A few hours just for you in St Albans
If you’ve typed “spa day St Albans” into your phone this week, there’s a fair chance the spa isn’t really the point. What you want is a few hours where nobody needs anything from you and nobody can reach you.
A full spa day can give you that, but it asks for a whole day and a drive, and a lot of it is spent in shared spaces listening to other people’s conversations. If what you’re short of is time on your own, there’s a shorter way to get it in the middle of town.
Here’s how we’d plan a solo reset at being on Bricket Road: what to book, in what order, how long it takes, and how to make it something you do more than once a year.
What time to yourself needs to feel like
Privacy comes first. A room that’s yours, with a door that closes and nobody on the next lounger. Without that, part of you stays switched on, keeping an eye on who’s around.
Then your body has to stop holding itself up before your mind will follow. Warmth helps too, because heat is one of the quickest ways to tell your body it can stand down. And it helps to know when you’ll be back out. A clear end point means you can let go properly instead of half-watching the clock.
Every room at being is private. You float in your own room, sit in your own sauna room and have your massage one to one. That’s the biggest difference from a spa day, and for a lot of people it’s the reason to come.
How to plan your few hours: float first, then sauna
We offer three things under one roof: open pool floatation, infrared sauna and expert massage. You can book any one of them on its own. If you’re giving yourself a proper block of time, though, the order matters.
Start with the float
Our float rooms each have an open pool of body-temperature water with over 500kg of Epsom salts dissolved in it. You lie back and the water holds you up completely. There’s nothing to brace against and nothing to do. It can take a little while to stop fidgeting, and after that the hour tends to go quicker than you’d expect.
Because it’s an open pool in a private room, you have space around you and can sit up whenever you like. Our page on floatation in St Albans covers how it works, and what to expect on your first float walks you through the visit step by step.
Then the infrared sauna
After an hour in the water you come out loose and quiet. The sauna then warms you through while you’re still in that state, which is a much nicer way to sit in heat than arriving straight off the street. That’s why we always say float first, then sauna. If you’ve never tried one, here’s what to expect from your first infrared sauna.
Sessions in our infrared sauna in St Albans are 30 minutes: 25 minutes in a private sauna room plus time to change and shower. Infrared warms you gently rather than hitting you with a blast of hot air, so it’s an easy 25 minutes to sit through.
Add a massage if you want the full version
Massage is optional, but it’s often the part you remember. By the time you reach the table after floating and the sauna, your muscles are warm and you’ve already slowed down, so you’re not spending the first twenty minutes trying to relax.
For a solo reset, the being Massage (60 or 90 minutes) is the easy choice. If you know where you carry it, there’s a Back Massage, an Upper Body Anti Stress massage for shoulders and neck, and the Deep Warmth Massage if you’d like more heat. You can see all the options for massage in St Albans, and we’ve written up how float, sauna and massage work together if you’re wondering why the order helps.
Once you know roughly what you’d like, you can book your time online and pick a slot that suits you.
How long it takes, and what it costs
Here’s how the common combinations add up. Allow a little time either side for arriving and for getting yourself together afterwards.
- Float on its own: 60 minutes, £60. Or a 45-minute mini float for £45 if you’re short on time.
- Float, then sauna: about an hour and a half, £90.
- Float, sauna, then a 60-minute being Massage: about two and a half hours, £170.
- Float, sauna, then a 90-minute being Massage: about three hours, £200.
Three hours is a morning or an afternoon, not a whole day. You can fit it into a day off or a Saturday and still be home for dinner.
What to bring
Not much. A few things make it easier:
- A hair tie and a comb or brush. Salt water leaves hair a bit stiff until it’s washed out.
- Moisturiser or make-up, if you’re going somewhere straight after.
- Comfortable clothes that are easy to put back on when you’re warm and moving slowly.
- A bottle of water, because heat and salt both leave you thirsty.
On the day, try not to shave or wax beforehand, as the salt will find any small nick. Eat something light an hour or two before rather than arriving hungry or very full, and go easy on the coffee if you’d like the float to feel calm rather than buzzy.
We’re a short walk from St Albans City station. If you’re driving, The Maltings (AL1 3HL) and the Civic Centre car park (AL1 3JX) are both close by.
How it compares to a spa day
We’re not a spa, and we don’t try to be one. If you’re weighing up an alternative to a spa in St Albans, here are the honest differences.
It’s shorter. A few hours rather than a full day, so it fits around a normal week instead of waiting for a special occasion. It’s also private: your float room, sauna room and massage room are yours alone, so you won’t be sharing a relaxation lounge with other guests.
It’s focused. We do three things in an order that makes sense, and you won’t find robes, loungers or a long menu of extras. And it’s in town, so there’s no drive out into the countryside. You can walk from the station.
A big spa day with friends and a long lunch is a lovely day out, and a different one. If what you need is time alone, a few hours in private rooms gets you there faster.
Making it a regular thing
You get the most out of this if you treat it more like a haircut than a birthday present: something in the diary every few weeks, not once a year when things have got bad.
- Pick a rhythm you can keep. Once a month is realistic for a lot of people. If three hours is too much to find that often, alternate: float and sauna one month, a massage the next.
- Book the next one on your way home. A date already in the diary is far easier to keep than one you have to find when you’re busy.
- Notice when you need it. Poor sleep, a short fuse and a stiff neck are usually the giveaways. Our post on signs you need a recovery day is a useful check.
- Ask for it. If someone wants to know what you’d like for your birthday, a gift voucher (from £50, bought online) is a good answer.
If you’d rather build a whole day around it, with a walk and lunch in town as well, we’ve put together ideas for a day off in St Albans.
When you’re ready, choose your float, sauna or massage and book online.
Frequently asked questions
Can I come on my own?
Yes. Every float room, sauna room and massage room is private, so visiting on your own is completely normal. If you’d like to bring someone another time, we also have a couples float and a couples sauna.
How long should I set aside for a solo reset?
About an hour and a half for a float followed by the infrared sauna. Add a massage and it’s around two and a half to three hours, depending on whether you choose 60 or 90 minutes. Leave a little time either side so you’re not rushing.
Why float before the sauna?
Floating settles you first, so you arrive in the sauna already relaxed and the heat finishes the job. Going the other way round means getting into the float warm and slightly flushed, which isn’t as comfortable. We always recommend float first, then sauna.
Is being a spa?
No. Being offers open pool floatation, infrared sauna and expert massage, each in a private room. We don’t have a swimming pool, a steam room or a menu of facials. If what you were after from a spa day was quiet and time alone, that’s what we focus on.
Do I need to have floated before?
No. Plenty of people try it for the first time as part of a longer visit. If you’d like to know a bit more first, our guide to what floatation is is a good place to start.
Making it happen
Never floated before? Our float page explains the open pool, the room and what a first session feels like. See how floatation works.
Got a question first? Ask us anything about floating and the team will come back to you. Message us on WhatsApp.
Ready for some time to yourself? Pick a day and time that suits you in a couple of minutes. Book online.