Portland Hall Spa - Southport

Lesline

**Title: A Gifted Spa Day Experience with Room for Improvement**

I recently had the pleasure of enjoying spa treatments gifted to me, and while the experience had its highlights, there were a few areas that could use some improvement. The first notable aspect was the scheduling options, limited to either a 9 AM or a 4 PM slot. Given that I was traveling to Liverpool, I opted for the later time to avoid an early morning start.

The spa is located on an unassuming street and intriguingly housed in an old Jewish synagogue 🕍. This unique setting hinted at the potential for a beautiful boutique experience. However, the interior décor felt tired, which slightly dulled the initial charm. The toilet facilities were quite primitive, detracting from the overall spa ambiance I had hoped for.

On a more positive note, the changing facilities were delightful, exuding a historic gothic feel with their wooden lockers, changing room cubicles, and a dresser with a mirror. These elements added an authentic touch to the experience.

Despite receiving this as a gift, I found it unexpected that I was required to hire a robe, slippers, and locker for a total of £13. While not exorbitant, I would have appreciated the option to bring my own items or be provisioned for a mere two hours of use. Since I was the last customer of the day, I acquiesced and paid the fee. To my delight, the welcoming staff poured me a glass of champagne and escorted me to the treatment room.

Victoria, the therapist who attended to me, carried out my three treatments: a neck, back, and arms massage, a facial, and realignment. Her skills were top-notch, leaving no room for complaint. If you plan to visit this spa, Victoria is the therapist you should definitely book.

However, being the last customer of the evening, I detected a sense of being politely rushed, which felt a bit awkward and detracted from the otherwise relaxing experience.

In summary, while the treatments were exceptional and I thoroughly enjoyed the gift, the one-hour drive for just two hours of services made the experience feel a bit short-lived. The spa possesses a unique charm thanks to its historic location, but updating the décor and amenities would elevate it to match the quality of its treatments.

Natasha L.

Visited the spa with my friend today. It’s our second visit, we last visited a few years ago, and il be honest, I was a bit unsure after reading some of the reviews. However, we had no reason for any concerns, we had an amazing day. Greeted by a member of the team as soon as we exited our car. The team are absolutely lovely! We had the six treatments deal, and oh my goodness, they were amazing!! The therapists are miracle workers! Had a couple of giggles with them and felt so welcome and at ease! Finished the day off with a tapas lunch, which was also delicious. A gorgeous place, would highly recommend. Thank you for a lovely morning!! X

Fiona L.

My daughter and I attended for a massage and facial followed by tapas and champagne. We had an early appointment and was greeted warmly. We were offered a drink whilst we filled in our forms, then led to the lounge where we were collected for our treatments. The staff were friendly and explained everything clearly. We added a few additional tapas dishes and hot stones to the package, but there was no pressure to do so. We enjoyed our time there and would go back. Thank you.

Alyson M. (.

Treatments were great, no complaints with the lovely ladies who carried them out. Spa bath was dirty and smelly in urgent need of maintenance, changing room benches (gaps) full of dust and debris. The afternoon tea was very poor value for money. The birthday cake was made in a 6-inch tin, scared to blow out the candles in case it blew away!
Letter of complaint sent to admin who advised my suggestions would be looked into and addressed.

Viktorija V.

It was a wonderful day at SPA. We had a very relaxing time. Service and food was awesome. Treatments were great! Jayne and Marnie were our therapists. They made feel cosy and comfortable. Looking forward to returning back.

Ke G.

Disappointed all round. My best friend had got me the Spa package for a birthday gift. We booked online. Emailed about a 9.30 am check in and opted in to pay £13 for a robe and slippers. they asked if we wanted to upgrade the package. Which we did not do as we had 3 treatments. Was told that was great we are all booked in.

We arrived at 9.30, to what looked like a house. The front door didn’t open fully, (I am disabled ) the decor was very dated and dark. Does not look like any kind of Spa, from entering. There was No one at the desk (there is a Piece of paper stating the receptionist are busy with somebody, so take a seat ) After 15/20 minutes. A worker came and couldn’t find the name the booking was under. Went to ask the lady who sorts that part out. Came back and said we did not have a booking. So we showed the emails that we had which shown it all. Then we were told that we hadn’t clicked a link. Despite emails back and forth stating the time. They couldn’t fit us in and there’s nothing they can do about it. We asked for a refund. Which they also couldn’t do. As it is the manager who can issue them. Please save yourself the hassle and book a reputable Spa.

Jackie D.

BEWARE OF EXTRA CHARGES !!!!!
My children bought me a spa package for Mothers day. Rang to make a booking - what should have been a pleasant phone call to enquire availability was quite the opposite. Spoke to the owner Lynne who was so offhand, rude, abrupt and really very unpleasant! After confirming the chosen date she informed me she "just needed payment for the extras" what extras I asked...."robe, slippers and admin charge" which was just short of £30.....so you pay £4 per person for her to answer the phone and tap a few buttons on a computer, when I told her I thought these charges were excessive as my kids had already paid alot for the package her reply was "well it's been like this for the last 15 years, if you have an issue with this go back to Wowcher" ! Her customer service I would rate at 0/10. I paid for the "extras". She called me back to say my card payment had been declined (not sure why) so I paid with an alternative card....she didn't seem impressed.
On to the visit yesterday. Myself and my daughter approached the building, the entrance is up 2 steps to a big black and white door which didn't open properly. Upon entering the building we took a seat at reception and waited a couple of minutes, we were greeted by the receptionist (I believe she was called Becca) she took us into a waiting area which I can only describe as shabby. We were right next to the kitchen, there was a strong smell of fried food, you can hear the music and the cluttering of dishes and staff's conversations while in this area. We were then given forms to fill in, a menu to choose 4 tapas dishes from, a list of treatments to choose from along with a list of "extra treatments " that were chargeable. We were offered tea/coffee or water. The lady that served us was lovely (Gracie I think). We were given 2 robes a pair of slippers and a locker key and taken to the changing area. The robes were disgusting cheap things, they are made of stiff cheap material, not fluffy and fresh, they smelt awful, the slippers are cheap nasty things, probably a job lot bought cheaply. We sat in a lounge area, mis matched furniture with dark wooden pieces of furniture. There was a jug of water but no clean glasses, music coming from the kitchen could be heard, no ambient relaxing sounds whatsoever. We were taken up to our treatment room where we experienced 3 lovely treatments by our therapists (Christina & Vicky I think). They were both lovely and professional.
After our treatments we were taken back down to the gloomy lounge until our food was ready. The dining area/bar was ok. The waitress brought our bottle of champagne and poured it for us then served us tapas - Spanish omelette, chicken wings and garlic bread (this was just tomato puree and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze) the food was average, the champagne was lovely.
We didn't see the waitress again but we had a chat with the 2 ladies we'd been served by earlier, Gracie and Becca - they are the saviours of this place, they work so hard and were absolutely delightful members of staff, an absolute credit to the company.
We won't be returning after the initial experience with the owner, how this place has won awards is absolutely beyond me. It's in dire need of modernising ! Only 1 toilet to use too.
I'll be using another Spa in future.

Heather F.

My partner got me this gift as I was unwell in December. I took my mum with me and the place is lovely being an old building and the furniture added to it.

The treatments were amazing. We had a back, neck and shoulder message and facial and the mini PAYOT treatment, and we both enjoyed it, the ladies were amazing and knew what they were doing.

My only little issue is something I can see others posting about, is the robe hire. As this was a gift, my partner checked that on wowcher, it didn't state there would be additional costs. When seeing this on the website when booking, I did see robe and slipper hire for £9.50pp which somehow come to £27. The slippers were like tissue paper so it may be worth investing a little more in the robe and slippers if your charging 2 people £27. Some bits of the property could be updated.

Other then that, the ladies were lovely and they are the reason I am giving it a five star because their work shouldn't be marked down for the prices that management are putting in place.