21st March, Bath – As scheduled, Thermae Bath Spa is delighted to announce Wednesday 29th March as the opening date of its innovative new Wellness Suite to its guests. The Wellness Suite replaces the previous steam room pods and comprises of:    

• Two new Roman and Georgian-themed aromatic Steam Rooms
• A contemporary Infrared Sauna
• An invigorating Ice Chamber
• A new Celestial Relaxation Room
• Chromotherapy Showers

An artist's impression of the new Roman and Georgian Steam Rooms, Infrared Sauna and Ice Chamber can be seen here. The refurbishment was undertaken by sauna and steam room specialist, Dale Sauna.

Colin Skellett, Chairman of Thermae Bath Spa, said: “The Wellness Suite marks an exciting new chapter for us. Thermae Bath Spa has now been open for over ten years and it was time to reinvest in the facilities. The new Suite really strengthens our offering. It has involved a significant investment – the largest that has been made in a decade in fact. It is extremely important to YTL to invest in the quality of Thermae Bath Spa to keep the experience original, relevant, and interesting – and to entice guests back for more.”

He added, “If it weren't for Bath's natural thermal waters, we wouldn't have this unique spa for local residents and visitors to enjoy today. So it was important to us to infuse our new Wellness Suite with the very essence of the city, to honour the local culture and history. As such, many areas of our new Wellness Suite subtly evoke elements of the city, such as the mosaic of Sulis Minerva in the Roman Steam Room. We acknowledge Bath and North East Somerset's support for this project and it represents our shared ambition to enhance the city and its economy.”

The Infrared Sauna showcases the very best in contemporary sauna design. The largest facility in the Suite, the sauna seats guests in its warm acacia and lime wooden interior. Guests breathe fragrant essences while the warm amber glow from the infrared heaters embraces them. The room is completed by a beautiful fanned wooden sculpture, designed to mimic the contours of Bath's thermal waters.

Appropriately, the two steam rooms take inspiration from the history of Bath. The Georgian Steam Room will be light-filled, decorous and elegant, with a flowing fountain and a bright floral fragrance. The seating area is muted in colour with a soft sheen as befitting a genteel Georgian design. This room is heated to 45 degrees at 100% humidity. The Roman Steam Room in contrast has a bold, muscular design, drawing heavily on local Roman architecture. The predominant material used is natural stone, and all finishes are handcrafted by traditional stone masons. This room features fluted Roman columns and lion heads and an Italian crafted mosaic of the image of Sulis Minerva, courtesy of Heritage Services of Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The intimate, twinkling Celestial Relaxation Room was designed with relaxation in mind. Guests enjoy individual tiled heated loungers as they lie back, breathe in the fresh scent and take in the fibre optic lighting and audio visual display of stars and planets. The lighting and music reference historical links with astrology, notably William Herschel's discovery of the planet Uranus from his home in Bath.

The Ice Chamber offers the most bracing experience in the Suite. A cool fog drifts from the ceiling, enveloping users in an ethereal mist. Flakes of ice tumble into a blue-lit trough in the heart of the room, where brave guests can immerse a hand or rub the ice into their skin. And a stimulating menthol fragrance finishes off the invigorating experience. The dominant colour in this room is blue with mosaics, tiles, porcelain and tumbled glass. Blue LED lights illuminating the ice feature and reflective glass-like panels enhance the light and space.

Once guests have indulged in the key thermal and sensory experiences of the Wellness Suite, they can enjoy the refreshing Experience Showers, which include two sets of body jets and Chromotherapy showers.

A spa session at Thermae Bath Spa includes full use of the Wellness Suite and bathing in the natural thermal waters of the indoor Minerva Bath and the open-air rooftop pool.

For more information about the new Wellness Suite, or to request a press tour, please email marystringer@thermaebathspa.com.

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Notes to Editors:

About Thermae Bath Spa

Thermae Bath Spa is the only day spa in the UK which has access to the natural thermal waters. Situated in the heart of the World Heritage Site, Thermae combines the best of the historic spa with contemporary design and facilities including a selection of relaxing spa treatments.

The creation of Thermae Bath Spa (www.thermaebathspa.com) was funded by Bath & North East Somerset Council, the Millennium Commission, Thermae Development Company Ltd (UK), the Bath Spa Trust, the EU Regional Development Fund and local subscribers. Thermae Bath Spa is currently operated by YTL Hotels.

Over the last ten years, an independent research company has carried out a survey of visitors to Thermae Bath Spa. Some of the key findings are:

• On average, 62% of visitors stated that Thermae Bath Spa was their main reason for visiting Bath
• 34% are repeat visitors
• 91% stated that they are likely to re-visit Thermae
• Over £100 million additional spend has been generated in the local economy by visitors to Thermae