Heacham Hotel and Boutique Spa

I must say I had no idea about the 5 star Serles Leisure Resort when I visited the Heacham Manor and Boutique Spa. When you read the information on the website it sounds like this is the place to go for the 5 star spa experience, their sister property in Hunstanton.

It is not what I understand to be a 5 star leisure resort, as it is a static caravan park, and when I now read the word “Boutique” it takes on a whole new meaning.

Well technically yes they do have a jacuzzi, you might expect the same type in your neighbours back garden won on a TV game show, they have a sauna and steam room but imagine the changing room at your local gym and that pretty much sums up the facility in a portacabin type structure adjacent to the main hotel.

We didn’t stay at the hotel, we were looking for a day spa to experience for 3 hours relaxing and unwinding after a day at the beach and this wasn’t it. It was more like a corridor with a sauna and stream you’d find in someone’s house. Very limited facilities no water, no nice calming music, no aromatherapy and no relaxation area or loungers and no robes or slippers. More a small gym with a changing room. They did have some dark treatment rooms but nothing going on.

A changing room where the lockers don’t lock, one coin on reception because they hadn’t ordered any replacements: we had to cram all our stuff in one locker.

It wasn’t expensive but then again it couldn’t be, £10 entrance fee and £3 each for a towel not much bigger than a hand towel and to be honest we felt like we’d been ripped off.

It didn’t go down very well with the three members of staff on reception none of whom took charge of our visit when we arrived. When we first asked for our money back we were told we had to go to the main hotel to make that happen, in their defence by the time we got dressed and came out they had sorted out the refund.

The problem here was expectation. Having been to a lot of different spas and spa hotels around the world the spa facilities at this hotel are basic, no frills and for anyone used to good service, the staff are young, casual and borderline lazy.

I did speak to Jane on reception before arriving and mentioned we were looking to use the spa after a day at the beach for relaxation and unwinding from 4.30pm to 8pm. She was very pleasant and did tell me there would be a charge and the “spa” closed at 8pm. However on arrival we couldn’t believe she didn’t say “I am not sure what you are going to do in there for 3.5 hours”