We have to admit, as much as we love the festive period, Christmas can often feel like a bit of a seasonal storm – long-lost friends and family members pop out of the woodwork demanding your time, you manage to pick the most awkward friend in your Secret Santa, the much-anticipated office party looms ever closer and December is suddenly whipped up into a frenzy of plans, panic and present-buying.

So, it can be not only a much-needed escape, but also essential to our mental health and wellbeing, to carve out a little time to relax in amongst all the revelry. And yes, bubble baths are great and snatching a chapter or two of our latest book in our lunchbreak does usually hit the spot. But when it comes to some proper, indulgent ‘us time’, we’re of the opinion that you just can’t beat a trip to the spa.

Now, there are spas and then there are spas. And Beau Monde is the latter.

An award-winning, family-run salon and spa tucked away in Lucker, Northumberland, Beau Monde is less of a preening pitstop and more of an out-and-out sanctuary. After all, where else can you slow down and soak away the seasonal stress in utter luxury, all while gazing out over the rolling Northumbrian landscape? A ‘beau monde’ (‘beautiful world’) indeed.

Here’s what you need to know…

The Spa

You first port of call to refresh, relax and rejuvenate. The spa sanctuary at Beau Monde exclusively offers Temple Spa and Natura Bissé products, along with innovative new treatments to bring total body indulgence and pampering – with the most incredible results.

Taking influence from the beautiful world we live in (see what they did there?), Beau Monde bring together products and practices from all around the globe ­– from the Mediterranean to across the pond in the USA – so that we, their guests, experience only the very best.

They also deliberately keep numbers low in the spa to keep things nice and relaxed. So, no general public swims will be intruding on your indulgence, thank you very much.

Swimming pool – with space and light in abundance, combined with tranquil, turquoise waters (which are strictly kept at a balmy 30°C), the 11.5-metre pool at Beau Monde is perfect for loosening up in, especially as it has a bubble pool and a neck massage feature pump in-built. Or, simply stretch out beside the water and enjoy some peaceful reading on their poolside loungers.

Sauna and Steam Room – Is there anything better than sweating out the bad vibes? Take some time for a little quiet introspection in Beau Monde’s sauna and steam room and emerge feeling revitalised and restored. Ideal for expelling those pesky toxins and relaxing your muscles.

Jacuzzi – Few luxuries in life afford the luxury that the Beau Monde hot tub provides. With its rare ability to both unwind and re-energise, their whirlpool spa will gently massage your entire body to leave you feeling ready to take on the festive season with vigour. (Trust us, it’s heavenly).

Fitness Suite – Keep your fitness up and get the blood pumping in Beau Monde’s health club, which contains state-of-the-art cardio and strength training equipment. Put together your own perfect workout or speak to their personal trainers for routine ideas to make sure you’re fighting fit for the upcoming festivities.

HLN Top Tip: Spoiling yourself with a spa treatment? Their luxurious facials centre around Natura Bissé products, which all have a formula blended with the highest concentration of active, results-driven ingredients to deliver outstanding results. So, if you’re wanting to get your glow on ahead of the Christmas party, look no further.

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The Kerastase Salon

 It’s rare that you can splash out on a beauty treatment or two while you’re on a spa trip, but at Beau Monde you don’t have to pick and choose what to enjoy – you really can have it all.

With highly trained therapists using only the highest quality products in this award-winning salon, we guarantee you’ll be looking and feeling festive season-ready by the end of your stay.

Waxing – Beau Monde’s specialist waxing therapists can wax from head to toe, using only the finest resins, natural ingredients and aromatherapy oils. In fact, their Lycon wax is an essential ingredient in leading salons around the world and can remove hair as short as 1mm.

Nails – Treat your nails to a professional mani and pedi in the comfort of Beau Monde’s sumptuous salon. Their premium polishes – for both classic and gel looks – will give you the most luxurious look.

Eyes – Do your lashes and brows need a little love? Give them immediate colour and definition with the help of Beau Monde’s expert technicians, who specialise in tinting, shaping and enhancing your natural features to create a real ‘wow’ factor.

Makeup – Beau Monde use primarily Delilah cosmetics in their professional makeup service, which have been created as a capsule collection to create understated luxury. All paraben-free and created without animal testing, get your glam on and feel ready to take on anything this Christmas has to throw at you.

Day / Evening Makeup: £35.00

Strip Eyelashes: £5.00 extra

Tanning – We don’t know what it is, but getting our tan on makes us feel so much more confident. And, if you’re like us, you deserve a little spray of confidence this Christmastime – so get your hit at Beau Monde. Step into their St Tropez spray pod, let them know your ideal colour and let their therapists do the rest.

Classic / Dark / Oil Tan: £23.00

Express Tan (30 minutes): £25.00

Hair – Yep, when we said you could get everything at Beau Monde, we weren’t kidding! Whether you’re after a cut and blow-dry or a full-on recolouring and restyle, the hair professionals here will liven up your locks in no time.

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Eat and drink

When it comes to our recommendations in this neck of the woods, there really is one drinking and dining destination that stands out from the crowd – The Apple Inn.

This family-run gastropub has comfort and rustic charm in spades. Better still, it’s dog-friendly.

The food – The Apple Inn’s award-winning cuisine (they’ve bagged top honours from the likes of The Food Awards England, North East England Tourism Awards and CAMRA, fyi), may have a little something to do with the fact that their succulent dishes are created using a combo of only the freshest ingredients Northumberland has to offer.

Or it could be down to their unique – and tantalisingly tasty – flavour combinations; think prosecco-macerated strawberry and watermelon sorbet, ‘dirty duck’ fries (fries topped with confit duck, kimchi, sriracha mayo, guindilla peppers and spring onions), and herb-crusted lamb served with ratatouille. Tempting, eh?

The drink – What’s a pub without real ales? The Apple Inn serve their own Lucker Gold and St Hilda’s ale from nearby neighbours Alnwick Brewery, plus a vast selection of beers, lagers and ciders, as well as wines, spirits and freshly-brewed coffee and teas. So, however you work up your thirst, you know where it can be quenched.

Browse The Menus

Fancy turning your spa day into a whole breakaway? We thought so. That’s why we figured it would be worth mentioning that Beau Monde owners Danny and Aimee also, rather handily, own Stablewood Coastal Cottages too – meaning there are a whole host of special packages you can get your hands on that combines ultimate indulgence with charming, self-catering accommodation.

What’s better, Stablewood’s cottages are all 100% dog-friendly, so no family member needs to miss out on the festive fun. And you’ll be greeted by a super-cute welcome package on arrival, which includes a bottle of wine and a packet of locally-made biscuits. The devil’s in the details, isn’t it?

Here’s where we’d stay if we were pampering ourselves at Beau Monde:

For couples – Greenfinch Cottage. Situated right in the heart of Lucker, this characterful one-bedroom cottage boasts charmingly rustic exposed brick, a wood-burning stove in the heart of the living area and two bathrooms. Plus, if the weather allows, you can cook up a storm on the BBQ.

For a group – Ash Cottage. Sleeping up to eight guests across two super king-sized bedrooms (complete with ensuites), one Junior Suite and a sofabed if needed, Ash Cottage is new to the Stablewood family for 2021. Sympathetically converted from an original stone farm dwelling, you’re only a five-minute walk from the village, pub and spa here – and even have your own hot tub.

For a gathering – Millstone Cottage & The Old Mill Cottage. These two gorgeous, three-bedroomed cottages are right next door to one another and even have an adjoining door – meaning you can pack up to 12 of your nearest and dearest here and enjoy a huge getaway to remember. And with an enviable location, plus a cosy log-burner, six bathrooms, free wi-fi, free parking, modern amenities throughout and even your own hot tub, what else could you need?!

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