USP A new all-female boutique day spa in revitalised Leeds.

AMBIENCE Luxe is the word, with an Eastern accent. Cushion-strewn rooms are finished in deep, rich colours. A “Relaxation boudoir” has big beds behind bead curtains, and there is a hydrotherapy spa pool, tropicarium (sauna), and steam room.

EXPERIENCE Unusual treatments with names such “Aah That’s Better Leg Relief” veer between lush-style-gimmickry and holistic credibility. Staff are approachable with variable knowledge about treatments and products. The skilled aromatherapist who did my full-body, 60-minute Heavenly Essence Aromatherapy massage (£70) noticed that my fingers were puffy. She spent a good 20 minutes working on them with a customised blend of geranium, lavender and neroli oils and recommended follow-ups I could do myself. Unfortunately, even Norah Jones on the iPod couldn’t drown out the shrieking in the pool nearby. The Waterfall Spa is definitely intimate. I went home energised rather than chilled.

FOOD Restaurant rather than restrictive. Mains include chicken with mozzarella, with chocolate brownie and pears with ice cream for afters. Potato wedges and the chocolate fountain are not for the calorie conscious; expensive at £28 for two courses and a glass of champagne.

IN CROWD Unpretentious mix of birthday parties, mother-and-daughters, groups and women alone. Trinny and Susannah, Emmerdale and Coronation Street stars have been.

WALLET WATCH There’s an imaginative range of packages to suit all from office girls to glamorous grannies. Cheapest is the evening spa pass (6pm-10pm, use of all facilities, no treatments) for £45. Treatments start at £35 for A Little Facial, go up to £120 for Rasul Delux, which is a 30-minute coconut body polish, 45-minute Rasul treatment with mud, steam and water to relax and detoxify, and 30 minute massage. The Waterfall Spa accommodates 30, and can be booked for exclusive use from 10am-10pm, for £15,000. This includes 12 therapists, a three-course lunch with champagne, and unlimited treatments.

NEED TO KNOW Waterfall Spa, 3 Brewery Wharf, Dock Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire (0800 731 1995; www.waterfallspa.co.uk); open every day, 10am to 10pm.

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