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Travel: Float away to Golf View Hotel and Spa for the perfect Valentine’s retreat

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & SpUltimate relaxation in Coast Spa.
Ultimate relaxation in Coast Spa.

My boyfriend Aidan and I tend to forget about Valentine’s Day until our social media is flooded with couple shots and accompanying soppy captions.

Don’t get me wrong, we can be romantic, but when money needs saved for bills and house renovations, jewellery box-shaped gestures and extravagant surprises aren’t top of our priority list.

One thing we do try and do together as often we can though is the odd weekend trip away. We recently discovered the beauty of staycations – why drive for hours when you could be there in 20? – so decided to mark February 14 this year with our latest. Dates-wise, we are busy people, so it happened in January instead. Love has no limitations, after all.

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & Sp
Golf View sits right on the coast in Nairn

Golf View Hotel & Spa in Nairn is essentially just along the road from us in Inverness, so we were onto a winner already. The interior upon arrival is everything you want from a Highland hotel; screaming of a chic stately home but with cosiness the thread weaved through every area from the gorgeous library come lounge to the rich florals in the bathrooms.

We got lucky with our room which was situated on the corner of the second floor with a view right out to sea, which is but metres from the hotel itself. There was classical music playing from a vintage radio when we walked in, setting the scene perfectly as we admired the huge sprawling bed, deep wood furnishings and velvet sofa. The bathroom was a whole world in itself with the copper roll-top bath of my dreams at its centre.

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & Sp
The bathroom of dreams.

The robes waiting on the bed were just calling to us to pop them on and head for the spa, and who were we to ignore them? Coast Spa is essentially a glass-walled cornucopia of relaxation. It houses not only a swimming pool – which was the perfect temperature – but also a hot tub, sauna, steam room and thermal experience complete with a stone bath and salt room.

It was dark by the time we headed down, the lighting kept dim within the spa, and I felt my shoulders relax instantly. We had fun trying out all the different areas and everyone was quiet and respectful of one another which made the atmosphere even more pleasant.

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & Sp
There was plenty to do in the spa.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the room and get ready for dinner. We decided to head to the bar early for a tipple and luckily the receptionist caught us on the stairs to let us know the Northern Lights were putting on a show outside. Though we live in an area where they can be seen frequently, we also seem to frequently miss them, so to see they sky lit up with dancing greens was an extra treat.

Once in the bar, I ordered a cocktail and Aidan a wine which we enjoyed before heading into Hickory, Golf View’s restaurant. It is in a conservatory area which was lovely, even in the dark. We skipped starters but were served some canapés – a lovely touch – before diving into mains. I opted for a beetroot risotto while Aidan chose the stuffed chicken. Both were delicious, perfectly cooked and full of flavour. We would usually choose different desserts and go half and half, but neither of us would back down on our choice of the apple crème brulee. I am glad we had one each as there would have been some serious food envy otherwise.

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & Sp
Hickory restaurant was a real treat.

After a long soak in the fancy bath, we called it a night. We were up bright and early the next morning to head back to the restaurant for our breakfast. The food again was impressive, with a continental breakfast buffet and full breakfast menu on offer.

There was nothing else for it post-breakfast but to head straight back to the spa. This time we were in for a real treat. We were each booked in to try out the new TEMPLESPA Drift Away massage treatment. All I can describe this as is a full hour of pure bliss, and that is coming from someone who sometimes isn’t the biggest fan of a massage.

Every cream and oil smelled incredible, and my massage therapist took such great care working on every part of my body from top to toe. My shoulders and back are a pretty consistent web of knots but I felt them slowly loosen as the hour flew by. Aidan had a knee injury and said his therapist was careful with it and it felt a lot easier post-massage.

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & Sp
Make sure to book in for a spa treatment.

Already feeling as if we were floating, we visited the wider spa once more before heading back out into the real world. It was much quieter in the morning so we really made the most of everything the spa had to offer – and that included just sitting in the peace and quiet of it all.

Dedicating time to doing a little bit of nothing isn’t something that comes easily to us, but the cosy and relaxing nature of Golf View allowed us to do that guilt-free, even if only for 24 hours. I think we might just pop a Valentine’s visit in the diary for next year, and if you don’t have yours booked for this year yet, get on it.

© Supplied by Golf View Hotel & Sp
The rooms are very cosy.

PS

Though you could definitely stay within the comforts of the hotel for the entirety of your stay – we did, so absolutely no judgement here – there is plenty to keep you busy in Nairn too. The hotel is right on the beach so you can stroll along the sand and even dip your toes in the water, though that might be one for the warmer months. The town is full of little shops and cafes for you to explore before heading back to the hotel for even more R&R.

 

TO BOOK

  • Classic rooms start from £140 per night based on one guest, and £155 per night based on two guests. To book, head to crerarhotels.com
  • Coast recently announced an expansion of its luxurious wellness offering by partnering with premier spa and skincare brand, TEMPLESPA. To celebrate the launch, Coast Spa are offering 25% off all TEMPLESPA treatments until the 31st January 2025.