Doubletree by Hilton Spa, Sheffield – Review

By Helen Johnston, October 2024

I hate to mention the C word before we’ve even had Hallowe’en, but given that the supermarkets have been stocking the big tubs of chocolates since late August, I think I can get away with it.
Christmas. Yes, there’s no avoiding it from here on in. And if that triggers a slight feeling of anxiety (let’s not count how many sleeps it is) then maybe it’s time to start thinking of squeezing in a bit of ‘me time’.

The Doubletree by Hilton in Sheffield has two spa packages called Christmas Sparkle, and Mistletoe & Prosecco, designed to give you a break from the frenzied festive madness which can take hold the nearer we get to December.

But we’re not there yet (at least I’m not), so it was good to take time out from work to check out what the Doubletree spa has to offer.

Having a facial on a weekday afternoon seems so much more decadent than having one at the weekend. Lying back in a darkened room for nearly an hour, with soft mood music playing and the scent of essential oils in the air, while others are toiling away at work was such a luxury.

“Knotted up”

When do we ever really get to switch off from the outside world like that? Away from the never-ending bombardment of social media, emails and messages. Away from our phones.

Amy the therapist was excellent. She had just given my friend a great pedicure, leaving her with soft feet and glossy red nails which she was delighted with. She headed off to relax with a coffee while Amy got me ready for my treatment.

I was given a choice of mini massages to have while the products were working wonders on my skin, so I opted for shoulders, hands and arms. But to start, Amy got me to breathe in deeply through my nose and out through my mouth, to get in the mood for relaxation. She held her hands in front of my face, so I was breathing in lovely scented oils which did the trick.

I’m not sure what she used on my face (she didn’t run through the products with me and I was too chilled out to remember to ask at the end) but they certainly worked. She advised me not to wash my face that night to give the oils chance to really soak in and hydrate my skin.

I felt like I could have nodded off at one point, but my shoulders were obviously still knotted up with tension by the time she began to work on them. Like a lot of people, my neck and shoulders tend to tighten up during the day, especially if I’ve been hunched over a laptop or driving a lot, so I suppose it wasn’t surprising that it took some work to loosen them.

“Good selection”

Amy managed it though, and I felt a lot better by the time she’d finished kneading the knots out. She also massaged my hands and arms which was very calming and left the skin feeling soft.

By the time she’d finished I was so relaxed I could quite happily have dozed off but then it was time to join my friend for afternoon tea in the Marco Pierre White restaurant downstairs.

This was delivered to our table on what looked a bit like a wooden shelving unit designed to show off little ornaments, along with a generously sized pot of tea each. We couldn’t see each other over the wooden display stand so had to move it sideways to one side. It contained a good selection of finger sandwiches (cream cheese and cucumber, ham and mustard, beef, salmon) on both white and brown bread.

There was a scone each with cream and jam and three types of cake (carrot, Victoria sponge, and lemon), all delicious. A glass of Prosecco added some sparkle and there were also fresh strawberry halves dotted among the cakes. There was plenty for two and we ended up taking some cake home with us because we were so full.

The spa at the Doubletree has a swimming pool, sauna and steam room which we tried before our treatments. The water in the pool felt cool when I dipped a toe in but, like all outdoor pools when you’re abroad on holiday, it was fine once you’re in.

“Friendly and welcoming”

The sauna and steam room were both basic but efficient and there was water provided by the side of the pool to keep guests hydrated. Unfortunately, the magazine rack hadn’t been updated for quite some time and contained a Daily Star on Sunday from June this year, a fitness magazine from 2022 and a dog-eared visitor guide to South Yorkshire.

The spa staff were friendly and welcoming and supplied towels, robes and slippers, along with a padlock and key to use for a locker. However, there were no instructions displayed about how to actually get the padlock through the mechanism on the locker so I had to go back out to reception to ask. It involved what looked like a complicated routine of pushing, pulling and turning. Go figure, as they say.

There were three showers and a toilet but no private changing cubicles, which might put some people off on busy days (luckily it was virtually empty on our visit). Plastic bags were supplied for wet swimming costumes, which was handy, and there were hairdryers. There didn’t appear to be anywhere to put the wet towels and robes, but the receptionist was happy to take them.

With a bit of TLC, the spa could be freshened up and become a welcome addition to a day of fabulous treatments and delicious food. Christmas treat anyone?

Doubletree by Hilton Sheffield Park
Chesterfield Road, South Batemoor, Sheffield S8 8BW United Kingdom
Open 10am-6pm daily
0114 282 9988
hilton.com/en/hotels/szdcrdi-doubletree-sheffield-park/spa/