USP The views from the Quay, across the Conwy Estuary to Conwy and its impressive castle, are absolutely beautiful. This location also means that the hotel is ideally situated for an overnight spa break from north Wales or Merseyside as well as the affluent acres of Cheshire. The hotel and spa are also already benefiting from the patronage of wealthy boat-owners whose craft are moored in the waters nearby.

AMBIENCE The Quay Hotel has only been officially open since 2007 and is part of a brand new development, Deganwy Quay. I was a little concerned that it would be a brash new-build construction plonked charmlessly on the waterfront, but the building is designed to be unobtrusive from the outside and luxurious on the inside.

In the spa, the seven treatment rooms (including a double) are stylishly designed and gently lit (apart from the chill-out room, where the lights could do with being turned down slightly) and the pool, sauna and steam room are at their best in the evenings when children are banned and the lighting mellows.

EXPERIENCE I had the Espa luxury back, face and scalp treatment - almost 90 minutes of back and head massage with a full facial sandwiched between. My treatment was in the morning and my therapist Sarah - who said she would focus on relaxing but "energising" products - managed to make me feel chilled and yet not sleepy. Given the fact that I have been known to doze off in treatment rooms in the past, this was no mean feat.

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BACKGROUND

• Bryn Meadows Hotel Spa, Caerphilly, South Wales

• Lake Vyrnwy Hotel Spa, Powys, Wales

• St Bride’s Spa Hotel, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

• St David's Hotel & Spa, Cardiff

• Celtic Manor, the Usk Valley

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• Peterstone Court spa, Brecon, Wales

My mum had a Turkish Hamman massage, which included a full body exfoliation, and raved both about the treatment and her therapist, Lucy, who she said was both professional and extremely friendly. That description fits all the staff we encountered at the Quay, where there was not a hint of five-star stuffiness. The only drawback was that our hotel room was never quite warm enough, which limited the amount of dressing gown-clad lazing we could do afterwards despite the portable heaters the hotel supplied.

PRODUCTS My treatment used an array of Espa's wares, which make extensive use of essential oils and natural ingredients. My favourites were the 24 Hour Eye Complex, which contains frankincense, chamomile and neroli, and the Floral Spafresh spritz, which had rose, tangerine and geranium. The spa also offers treatments using Aromatherapy Associates, whose lovely toiletries are also to be found in the hotel's bedrooms and communal bathrooms.

IN-CROWD Boat-owning scousers, couples and mother-and-daughter duos on spa breaks. In the pool and gym there was also a smattering of locals who belong to the health club.

FOOD The spa itself has a brief menu of light lunch dishes such as goat's cheese, beetroot and pine nut salad and open sandwiches, which are included for those on half or full day packages. Other spa users can purchase them for £6.95 each. The hotel's restaurant, Vue, offers two courses for £25 or three for £29.50 at dinner time. There is an emphasis on regional produce such as locally-caught fish and Welsh meat.

WALLET WATCH The prices are a major selling point for the Quay spa. My treatment lasted almost an hour and a half and costs £55 - the price of a perfunctory facial at many places. An hour's Turkish Hamman massage will set you back £45, and "finishing touches" such as a full leg wax (£22) or eye lash tint (£10) are also good value for such an upmarket establishment. Full day and half day spa packages, including a light lunch, are a bargainous £149 and £89 respectively, and the hotel also offers residential spa packages. For non-residents, membership of the health club costs £67 a month. Rooms at the hotel start at £180 per room per night.

NEED TO KNOW The Quay Hotel and Spa, Deganwy Quay, Deganwy, Conway, North Wales, LL31 9DJ (01492 564 100; www.quayhotel.com)

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