One Spa, Sheraton Grand - A revitalised haven of light and shade

One Spa at the Sheraton Grand in Edinburgh, Scotland recently completed a £2 million [€2.3m] refurbishment with interior design and technical engineering consultancy Barr + Wray.

In addition to a feature rooftop hydrotherapy pool, which was also installed by Barr + Wray, the five-star hotel’s spa now includes a salt inhalation room with feature colour therapy backlighting and heated benches.

A deep-relax suite boasts a log fire to warm guests as they enjoy Iso Benessere Flag loungers, while a revitalised thermal suite offers a hammam, an ice fountain, experience showers, heated loungers and an aroma steam room.

Barr + Wray’s spa sales manager, Cheryl Hanna, told European Spa: “We were approached to review the thermal suite facilities at One Spa, Sheraton and design additional features that would enhance the offering. While considering the new space, we were also tasked to give the interior design a fresh look.”

Extra space for the new thermal suite was taken from an under-used section of the existing facilities, and the approach from the pool area now features warm timber screens with additional lighting to enhance the atmosphere.

A review of the spa also indicated the need for more relaxation spaces. “We wanted to offer the guest a darker area so they could tuck themselves away in deep relaxation,” explains Hanna. “We also wanted to offer a unique thermal addition for the spa. Salt inhalation was agreed upon, but we wanted to create something more than just a tiled room with salt brine injection.”

This led to the creation of a room with feature salt brick walls, heated benches and chromotherapy backlighting to encourage relaxation and help to calm the nervous system.

“We also wanted to make more of a feature of the central bio-sauna,” says Hanna. “So, we clad its exterior in timber, which was also used elsewhere in the spa to create a flowing sense of connection.”

Mark Perkins, spa director at One Spa, said: “The refurbishment has firmly re-established One Spa as Scotland’s most renowned urban thermal spa experience. The team at Barr + Wray were innovative and creative in their approach – always considering how we could evolve the space to provide the best spa experience for all our guests”.