‘Walk In, Float Away’ – A Day Of Luxury At The Johnstown Estate

Blissful treatments, a state-of-the-art thermal spa, four-star comfort and exquisite food are just some of the many luxuries The Johnstown Estate in Enfield, Co. Meath has to offer – which I so gratefully got to experience for myself.

Yes, my mum and I recently treated ourselves to a long-awaited spa break and it did not disappoint. Personally, I had never stepped foot in a spa before, so to say that I was excited was an understatement. On our arrival at the 18th century rural residence, we headed straight to our room, a spacious junior suite which featured a bedroom adjoining an additional, separate living area for relaxing and chilling out. After we unpacked and made ourselves at home, we trotted down to the main event – the spa.

“Walk in, float away,” says their motto and that’s exactly what we did. Quite literally a haven of complete tranquillity, their award-winning spa offers bespoke treatments and therapies to take you on a journey of relaxation and well-being. After changing into our fluffy robes and flip-flops, we decided to try out the Rooftop and Indoor Thermal Experience before our individual treatments. And yes, we made sure to avail of absolutely everything they had to offer. Inside, we enjoyed a series of hot and cold thermal therapies, including a steam room, salt chamber, tropical showers and a dry sauna. While outside, not even the rain could keep us away from the thermal waters of the jacuzzi and the hydrotherapy pool- both of which were incredibly soothing to our tired muscles and minds.

We then completed our Thermal experience by relaxing on heated loungers, before heading off for our treatments. I opted for an Oriental Head Massage while my mum chose the Full Body Traditional Swedish Massage. Based on the ancient healing system of Ayurveda, the Oriental Head Massage works on the upper back, shoulders, upper arms, neck, scalp, ears and face. Using firm yet gentle, rhythmic movements that involve acupressure points, my body felt instantly lighter and relieved of all tension after the 60-minute treatment. Following our massages we were then brought through to a relaxation room, complete with heated water beds and blankets. When I say we did want to leave these beds, I genuinely mean we did not want to leave these beds.

But alas, after mustering up some strength we picked our bodies up and returned to our rooms where we treated ourselves to a delicious coffee thanks to the Nespresso machine. After plonking ourselves in front of the TV and watching an hour of lateral movement in the form of Tipping Point, we decided it was time to get ready for dinner. I quickly showered (making use of all the Voya products on offer in the bathroom), wrapped myself up, once again, in my white fluffy robe and dried my hair with the room’s Dyson hairdryer before slapping on my makeup and a dress. A few selfies later, my mum and I were ready for a cheeky cocktail in the hotel’s newest garden terrace cocktail bar, Parterre before heading to the Fire & Salt restaurant for an impeccable four-course meal.

For starters, my mum enjoyed a wild rocket salad while I tucked into a goat’s cheese parfait. For the main course, we went for a roast fillet of hake and sirloin of Irish beef before treating ourselves to a delicious mango dessert complete with summer berries. We then cleansed our pallets with a cup of tea and complimentary chocolates before heading back to our room for the night and falling into bed.

The following morning we made use of the buffet-style breakfast by trying everything from fresh fruit and pastries to a delicious full Irish. As check-out wasn’t until 12pm we decided to check out the estate’s local fairy trail and walk off some of the food we had just indulged.
Throughout our stay, the staff couldn’t have been nicer and were always on hand to help with whatever query we had. While this may have been my first experience of a spa, it certainly won’t be the last!

*This writer was invited to a press stay in exchange for a fair and honest review.

• spa break
• The Johnstown Estate