USP Oozing class and elegance, it calls itself the most prestigious spa in Budapest. The Royal Spa at the five-star Corinthia Grand Royal Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the city on the Erzsebet Boulevard, making it easy to get to if you need a break from the nearby sites and shops. One of its biggest draws is its 1903 bathing pool which has been restored to its original grandeur, and reopened last July. The pool closely resembles the famous Gellert thermal baths (and was, in fact, modelled on them), only it is far more polished and, as the manager alleges, a lot cleaner. Having been at Gellert a couple of days before I can see where she's coming from but the Royal Spa is slightly less atmospheric.

Ambience The spa is laid back with most users wandering around - even in the reception area - in their bath robes and flip-flops. Having escaped the tourist crowds of the city I felt a little dishevelled and out of place, but no one bats an eyelid and the staff are ultra-friendly. Soaking in the bathing pool before the treatment is a wonderfully calming experience, helped by the the baths' artful stained glass windows and ceiling. The spa is so pristine that I'm almost afraid to do the unavoidable and spill water on the floor. There's a sauna and steam room, a fitness room, 13 therapeutic treatments, a dry floating bed and some fun extras such as a Niagara bathtub, a tropical rain shower and an electric wellness bed.

Quality of experience I opt for the 45-minute Intensive Glowing Treatment (£45), which I hoped would sort out unwanted freckles that have appeared on my face thanks to days of traipsing around the city. The spa uses Algotherm products for all its treatments, which contain seaweed and marine active ingredients. A combination of whitening lotion, hydration fluids and cleansers were applied to my skin and left to sink in for around 10 minutes. During this time I could almost feel the healing and purifying effects of the various ointments on my slightly sunburnt skin. The facial was followed by a 25-minute Iniatic Massage with essential oils (£30), which is applied to the back and legs and leaves me feeling re-energised to face the busy streets of Budapest once again. My skin feels glowing, too, even if the freckles are still there.

Food and drink You can top off your spa experience by heading into the hotel, which is connected to the spa via a short corridor. Here you can find a bar area, bistro and cafe. Treat yourself to one (or more) of the 600 varieties of Hungarian wine on offer or, if it's too early in the day, head to the cafe for some coffee and cake.

In crowd Its central location and accessibilty from Budapest Airport - 18km by car - makes it easy to get to for visitors to the city and most of the spa's regulars are those staying in the hotel for short breaks. The manager tells me that an increasing number of locals are taking out a membership to the spa.

Wallet Watch Thanks to a good exchange rate, you can get a lot for your money here. A 50-minute jet-lag massage is around £45, a 25-minute face massage £30, and a 30-minute marine body scrub also about £30 pounds. A year's membership for unlimited use of the pool, baths, saunas, steam room and fitness room is about £800.

Need to know The Royal Spa, Erzsebet Krt 41, H-1073 Budapest (+ 36-1-479-4653; www.royalspa.hu).

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