As the stress of the festive season takes its toll, Sopwell House, in Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, offers the perfect way to unwind.

With a 12-acre view of picturesque Hertfordshire countryside surrounding it, the historic Georgian country house boasts a history dating back more than 400 years.

However, it is now more known for being a luxury hotel that has 128 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a cocktail lounge, a Spa with a 14.5-metre swimming pool and a gym.

Their spa days include a three-course buffet lunch in The Brasserie, full use of the spa and robes, towels and slippers are also provided for guests to use throughout the day.

We spent a day at the spa and arrived as early as we could in the morning, despite our treatments being booked for the afternoon as we wanted to make the most of our day of recuperation from our busy daily lives.

We started our day by lounging around the poolside as we had a few hours to kill before our treatment.

The small swimming pool was not too busy and there was a calm atmosphere as we took full advantage of the facilities including relaxing on the sunbeds with our books and also visiting the steam room to clear our heads.

The hazy mist surrounding us in the steam room was not too stifling – especially compared to the sweltering heat of the sauna that relaxed our muscles and relaxed us into a trancelike state of tranquillity.

After working up an appetite, we went for lunch in the brasserie.

There were a lot of fish and meat options in the buffet, but staff also provided alternative options for vegetarians or people with food allergies.

We overindulged in the desserts as there were an array of tempting choices including mini cakes, lemon tarts, crème brulee and also mini doughnuts.

We finally forced ourselves away from the brasserie and went for our treatments, making sure we arrived 15 minutes beforehand as there is a consultation period where we are given advice about our treatments and tips for keeping our skin healthy.

Anna had been complaining about her skin feeling grey this winter and she could not wait to try the ESPA Personalised Facial.

You smell a few different oils first and the ones you are drawn to are the ones your skin needs.

Anna almost drifted off to sleep as the beautician massaged the sumptuous products onto her skin.

The treatment also included a short neck, shoulder and face massage to create a somewhat euphoric experience and she left feeling bright and rejuvenated.

She also was impressed at how quickly the products seemed to work.

Sopwell house has partnered with skin care brands ESPA and Clarin and so Rachel tried out the Clarins tri-active body treatment.

The massage specialised in body contouring and firming and had an added element called “The Moisture Quencher”, which aimed to restore softness and suppleness to dry skin through smoothing and exfoliating.

Rachel’s treatment lasted just over an hour and transported me into a meditative state of calmness where all my anxieties instantly vanished as her masseuse applied pressure to her legs, arms, back and head during the cocooning massage.

It was a sharp shock when she was woken up and faced with returning to reality, as it had been a unique day to focus solely on her well-being and indulge in a soothing escapism from the world.

To find out more about the treatments on offer at Sopwell House, visit: https://sopwellhouse.co.uk/