Dare To Bare At Le Petit Spa

ANTICIPATION is part of the fun of going on holiday, in theory. But if you're anything like me, rather than spending your pre-holiday build-up daydreaming about sunbathing and sundowners, you're charging around in a panic of packing, working late, and last-minute attempts to make yourself look presentable in a bikini.

Sensuous and evocative, it had me imagining seashores and suntan lotion.

So I headed to Le Petit Spa at Manchester Malmaison, where they've put together a summer spa offer that aims to make your pre-holiday prep as relaxing as the holiday itself. Sadly I wasn't jetting off to some hot, heavenly island the next day, but it'd been an irksome week so my stress levels were probably as high as if I was.

A sign outside Le Petit Spa says 'The Rat Race Stops Here'. In truth the rat race is faster here than anywhere, as the Mal overlooks the most frenzied stretch of pavement in Manchester; Piccadilly Station approach.

Inside it's a different story. The Malmaison Hotel's penchant for near darkness is echoed in their spa, but candles, barely-awake Buddhas, and new age spa sounds create a soothing rather than moody atmosphere.

Given the name, I expected the spa to be smaller than it is. Moyenne Taille de Spa doesn't sound as chic but it'd be more accurate. There are four treatment rooms, a nail bar, a sauna, a Zen room, and the 'lobster pot' – where they do St Tropez tanning. ('You don't actually come out looking like a lobster' one of the spa ladies hastily explained.)

After being led to the Zen lounge, I settled in a massage chair and perused the Dare to Bare menu. For £65 you can pick two treatments from a list that deftly dispenses with all the major beach-body worries.

It includes a cellulite-targeting hip and thigh treatment, a skin-decongesting back treatment, a Voya seaweed wrap, waxing, eye lash tint, St Tropez spray tan, leg and bikini wax, and more. See the full list here. The £65 price tag works out at a saving of about £30.

I decided on a deluxe Jessica manicure with gel overlays, followed by a salt and oil body scrub. The manicure process was reversed compared to nail polish manicures; you get your nails 'gelled' first then they do the nourishing hot mitts, moisturising, and hand massages.

I went for a French manicure, which made my neglected nails look shiny, clean and healthy. A good choice if you're going for the 'natural beauty' look. And more resilient on the beach than chip-prone polish; gel nails last for about two weeks.

Next it was into a treatment room for a salt and oil scrub, using Espa Salt Scrub to exfoliate, then Espa Body Silk Spray to moisturise. Sensuous and evocative, it had me imagining seashores and suntan lotion. Afterwards my skin felt soft and supple. If only I was going somewhere warm enough to show it off.

The package isn't just for holiday-goers though. When I went, a bride-to-be was having her nails done on the evening before the big day. Husband-to-be was in later for a massage, prompting some careful planning from the therapists to make sure their paths didn't cross.

The package is also popular as a gift because as you don't need to second-guess which treatments to book – just let the recipient choose from the menu when they book their appointment.

I left feeling chilled with super-soft skin and super-shiny nails. An afternoon in here will get you ready for your holiday, but more than that, it'll feel a mini-holiday in itself.

Find out more about the Dare to Bare offer at Le Petit Spa, Manchester Malmaison