Hen parties. Bachelorette parties. I cringe at the mere concept of the perceived debauchery that accompanies these, UK side, anyway. But, charged with arranging a sibling send off, I was determined to inject class over crass and prove that not all hens have to cluck.
Our evening started early, but relaxed. 10 girls, wrapped in fluffy white robes, VIP in the private Boudoir Spa at the stunning Galgorm Hotel and Spa for a twilight half day spa visit.
Galgorm have refurbished this in the last year to replace the spa gym with this private retreat, and it is a great investment. Perfectly designed in plush pink and champagne, it's everything a girlie spa day needs to feel like. There's a slight Austin Powers purr, but overall it's chic and fun.
Our evening started early, but relaxed. 10 girls, wrapped in fluffy white robes, VIP in the private Boudoir Spa at the stunning Galgorm Hotel and Spa for a twilight half day spa visit.
Galgorm have refurbished this in the last year to replace the spa gym with this private retreat, and it is a great investment. Perfectly designed in plush pink and champagne, it's everything a girlie spa day needs to feel like. There's a slight Austin Powers purr, but overall it's chic and fun.
Galgorm didn't necessarily deliver on all the package promises for us in the day. We seemed to bypass the ritual foot cleansing treatment on arrival, which was a shame. But we had pre-ordered bubbles on ice and came armed with mandatory cupcakes and macarons, which bolstered the inclusive canapé selection and got us into instant relaxation mode.
The attention to detail soon restored. Each spa invitee has their own personal welcome notes that outline the itinerary for the session, starting with the preselected mini treatment each one of us had chose. Hot stones for me. The rest is relaxation history.
Suspended Perspex chairs that overlook the acres of countryside and the River Maine is a difficult thing to leave, but we had a date in the thermal spa area - mood-lit pool time, aromatherapy sauna chambers, and the perfect sunny September wind down to sunset, the outdoors plunge pool and jacuzzi.
These hens, we were positively cooing at this stage. Not an L plate or feather boa in sight.
It seemed fitting to bypass the bar. Weekends at Galgorm are wedding busy, so this was the antithesis of our serenity. Instead we ordered food to take out from Fratelli's Italian and headed to our log cabin by the river, one of the many accommodation options at Galgorm Manor.
They say log cabins, but they are more mobile homes with an MDF facade. Being honest, the interiors are basic and not maintained to the highest quality, albeit they are designed as self catering I expected a more boutique feel given what I know of the main hotel space. Missing a trick, too, is the fact the cabins adore not serviced by room service, which is the reverse of how they were presented at booking. But we had plentiful stocks and were covered for the night.
Now, we may not have wanted debauchery. But this was still a bridal send off. Cue, my surprise entertainment.... But I think that deserves a whole separate blog!
'Til next time, Pandora
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