Spa hotels in Norfolk with soothing hot tubs, Nordic steam rooms and secret gardens

For a blissful weekend of rest and recuperation, check into Dunston Hall. This imposing Elizabethan-style mansion is set in 150 aces of rolling parkland dotted with ancient oak trees, placid lakes and an 18-hole golf course. If you’re indulging in a romantic weekend for two, stay in one of the hotel’s dreamy suites. You’ll feel like the Lord and Lady of the manor in these spacious rooms, which come with grand mahogany four-poster beds adorned with luxuriously heavy drapes.

Start your morning in the hotel’s health club and spa, where you’ll find a spacious indoor pool, sauna, steam room and spa and whirlpool baths. Relax on a heated poolside lounger or spoil yourself with an Oxygen facial or a reviving full body scrub. This rejuvenating treatment combines the nourishing power of essential oils, while deeply healing sea salt will help your skin glow with radiance. If you’re visiting with friends, head to the side-by-side treatment stations for a pampering manicure or pedicure.

A quintessentially English afternoon tea is served in the garden terrace bar, which overlooks the hall’s manicured lawns. For a special treat, add a glass of champagne to complement the selection of delicate finger sandwiches, heavenly cakes and mouthwatering scones.

Combine an invigorating break by the sea with an indulgent spa escape at the Cromer Country Club. With a mosaic-tiled heated pool, aromatic steam room, a sauna and a blissful hot tub, you’ll be in for some serious indulgence. Make time for a soothing spa treatment like an aromatherapy massage, radiance-revealing facial or gel manicure, before wandering through the tree-lined gardens to the peace and privacy of your own apartment.

The club’s self-catering apartments are housed in attractive, red-brick buildings that belie their contemporary interior. Prepare a home-made stew in your fully-equipped kitchen with freshly caught fish from the local farmers’ market. If you’d prefer to stretch your legs, head to the Ambar bar, where you can sip a chilled glass of Chardonnay on the terrace while the sun sets over the English Channel.

Positioned on a cliff top, the country club is just steps from the Victorian seaside resort of Cromer. The town’s cobbled streets are lined with brightly painted buildings and feature independent stores, amusement arcades and old-fashioned tea rooms. When you’ve finished exploring, take a leisurely walk back to the club along the pebbled waterfront and try your hand at a game of badminton or aqua aerobics in the indoor pool.

The characterful Knights Hill Hotel and Spa offers mesmerising views across the Norfolk countryside and to the sea beyond. Spend a cosy evening at the hotel’s pub – the atmospheric Farmer’s Arms – with its rugged carrstone walls and exposed wooden ceiling beams. Weave your way through the mismatched tables, chairs and old church pews to take a seat in one of the pub’s romantic nooks and crannies, and savour an award-winning ale or warming glass of red wine.

In the morning, head to the lavish spa. Apply healing muds, chalks and salts before relaxing in a private herbal steam bath, or opt for a calming lava stone massage or radiance facial in one of the softly lit treatment rooms. After warming your muscles in the hot mineral grotto, steam room or heated swimming pool, stop at the invigorating ice fountain and douse yourself with ice crystals to truly awaken the senses.

Round off your rural spa escape with a stay in the hotel’s grand Four Poster Room. Full of historical charm, it comes with a canopied king-size bed and intricately detailed feature walls, adorned with murals of Japanese cherry blossom. It’s tucked away on the first floor of the original farmhouse, so you’ll have glorious views across the landscaped gardens to the hills beyond.

At the end of a winding driveway that runs through sweeping grounds and neatly manicured gardens, you’ll find Heacham Manor. Head out for a brisk walk through some of Norfolk’s finest countryside, before returning to your welcoming room. Light and airy cottage suites are located within a converted 1850s red brick barn, while Manor suites have opulent four-poster beds, comfortable lounges in rich colours and spacious bathtubs.

If you’re visiting with a partner, the intimate Mulberry Spa is the ideal setting for a romantic retreat – head straight to the couple’s treatment room and relax together with side-by-side aromatherapy hot stone massages. For a mum-and-daughter day out, opt for a vitamin glow facial followed by a deluxe manicure and pedicure. Afterwards, while away the morning in the soothing hot tub, steam room, monsoon shower or sauna.

The airy conservatory in the hotel’s AA rosette Mulberry Restaurant offers views across some of West Norfolk’s finest green parkland. Why not engage in the classic English ritual of afternoon tea? Choose from a menu of served freshly baked cakes and scones, delectable finger sandwiches and nine varieties of fine teas.

Hidden deep within the Norfolk countryside lies the stately Congham Hall, a peaceful manor house hotel that dates back to the 18th century. The hotel is known for its whimsically named Secret Garden Spa. Choose a soothing rosemary muscle melt massage or opt for a relaxing facial, manicure or pedicure. Unwind in the steam room or absorb the gentle heat of a bio-sauna (lower in temperature than a traditional sauna). Lastly, soak in the outdoor hot tub or swim a few lengths in the indoor heated pool – both have views across the immaculately tended lawns.

Wander from the seductive spa to dine at the award-winning restaurant, where you’ll find a menu brimming with creative dishes like grilled wood pigeon, creamed polenta and woodland mushrooms. After dinner, head to your contemporary garden room. These rooms are set around the spa garden and feature freestanding baths and waterfall showers, as well as private terraces where you can savour complimentary milk and cookies before bedtime.

No trip to Congham Hall is complete without an amble through the spa’s namesake, the Secret Garden. Meander your way through paths lined with apple trees, brightly coloured flowers and over 400 varieties of herbs. You might spot some of the fragrant herbs used in the spa’s treatment menu, such as woody rosemary and therapeutic sorrel.

Indulgence at this peaceful country hotel isn’t just limited to the elegant spa. For a truly romantic experience, spend the night in the alluring Boutique Suite at Park Farm Hotel. You’ll find a double spa bath and double shower in the huge, contemporary bathroom, while the glamorous bedroom features an elegant fireplace and dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the English countryside.

After a blissful night’s sleep, head to the hotel’s spa, where you can spend a relaxing morning languishing in the bubbling hydrotherapy bath, humid steam room and pine-scented sauna. Brick walls, high wooden ceilings and soft lighting give the large pool and Jacuzzi area a Nordic feel. Following an energising dip, choose from a varied menu of spa treatments. You’ll find skin-refining facials and full body scrubs, as well as raindrop massages using essential oils and warm compresses.

For lunch, treat yourself in the AA rosette Seasons restaurant, where you can sample local delights like Cromer crab and salt-cured duck breast. After your meal, enjoy a fresh cup of coffee in the conservatory bar while admiring the flourishing garden with its tall fir trees, hydrangea blooms and leafy plants.

Tucked away within the traditional coastal village of Caister-on-Sea, the Old Hall is well-positioned for leisurely walks across the wide sandy beach and grassy dunes. Refuel at the hotel’s classic English restaurant, Branford’s, where you’ll find a variety of dishes – from freshly caught local fish to duck breast served with sweet potato fondant and baby vegetables.

A visit to the serene spa at this coastal bolthole is a real treat. An airy atrium, dotted with tropical plants, houses a large, heated swimming pool and a bubbling hot tub. Indulge in an invigorating swim or soak up the powerful heat of the Nordic steam room or sauna before opting for a soothing treatment. Choose from deep tissue massages, English Rose radiance facials and therapeutic manicures and pedicures.

On the way to your seaside-themed bedroom, stop at the hotel’s much-loved Gin Bar, which offers a myriad of gins from around the world – ask the knowledgeable bartender to concoct you a cocktail made from peach and hibiscus, or Colombian aged gin. Make yourself at home in your comfortable room, decorated with nautically inspired artwork, tasteful glass ceiling chandeliers and wooden furniture. After a busy day of seaside exploring or indulgence in the spa, you can soothe tired muscles in the large bathtub or rainfall shower.