Galgorm’s new £11m Thermal Spa Village has Celtic sauna rituals, snow cabin and log-fired riverside tubs
The Galgorm Resort & Spa in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, has opened a new Thermal Spa Village, which means the resort now boasts 75,000sq ft (6,968sq m) of picturesque riverside spa facilities.
The Thermal Spa Village was launched at the same time as the resort added another 48 guestrooms, designed by architect Douglas Wallace, bringing the total offering to 122.
Spa consultant Jennifer Gorman helped create the Thermal Spa Village, which pays homage to the area’s unique heritage. The Thermal Spa Village includes an extensive selection of riverside hot tubs, indoor and outdoor heated pools, steamrooms, Celtic sauna, sanarium, snow cabin, Orangery relaxation room, and River House yoga studio in the tranquil Northern Irish countryside, about 20 minutes outside of Belfast.
Launched as part of the Thermal Spa Village, the Celtic Meditation Sauna Rituals take their inspiration from the Finnish Aufguss sauna ritual. They include music, meditation and aromatherapy in combination with a sauna master, whose choreographed routine with a towel circulates hot air and essential oil aromas throughout the room.
The two-person log-fired riverside tubs are available to reserve privately for an hour-long session, to enjoy with champagne and a woodland grazing slate. The four tubs are set in a picturesque location on the banks of the River Maine, and are named after the smell of woodsmoke adds to the rustic experience.
A River House, built on raised stilts over the River Maine, offers a range of fitness and wellbeing classes, and guests can enjoy two complimentary classes each day.