Champneys Reviews 927

Day spa at Tring. Back massage unprofessional, unacceptable, lawn mowers usage throughout below window, incorrect information about extra payments during the day. Bottles of fresh water warm, pitta bread old and stale. Worse was the lack of professional, evasive, inappropriate and in-adequate responses. Top management contact details not available (on web site but incorrect). Unsolicited, I was emailed that payment for back massage would be returned that day - that was 10 days ago! None of my complaints were answered by saying why each happened. No responsibility taken.

Champneys henlow is a very average spa but charges top prices. on arrival we were greeted with a queue to be booked in with only 2 at the desk , soon to be one as one went missing. after booking in we were told to wait in the lounge and to have a complimentary drink (flavoured water). we were then showed to our room with a running commentary on the way as to the whereabouts of everything, i did not dare interrupt her in full flow, as she would never have memorised the script and probably started all over again. anyway once in the room i was pleasantly surprised with the furnishing. a bit worn but clean. we had a very nice balcony which led out to some very well kept gardens and a picturesque view.
the room itself , though clean, could do with a little updating and maybe some decorating. the bath panel was loose and the panel behind the toilet had gaps either side to which some joker had stuffed some toilet paper in the crevice. shower was adequate although getting in and out one had to be very careful. corridors were clean although looks like they had had a flooding at some time or other as the carpet was a couple of different shades. we spent the afternoon in the pool, clean and spacious, my favourite area, until they started the aquaerobics being bashed out with loud tempo music. certainly not my idea of relaxation, maybe they can warn people in future. hot tub, bubble bath, sauna although small were adequate. we had booked our dinner for 7.30 and on arrival were promptly shown to our seats. staff were always on the move so not difficult to catch their eye. after ordering drinks and food we had a little time to chat and relax before starters and drinks arrived. the duck croquette was a little on the dry side and the salmon taste quite tasteless. again on completion of the starters our plates were cleaned away, timing perfect, not hurried and not too slow. our drinks waiter had a bit of trouble opening a rather too expensive bottle of rose Prosecco but it was cold enough and enjoyable. the main course came and they got my wife's order correct but mine they got wrong. when mine turned up , maybe a little too quickly, we both consumed our meals. now here is the most disappointing part of our stay, my wife's pork steak was very dry and my seafood pasta was very poor. it advertises squid, mussels , calamari and prawns. i was treated to the smallest shrimp ever, the smallest mussels ever and tiny pieces of calamari and squid. the pasta was the overpowering element of this dish. for dessert my wife had fruit kebabs with a sorbet and i give full credit to the sorbet being excellent. my pineapple upside down cake was all sponge and no pineapple. the meal i would give 4/10 solely for the service. on our return to the room i looked for the a/c and was told there was not one in our room. ok so a very hot night ensued and because were on the ground floor i did not dare open the patio doors. we did not touch the tea and coffee , although it was all available, still not on a hot day with no a/c.
to conclude i would say the gardens and surroundings are superb and well kept, the staff friendly and attentive but management need to inspect the rooms and the kitchen better and upgrade where possible. oh by the way, nice touch , having a can of fly spray in the room....

I visited Champneys Springs in Ashby this weekend, it was booked well in advance on their website. Spa Break + Treatment x 3 people. Full payment taken and email confirmation received showing treatment times. A little later a further email was received but now showing 3 spa breaks but only 1 treatment booked. The lead booker tried to get in touch, 8 days later she received an email reply asking further questions, this was responded to immediately but no further replies were received from Champneys. After travelling over an hour to the destination all 3 of us arrived, only to be told there was no record of the other 2 treatments and they were now fully booked. As we were there overnight they managed to 'squeeze' 2 more in at 9am the following morning - however one of the massages had to be changed from the one we had booked and wanted. (9am is right in the middle of breakfast service and meant we all had to get up much earlier than planned if we wanted to eat). To add insult to injury these treatments were then charged again (so now we have paid for 5 massages but only received 3). The worst thing about all of this was the Spa Manager advising us that this type of thing happens a lot and there is an issue with the reservations main team not actually booking the spa stays properly! What was intended to be a relaxing, indulgent weekend turned into a stressful, not relaxing, astronomically priced weekend! It is a shame because I would say the location itself is very pleasant and the massage was to a high standard. Just not worth getting 3 and paying for 5. No gesture of goodwill was offered by the spa for something that was absolutely no fault of ours. Really if you booked and pay for something via a website and receive a full confirmation showing prices and times - what more can you do but assume it is all booked and correct. It cast a shadow over the weekend and sadly left a bad taste in our mouths. We try to do at least 4 spa breaks a year and sadly now don't feel we can return to such a shambolic place.

As a result of Very Poor Data Security all my credits were used by someone else and Champneys denied any responsibility.
I will never use them again or recommend them to friends or family.

We stayed at Champneys Tring in July 2025 for what was supposed to be a relaxing two-night spa break as birthday present for my partner. We checked out after one night because the experience was so poor.

The main issue was the heat. The room was absolutely stifling, made worse by a bathroom radiator that was stuck on full blast, despite it being 30 degrees outside. We had no way to turn it off, and no fan in the room as promised. It took over an hour and two separate requests before one was brought to us.

I completely understand that it’s an older building, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of basic comfort. If you’re charging £2,000 for a two-night stay, it’s not acceptable that guests can’t sleep because of the temperature. This isn’t a budget hotel.

There were other issues too - broken fixtures in the room, flies covered the restruant and wasps trapped in the food cabinets, long waits for drinks, and a shortened treatment with no proper resolution. It felt like the whole place was understaffed and running on autopilot.

We were promised a refund for the second night, but not the first, even though the issues started as soon as we arrived. I’ve since raised a dispute with Amex because I just don’t think it’s fair to pay luxury prices for something that wasn’t even comfortable.

Champneys Tring has a great reputation and a beautiful setting, but our experience didn’t match the image. I won’t be returning and I strongly suggest you avoid!

4 of us visited Champneys Tring, it was a belated birthday treat, we chose Champneys purely for its reputation.
We travelled from Birmingham, no signs anywhere when we exited the motorway, no signs anywhere near Champneys, we stumbled across it, although satnav kept saying we had arrived, just could not see it, it is hidden away.
It was a day treat, upon arrival we were told where to go and given a map, not shown had to find our own way, had fun with the lockers, no one there to help, a few other people were struggling too with the lockers.
Had snacks, waste of time, not much on offer.
2 of the party than had massages booked, not impressed, in fact my cousin told the therapist to be careful with her shoulder as she had had problems with it, the therapist took no notice and to this day, 5 days later, shoulder is still hurting,
Other 2 booked yoga, good class, good teacher but the room was too small for the amount of people.
We than had lunch, absolutely disgusting food. Not one of us could eat, tasteless food and no other place nearby to get food so we stayed hungry all day! Also no alcohol or tea with lunch. No one was asked about allergies, one of us did have allergies so had to be careful with what she ate as it was a buffet lunch.
We struggled with the showers, they run on sensing movement but half way through my shower it stopped working, I than had to run into another shower cubicle, still all soaped up.
Building, considering its history, not well looked after, water damage to the ceiling, the hydra pool covered in chalk, the grounds not manicured, not looked after especially near the tennis courts.
They do not cater for disabled people, no lifts.
All in all a terrible experience, certainly will not be recommending to anyone,
Communication is bad, no reply to emails, takes too long on the phone to speak to anyone

I am writing to express my significant disappointment with my recent experience on your website. I was attempting to purchase a gift and repeatedly encountered falsely advertised offers that, when clicked, led to dead-end pages. It appears many users are directed to your site through Google searches for these very offers, making this issue particularly problematic.
This deceptive advertising creates a highly frustrating user journey. Furthermore, my attempts to seek assistance have been met with silence. I have received no response from your customer service team, nor from your reservations team.
For a company that charges premium prices, this kind of online experience and lack of communication is detrimental to your brand image and certainly does not convey a sense of a premium service.
I urge you to address these issues promptly. If I do not receive a satisfactory response regarding these matters, I will be compelled to report your false advertising practices to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). You need to do better.

Have stayed at Champneys Forest Mere location several times and this will be my last. Unfortunately, the level of service you receive just doesn’t warrant the price. There seems to be a real lack of care or desire to do a good job from most of the staff which I can only imagine comes from management attitude/poor training. It’s as if the staff can’t stand each other or simply don’t want to be there. We had a few good interactions with some staff - the housekeeping staff are lovely, along with Charlotte at reception, Charles at dinner and Katarina who worked in the orangery cafe. But the rest of the service was poor - either lacking any enthusiasm (a smile wouldn’t hurt) or they’re even sarcastic and rude at times. Poor Katarina was on her own most of the time in the cafe and seemed rushed off her feet. When she finally did ask another staff member to come and assist the mountain of orders and queue at the till, Manfred came out, threw his hands up, clearly visibly annoyed at having to help, and exclaimed “there’s only two” (referring to the queue I was in - never mind the fact I’d been waiting for ten minutes already). This was the attitude everywhere and it completely spoils a guest experience.

There is no air-con so the rooms are stifling on a hot summers day/evening. I woke one morning to find a bat flying around in my room. Called reception to have someone sent up urgently - only to find nothing happened and no one came. I had to go down to reception to ask again. No apology given, no check to ensure the room was clean still or any offer to move room while it was cleaned thoroughly.

The whole place is dated and urgently needs a refresh and investment in improving the facilities. The rooms aren’t up to scratch with broken window locks, mould around the bathroom ceilings and light fixtures held together with tape. Just a disappointing experience with lots of little issues that could easily be resolved or corrected if staff paid attention to detail and focused on the customer experience.

The following was sent to Champneys at Henlow, however they have not responded to my feedback.

Firstly, we would like to thank you for the enjoyable aspects of our visit. The food throughout our stay was excellent, the treatments were truly relaxing, and we were very impressed with the gym facilities — all of which contributed to a positive overall experience.

However, there were a few elements that unfortunately detracted from what we had hoped would be a seamless and luxurious stay. Upon arrival to our room, we noticed that a member of maintenance staff had left a screwdriver and a drink in the bathroom, and had to return shortly after to retrieve them. This felt a little unexpected and diminished the initial sense of welcome.

At dinner and breakfast, we waited a considerable amount of time to be seated despite having a reservation. The following day at lunch when this was addressed with a waitress she did not apologise and implied that we were lying or exaggerating. Throughout our meals it did become apparent that some female members of staff were happy to give excellent customer service to the guests that they knew personally, however other guests seemed to be forgotten about. Thankfully, our waiter (male with blonde hair) was absolutely fantastic and helped make the meal more enjoyable once we were seated. We very much appreciated their professionalism and friendly service.

We also wanted to raise a concern regarding the Saturday afternoon entertainment. While we understand live performances are intended to enhance the atmosphere, we found the conduct of the singer between sets to be unprofessional — vaping openly and lying on the grass in a way that exposed her underwear to guests nearby. It didn’t feel in keeping with the Champneys brand or setting.

Finally, we noticed that some of the jacuzzi and spa areas did not appear as clean or well-maintained as we might have expected, which gave the impression that standards were not as consistent across the site.

I've been trying to book a Spa Day at Henlow using vouchers we received fir a wedding present. This is the 3rd day I've called at various times and no one answers the phone, appalling customer service.

We were going to book an overnight stay but after reading the dreadful reviews we're going to call in and book a day. Hopefully, there will some staff on reception.
Very disappointing before we even arrive.

My recent stay was an unmitigated disaster, transforming a hoped-for luxury spa retreat into a deeply embarrassing ordeal. What was promoted as premium was anything but, plagued by poor service, inadequate facilities, and a shocking lack of staff attentiveness.

From a substandard massage where the masseuse barely made contact and pulled my friend's hair, to unhelpful checkout staff refusing a simple itemised receipt, the issues were relentless. Dining was a nightmare of missing reservations, flies on food, and ignored dietary requests despite providing very specific requests.

The facilities were severely overcrowded; saunas and jacuzzis were inaccessible due to overwhelming guest numbers. Towel service was non-existent. Even basic amenities like lemon for a drink were unavailable.

Our rooms were dated with faulty toilets and sockets. Security was a joke, with broken lockers contributing to lost sunglasses. Inconsistent policies and general disinterest from staff compounded our misery.

I am utterly embarrassed to have brought my friends here. The service and facilities were worse than a budget hotel, a stark contrast to Champneys' "luxury wellness" claims. We will absolutely not be returning. Avoid if you're seeking a genuine luxury spa experience.

I will say thank you to Champneys for refunding my money. I do find incredibly sad at the terrible reviews. You need more staff,a new chef, and the bedrooms need a clean.

I recently visited Champney Tring which I had booked as a 40th birthday treat for my best friend. What was meant to be a special and memorable occasion turned out to be an extremely underwhelming experience and, frankly, a poor reflection of the Champneys brand.

I made the booking on 18th May, including accommodation and treatments. However, when I called on 4th June to confirm the check-in time, I was informed that no treatments had been booked. I had to send a screenshot of my confirmation email to prove otherwise. Despite this, I was told—quite bluntly—that treatments would only be available subject to availability, as if my confirmed booking held no value.

Upon arrival, the issues continued. The key cards for our room did not work, and although a staff member was instructed to show us to our room, we were merely told to “find it.” Once inside, the room was outdated and poorly maintained. The door didn’t close properly, the bathroom was in poor condition with mould and limescale in the shower, and the mirror was loose and looked decades old. Electrical fixtures didn’t work, pillows were flat and uncomfortable, and there were no accessible plug sockets by the beds. The furniture was stained, the towels and robes were low quality, and overall, the room felt neglected and tired.

The restaurant decor was similarly dated, reminiscent of the 1980s, and lacked the ambience or standards expected from a premium wellness resort. Dinner was equally disappointing—our steaks were overcooked and served cold. Breakfast was no better, with hot items also served cold. We chose not to stay for lunch due to the poor quality of the food. Additionally, we were surprised and disappointed to find that coffee options incurred extra charges.

The spa treatments were, unfortunately, below acceptable standards. I was especially disturbed during my facial to hear and smell my therapist vaping while the mask was on. As someone familiar with vaping, I recognised both the scent—cherry—and the sound. This was shocking and entirely unprofessional. Furthermore, we were given no information about the products used, and the entire experience felt rushed despite the high costs involved.

As a further disappointment, I had requested something special in the room to mark the birthday celebration and was told it would cost £95 for a bottle of champagne—hardly a thoughtful gesture.

I also drive an electric vehicle and had checked in advance that charging points were available. On arrival, all three EV charging spaces were taken by non-electric vehicles. I notified reception at 19:10 and was told someone would ask the drivers to move their cars and that I’d receive a call back. I never received a follow-up. The spaces remained occupied throughout my stay, and when I attempted to use the charger by parking adjacent and stretching the cable, it failed to work despite multiple tries.

Overall, the standards at Champneys Tring fell far below what is promised by your marketing as the UK’s “No.1 Health Resort.” The spa areas were overcrowded, with limited space to sit and relax, and the experience was more stressful than restorative. We ultimately chose to leave early, deeply disappointed that my friend’s milestone birthday had been spoiled by poor service and inadequate facilities.

Upon checkout, no staff member asked about our experience—yet another indication of the lack of attention to customer service throughout our visit.

Totally shambolic visit

I had arranged an evening spa with treatments as a special birthday treat for a friend, at the forest mere spa.

Upon arrival, we were informed that there was no hot water available in the facility. While we were offered the option to rebook, this wasn’t a practical solution given that we had already travelled 45 minutes to get there.

We were told the treatments were fully booked and I received no prior communication asking us to book in advance. One treatment had been pre-selected for us — not one we would have chosen — but given the circumstances and the fact that I had planned this as my friend’s birthday gift, we reluctantly agreed to go ahead with it. With the team sending an e-mail request to get the difference refunded.

However, due to disorganisation of the spa, we then ended up not having either treatment

There were then further complications with the visit and suffice to say we later complained via e-mail to the management team.

This communication had now been back and forth for nearly 2 months and I still haven’t received my refund for services not received.

I would never recommend Champneys and will never return.

Firstly, we arrived and first thing we noticed was how COLD the venue was. Absolutely freezing, people hugging their towels in their robes. Alongside this in every room away from the swimming pool, ie relaxation were absolutely Baltic and not relaxing at all. The water beds themselves were absolutely freeezing.

Secondly, the spa being SO packed. It was so busy to the point where people would be sat in the middle of a crowded hot tub with people sat around the sides?? Why is this not accommodated for a full stay??

Thirdly, the rude staff. Not once did I received a smile even from check in, the cleaners, the waiters and everyone, so rude? Maybe overworked perhaps but at least hire people that may adhere to some sort of customer service??

Fourthly, the food! Wow, I have never experienced anything like it. We both ordered a steak of the menu, my partners was BURNT. My one was frozen cold on the inside and basically RAW. Even the waitor laughed and took it away in disgust. We then got fed a chicken dish which looked completely inedible so we had to in fact go to McDonald’s to get some food. Alongside this, we both had bruschetta where the bread was completely stale.

Fifthly, the absolute state of the room? It was vile, I’m sure this is not the first time someone has told you. The cups were filthy, drains were blocked so the shower water couldn’t go down properly. The shower also had mould stained everywhere!!? Our robes also had staines on which were red and had to give them back for new ones.

How this place is still open is beyond me, and to even call yourselves luxury is absolutely mental. We did not sleep at all with how hollow the walls were and were quite frankly starving throughout. We left EARLY from a luxury spa.

I have stayed at Champneys many times whilst the cleanliness is not as it used to be staff are lovely particularly the Clarins therapist Lena she has magic hands wonderfully attentive & just a lovely lovely lady

The staff were rude the food was not any good for gluten free options and I complained and the response acknowledged my issues but no compensation offered which is terrible customer service.

My friends gifted me £200 in Champneys vouchers for my 50th birthday. The website would not accept the 7 digit code. On multiple occasions, I tried to contact customer service by telephone, but despite holding for over 10 mins each time, no one answered. In desperation, I eventually wrote an email requesting a call back. 3 days later a very pleasant young lady called, only to inform me the offers had ended and I would need to pay £165 for the day and with an Elemis facial the total cost would rise to a staggering £251. With no other option, I agreed to pay the extra. It is no surprise that none of my friends felt they could accompany me at this price.
The day before I went, I revisited the Champneys Henlow website only to see the whole of June discounted by 50% to £77.50, so I was back on the phone. I waited almost half an hour for my call to be answered only to be cut me off while being placed on hold. I was about to lose the will to live having waited so long for my call to be answered in the first place, but to the gentleman's credit he did call me back and he did reduce the cost of my visit, placing me £26.50 in credit instead of owing extra.
The spa day itself was thoroughly disappointing. On arrival the receptionist checked me in but offered no guidance. I was simply directed to an adjacent room to help myself to refreshments, then when ready to head downstairs. Downstairs, I found myself in a very lengthy corridor with not a soul in sight. I had no idea where to find a robe and towel. A fellow guest eventually appeared and helped me explaining a robe could be found in a locker. In principle great, except most lockers were empty. Robe on, I struggled to lock my chosen locker, again the other guest helpfully pointed out I should try another as "many are broken".
I headed off in search of the spa experiences. I passed the treatment rooms so I at least knew where to go for my facial, but I could find nothing else! I passed the gym and shop, then was lucky enough to find a cleaner who took me to the door to 'Female Spa'. All in all the morning became an uncomfortable, awkward experience.
I spent a short while in a steam room, the drying room seemed out of order and not wishing to swim, I headed to the jacuzzi for a short while. Another guest told me I had seen everything except the hydrotherapy pool and outdoor jacuzzi.
At 11am I had a facial. The beauty therapist Tatiana was wonderful and I would happily recommend her, however, sadly it is impossible to book treatments without a spa day. My lunch was booked for 12.30pm, so I decided that feeling cold in a damp swimming costume and robe with no other experiences available I would shower and put my own clothes on. Lunch was a plentiful buffet but unremarkable.
By just after 1pm I was in my car, relieved to be on my way home. When I handed my wristband to reception, staffed by 2 people, neither asked if I enjoyed my day.....maybe the time of my departure said it all 😞
Such a shame that what my friends hoped would be a special treat, turned out to be an expensive waste of a day.
The buildings and grounds are beautiful, but the facilities are limited and overall I found the place quite boring.
Save yourself your money and patience, I am sure there are much better spas near by. I for one will be returning to Aqua Sana at Center Parcs in Woburn, where there are around 20 experiences to be enjoyed around treatment and lunch.

Terrible customer service. No response to emails or phone calls despite long waits on hold. Not impressed at all when I am paying so much for a spa break. Will be booking elsewhere in future.

I was given a Champney's voucher by both my son and my husband. You cannot book online using a voucher, therefore you HAVE to phone. Then you are kept waiting for over 45 minutes for them to answer on an expensive number that I believe costs 10p per minute!
What a pain in the butt even before you start, it spoils the whole experience for you. This happens EVERY time! If you dont phone at 10.00 on the dot you are kept hanging on the phone for an unacceptable amount of time.