declan and Bernadette has found that the longer guests stay, the more they unwind. Knowing that we had a mere 24 hours, it was important to savour everything at Temple, and that includes their encouragement to “do nothing”. The lounge is so comfortable and pleasant, newspapers, juice bar, assorted teas – a lovely place to while away a few hours. Then there was the visit to the vitality pool with its sun lounge area providing a fantastic view of open countryside.
My major problem was deciding on what treatments to go for as the range and variety of pampering, rejuvenating, detoxing and indulgent therapies was the most extensive I have ever come across! Interestingly they include many treatments for men, and I did notice that there were a lot of couples at Temple.
In the end, I decided to opt for signature treatments that I had not previously experienced and chose a fabulous massage called Natualmoor – a tried and trusted therapeutic treatment from Germany. It actually uses black peat in a heated pack which penetrates and relaxes the muscles while having a really good massage. This was one of the better massages I have experienced.
Now whoever said that a spa was a bootcamp for overweight people had never visited Temple! The food was superb! We dressed for dinner, perused the wine list and enjoyed a stunning three course dinner complete with impeccable restaurant service. Easy to see why people would like to stay several days with menus like these!
The next morning I had booked another treatment and had the difficult job of deciding between chocolate and wine for my wrap! The noble grape won out and so I enjoyed two hours of a Vinotherapy Body Wrap. This was indeed pure luxury.
Besides all of that, I also joined in a Yoga class and an evening Breathing for Relaxation session. I could have gone for a guided morning walk too, but could not drag myself away from the breakfast table in time!
There is plenty to do at Temple, and plenty of opportunity to do just nothing at all. Their simple philosophy is to eat healthily, drink wisely and sleep well. They offer an opportunity to step back and draw breath from our busy lives. A welcome retreat indeed!
Get the best rates on http://www.templespa.ie[url=http://www.templespa.ie]
Horseleap,
Moate,
County Westmeath
Temple Spa enquiries
www.templespa.ie
- A real destination Spa, ISO 9001:2000 accredited
- Set in 90 acres of unspoilt countryside
- Uniquely holistic programme of treatments & activities
While Ireland is gone quite “spa crazy” in recent years and many hotels are opening excellent facilities, Temple Country Retreat is a world apart. In fact Declan and Bernadette Fagan were at the forefront of Spa development in Ireland when they established Temple in 1987 in a 250 year country house surrounded by rolling parkland.
When we visited recently they had opened a new extension less than a year previously – December 2005 to be exact - and they now offer a wider range of treatments, facilities and accommodation. We loved the exclusivity of the location, and the beautifully laid out new extension which is built around the Zen Garden. Lots of glass allows you to enjoy the surrounding countryside and careful lighting enhances the soft, muted and natural colour scheme.
We settled into our beautifully appointed room, donned the extra-fluffy robes and slippers and made ourselves completely at home for our 24 hour escape. The core principle “A temple for the Mind, Body and Spirit” makes the experience very different from your average spa break. Visiting Temple is about more than the treatments, it is about relaxing in peaceful, idyllic surroundings. Declan and Bernadette has found that the longer guests stay, the more they unwind. Knowing that we had a mere 24 hours, it was important to savour everything at Temple, and that includes their encouragement to “do nothing”. The lounge is so comfortable and pleasant, newspapers, juice bar, assorted teas – a lovely place to while away a few hours. Then there was the visit to the vitality pool with its sun lounge area providing a fantastic view of open countryside.
My major problem was deciding on what treatments to go for as the range and variety of pampering, rejuvenating, detoxing and indulgent therapies was the most extensive I have ever come across! Interestingly they include many treatments for men, and I did notice that there were a lot of couples at Temple.
In the end, I decided to opt for signature treatments that I had not previously experienced and chose a fabulous massage called Natualmoor – a tried and trusted therapeutic treatment from Germany. It actually uses black peat in a heated pack which penetrates and relaxes the muscles while having a really good massage. This was one of the better massages I have experienced.
Now whoever said that a spa was a bootcamp for overweight people had never visited Temple! The food was superb! We dressed for dinner, perused the wine list and enjoyed a stunning three course dinner complete with impeccable restaurant service. Easy to see why people would like to stay several days with menus like these!
The next morning I had booked another treatment and had the difficult job of deciding between chocolate and wine for my wrap! The noble grape won out and so I enjoyed two hours of a Vinotherapy Body Wrap. This was indeed pure luxury.
Besides all of that, I also joined in a Yoga class and an evening Breathing for Relaxation session. I could have gone for a guided morning walk too, but could not drag myself away from the breakfast table in time!
There is plenty to do at Temple, and plenty of opportunity to do just nothing at all. Their simple philosophy is to eat healthily, drink wisely and sleep well. They offer an opportunity to step back and draw breath from our busy lives. A welcome retreat indeed!
Get the best rates on http://www.templespa.ie[url=http://www.templespa.ie]