Alice Burgess

Review of Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa

An afternoon.. or evening.. to remember, the stuff...

An afternoon.. or evening.. to remember, the stuff of watery dreams tempered somewhat when i was there by a chilly outdoor pool, cold walkways and lukewarm to cold showers.
When this place first operated, the experience was 5 star+, sheer dripping decadence. These days, post credit crunch and eye watering energy prices, you need to be a little more robust to handle a fairly standard 19m swimming pool, often overcrowded, well aired (to say the least) changing areas, the underfloor heating now stuck in the Off position, the outdoor hydropool which everyone loved so much, now often too cool to lounge in longer than 5 minutes and that's on a dry calm day, the inner pool with the brilliant massage jets also on the cool side more often than not.
Still, where in the UK can you find such a wonderful array of warm and hot saunas in a thermal suite including spacious hot steam room, all in full supplied dressing gown attire at pretty decent prices? And you have the option of drifting downstairs in your dressing gown for a lovely light lunch served by friendly efficient lovely staff before heading back up to a calm Roman-feel Laconium (quiet chatroom) to relax, followed by a deeper relax on a sculpted heated stone lounger. I havent mentioned the Himalayan pink salt room as it's on the fresh side for me, nor the quiet dark room with the burling cupped chairs as these aren't for me either- too officey, suffice to say, there's plenty of heated choice, spacious hot rooms where you can drift into holiday mode, indulge in the warmth and powerful showers, when they're working- and they usually are- the quiet Scottish reticent friendliness of other users is a bonus, the lovely staff, delicious lunches and coffees, a truly exeptional experience in the middle of the city, quality for value, highly recommended.