Natural Light Wellness Spa

Pack your trainers because there’s no need to leave your fitness goals at home. Guests of the Natural Light Wellness Spa can use the gym and studio at the Spirit health club in the Holiday Inn Guildford, so you can break a sweat without breaking your routine.

Get a top-to-toe workout with the free weights. Burn some calories on the elliptical machines, bikes or treadmills. If you don’t like to go it alone you can join a fun group class such as aqua fit, dance or circuits. 

Prefer a class that moves your spirit along with your body? The Natural Light Wellness Spa has options of its own because if you’re coming on a spa day you can ask to join one of its classes. 

Find your bliss with yoga and tai chi, or take part in guided meditation, sound healing or breathwork. Just remember that there is an extra cost and the classes are popular - you’ll need to book in advance.

At Natural Light Wellness Spa you’ll elevate self-care into an art form, but good health is all about balance. Forget limp salads and water because in this sumptuous spa your food and drink can be every bit as indulgent as you wish.

If you’re here on a spa break that includes overnight accommodation, breakfast in the Holiday Inn Guildford is a bountiful affair. Delicious and energising, you’ll find a huge range of cooked and continental options, served at the cosy and inviting restaurant. 

For lingering lunches and post-spa dinners, the restaurant menu has comfort food aplenty - choose from pizza and pasta, steak, burgers and classic fish and chips. There's something for everyone to enjoy! 

Over at the spa you’ll find fresh smoothies, coffees and herbal teas, along with Prosecco and wine. If you’re here on a Saturday and Sunday, they’ll even bring your drinks to the pool or zen garden so you won’t have to lift a finger. On sunny days you can enjoy your cream tea al fresco - there’s seating for 12 so you can all savour a scone with some sunshine.

Yes there is. The ultimate in watery self-care, you’ll dive into relaxation at the 15m indoor pool, then reach new levels of relaxation with a soak in the poolside jacuzzi. Finish your dip with a wind-down in the sauna and steam room. 

You’ll find Natural Light Wellness Spa in the Spirit health club at the Holiday Inn Guildford. Although it’s in a serene location, the spa is still just a 10-minute drive from both the town centre and the M25 motorway. Guildford train station is under a mile and a half away, with services that reach London in 45 minutes. The hotel is right next door to Surrey Sports Park, a huge sporting complex with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, gym, tennis courts and fitness studios.

First, you’ll walk through health club reception to visit into the spa lounge and

treatment rooms. Here you’ll be greeted by a lovely spa assistant who will show you around the pool area and changing rooms, and give you your dressing gowns and towels. 

Spend time having a swim and drifting around the poolside thermal experiences. There’s a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi to savour. But don’t miss the secret doorway to utopia! Found in the poolside area, it’s sign-posted ‘Natural Light spa garden’ and exclusively reserved for VIPs - spa guests just like you!

Walk up the steps to the sun-trap meditation garden and you’ll unwind even more. There’s a patio with seating for 12 to eat a cream tea al-fresco, along with two stylish egg chairs and plenty of rattan sunbeds where you can soak up the rays. 

Sun not got its hat on? The rain won’t spoil your zen in the meditation ger. This beautiful yurt doubles as a relaxation room thanks to soft music, incense and comfy beds with blankets and pillows. (Please note: the ger may be closed if it’s privately booked.)

Guildford is perfect for retail therapy in the town’s centre. You’ll also find plenty of local history to explore at places such as Loseley Park, Hatchlands Park and the old castle. Guildford Cathedral and Castle are both must-sees, and the RHS Gardens at Wisley are particularly impressive. And if you like to be beside the water, head to the picturesque Dapdune Wharf, a tranquil waterway running for 20 miles through the heart of Surrey.

Yes, there are double treatment rooms where you can enjoy rituals together. Perfect for friends, mums and daughters or couples, they let you reconnect as you unwind. In fact, one of the spa’s most popular massages is the Couples Reconnection which takes place side-by-side. You can even hold hands if you wish! 

You sure can. If you're here on a spa day. you can ask to join one of their classes. They do cost extra, but it’s well-worth booking if they happen to be taking place while you’re there. You can choose from things like guided meditation, sound healing, breathwork, yoga and tai chi. Who knows? It might be the start of a brand new hobby - and a brand new you!

It’s owned by Katie Cheeseman, who told us this about the spa’s fascinating history: “I originally trained as a social worker and couples’ therapist, but took a bit of a curve by working with Chelsea and West Ham football club. During this time I was looking for alternative therapies that could help players with their mental health. Seeing how much they benefited from this alternative approach, I decided to train in this field.

“After a few years of training. I decided to bring what I had learned into the spa industry with a view to changing the way people perceive a spa - and Natural Light Wellness Spa was born. The Holiday Inn Guildford location became available and I could see it had potential. We completely refurbished the treatment rooms and developed our meditation garden ourselves - it was an unused concrete area before we breathed life into it! These days the garden’s constantly evolving as I’m always adding plants to it and thinking of ways to make it even more beautiful.” 

Yes there is, and some of the packages on offer here include an overnight stay. That’s because the Natural Light Wellness Spa nestles in the Holiday Inn Guildford. Its 168 rooms are made up of Standards, Premiums and Suites. Pick something from the pillow menu, then lay back and watch something from the satellite TV. Executive rooms include complimentary refreshments, while spacious suites feature separate showers.

No. This blissfully adults-only spa welcomes guests aged 16 and over.

Sorry. No dogs allowed, either at the Holiday Inn Guildford or the Natural Light Wellness Spa.

No, there’s no golf course on-site. But there is some good news for those who love to pamper and putt. Surrey is a golfer’s paradise, with more golf courses in the Top 100 than any other county! An easy drive of less than four miles along the A31 takes you to Puttenham Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in Surrey. It has 18 holes to play, alongside breathtaking views of the Surrey Hills.