insideKENT Magazine Issue 28 - July 2014 | Page 113

Not to be outdone, my guest’s prime center cut
fillet steak was divine, served with hand-cut chips,
mushroom stuffed tomato and fresh picked
watercress. With a choice of 6oz or 8oz, I was
rather pleased my guest had picked the latter,
which meant I got a nice healthy taste.
To round up a most appetising meal, a crème
brûlée was delivered with flavours of pistachio
and poached rhubarb. The consistency and crisp
top were perfect and all tasted delicious. I was
very interested in sampling the chocolate and
orange tart with a mint jelly and blood orange
ice cream – it looked amazing on the plate and
the colour of the ice cream was electrifying.
The next morning after our continental and cooked
breakfast, we headed over to the Utopia Spa
which boasts an amazing 19 treatment rooms,
a hair salon, exercise pool, therapy pool, spa
pool, sauna, steam room and gymnasium. What
more could you ask for!
I was absolutely bowled over by the spectacular
Roman bathhouse interior of the spa, complete
with Tuscan frescos and fallen stonework. Here
stands a little piece of Italy right in the middle of
Kent which has to be seen to be believed. The
cleverly detailed wall paintings have you standing
in the middle of a crumbling roman bath with ivy
climbing the marble columns and with the odd
lizard sleeping lazily on the warm stonework.

The therapy pool is surrounded by a fallen
colonnade and from which can be found buttons
to activate the various jets and bubbles in the
pool. Despite the typeface on the wall, “Romani
Quiden” meaning “Italy indeed”, the showerheads
on the far side of the 6 meter diameter pool are
actually of Japanese design. These high pressure
jets of water are designed to deeply penetrate
the muscles in the back and shoulders. The
center of the pool is home to another jet which
is designed to massage the lower trunk and at
the edge of the pool, with an area made for
perfect relaxation, are the air beds.

Utopia Spa at Rowhill Grange has been named
as one of the World’s top 50 Spas by The Mail
on Sunday, has been awarded Elite Spa of the
year in 2007 and 2008, and Best Hotel Spa of
the Year in 2005. But despite the prestigious
awards, amazing scenery, wonderful food,
fantastic hospitality and total relaxation you would
imagine from an elite spa only open to the
privileged few, Rowhill Grange Hotel and Utopia
Spa is still as welcoming as the summerhouse
it started life as.

Hidden under the portico next to the therapy
pool is the spa pool. This is much like a Jacuzzi
and recommended as the last pool to visit
because the temperature is much higher than
the others.
The second floor houses the main pool. This
area and even the walk up past the stone
balustrade is as magnificent as the first; the walls
having been painted with stunning Tusan frescoes
and more wonderfully evocative stone pillars and
Italian statues.
After using the spa facilities and enjoying a few
treatments, we reluctantly checked out and
walked to our car to head home. I knew the
guests just about to check in would all be enjoying
the location, service and food on offer.

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Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa
Wilmington
DA2 7QH
01322 615 136
www.rowhillgrange.co.uk
@Rowhill_Grange