Daily Mirror - February 2005

RTE Guide - June 2005

Get away from it all

Pre-wedding pampering packages are nothing new. With a wedding just around the corner, I headed off to spend a couple of days down at BrookLodge in the quiet, grassy hills of Co. Wicklow. BrookLodge may only be an hour or so from Dublin, but the difference is palpable both in the noise levels (twittering birds versus roaring traffic) and the scenery (tranquil beauty versus car-clogged streets). But the real draw for us is the state-of-the-art 6 million Wells Spa.

The purpose-built area enjoys a large swimming pool, an outdoors hot tub, steam rooms, a floatation tank, mud chambers, aroma baths and a Hammam massage table. I leap in at the deep end with the Serail Bath. I'm shown into the Turkish-style rooms and left to smear a pot of wonderfully detoxifying mud all over me. Once I've covered myself in the stuff, I step into the mosaic-tiled steam rooms where different coloured lights, soothing music and aromatic steam all combine to create an exotic and relaxing atmosphere.

Next up is the Hammam massage. First an exfoliating preparation is massage into my skin before being showered off, then it's off to the steam room and then back to the treatment room for one of the best massages I've enjoyed in a long time.

The Healing Hammam Massage costs €90 for one hour, the Serail Bath costs €80 for two or €50 for single use. BrookLodge offer a wide variety of pre-wedding packages including a his 'n hers package offering tension relief massages, manicures, an hour's flotation treatment, Carita scalp massage.