Last Updated on December 28, 2018 by Fiona Maclean
Buyagift for great Christmas 2018 gift experiences:
Imagine receiving a surprise gift that you ‘live’. It’s so much better to have an experience rather than more ‘stuff’ you probably don’t want and have to pack away to store! With the festive season approaching fast, I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to review one of the range of Buyagift luxury spa experiences they are offering for Christmas 2018
I treated a friend to a few hours of pampering at a luxury spa care of Buyagift.
Our Christmas 2018 gift experience was at the 5-star Athenaeum Hotel in the heart of Piccadilly. Once you walk through the doors of the hotel you are away from the hustle and bustle of central London you enter an oasis of elegance and calmness.
We were shown through to the spa area where we enjoyed the lovely fruit-infused water while we completed our consultation forms. Infused water is so much the norm now and as it has such good health benefits I was so pleased to see this. We were shown around the spa areas and then changed into the cosy robes that were provided in the Ladies changing room. All you need to bring is swimwear and some flipflops as all towels and toiletries are provided.
The changing rooms are compact but have everything you need including digital lockers. As the bookings are scheduled you have the area to yourself.
The Treatment
Next, we were taken to the treatment room which is for two. This experience was for a couple so great for you and your loved one to have some special time together. It is equally good for two friends. The room had low lighting, flickering candles and very peaceful. The only little extra we felt was needed were some hooks as there was nowhere to put your robes.
With this experience, you each have one hour of treatments before you relax in the spa area. There is a selection to choose from and we decided on a half hour back, shoulder and neck massage followed by a half hour facial.
You can request what kind of massage pressure you like and the facial is tailored to your individual skin needs. The spa at the Athenaeum uses high-quality REN products.
I’d wondered if it would be as relaxing with two of you in the room together but it was not a distraction at all. It also works really well as there is no taking it in turns and you experience it together while having personalised and so slightly different approaches. I love a good back massage especially as I have very knotty shoulders and this one was both firm and soothing. I also enjoyed an extra neck and head massage whilst my face pack was on during the facial so it was a very thorough massage. A great idea for couples too – if you gifted your partner one of these Spa treats they’d be duty bound to ask if you wanted to come too!
The Spa Area
Now that we were feeling very relaxed we were shown to the spa area. Whilst compact good use has been made of the space. The main feature was the imposing cedar hot tubs on a platform.
There was a small sauna which thoughtfully has a glass door so does not feel closed in at all. It was lovely and hot around 95 degrees which is vital to get the real benefits of the sauna and detoxing through the skin.
A slightly bigger steam room had a spacious and powerful shower to the side. A table and a few chairs meant you could take a break and relax in between dipping in and out of the rooms.
Bubbles
After some time in the sauna and steam room, we then had our glass of bubbles in our tub of bubbles!
Whilst the time slot in the spa was for an hour we were not rushed out and an hour is really long enough. Just as we were leaving another couple arrived – we enjoyed the privacy while we were using the spa facilities themselves though. We enjoyed a leisurely shower and got ready with the use of the Espa products (another of my favourites) and hair styling equipment in the changing rooms.
We left with a glow to our skin and hair and a twinkle in our eyes. (And we are still no good at selfies!)
This particular experience was brilliant and it is only one of over 4500 gift experiences on the Buyagift website so I’ll definitely be taking a look. There are also lots of special offers available right now!
The Perfect Christmas Shopping Experience for 2018
I genuinely believe Buyagift is a great idea for Christmas. As they say “gift your loved ones the unexpected”. Could they ever imagine the small box under their Christmas tree could contain a weekend getaway or a bungee jumping Experience? Probably not!
Buyagift takes gifting to the next level, with so many gifts to choose from it is impossible to panic over The question ‘’What should I get them?!’’
When everyone is frantically busy with Christmas events and preparation, Buyagift makes it so easy to choose and organise the perfect gift to be sent by email or post with their clear and comprehensive website. All the lucky recipient has to do is to enter their voucher details and then book the experience with the provider.
I’ll be doing some of my Christmas gift shopping with Buyagift….will you?
Check out the Buyagift website for more great ideas – they have plenty more spa options including the spa at the St Pancras Renaissance we enjoyed last year. Or if you happen to be feeling decadent, how about an afternoon tea. Last Christmas we really enjoyed the festive afternoon tea at the Langham London, I wonder if they will be offering it again.
Leave a Reply