Nirvana Spa Review: A Relaxing Sensory-Friendly Spa Experience

I’ve visited a number of different spas over the years, but have struggled to find one that ticks all the sensory boxes for me. Recently, I visited Nirvana Spa near Reading and it came very close. In this Nirvana Spa review, I’m sharing my experience as an autistic adult, from the facilities and atmosphere to the sensory considerations that made the day feel so relaxing.

Planning My Visit

A few years ago, a fellow spa-goer at another spa recommended Nirvana Spa to me. They told me it was the best spa that they had ever been to. It prompted me to do some research and I liked what I saw. From looking at photos, the facilities looked far more extensive than the hotel spas I had visited before.

Nirvana Spa quickly became top of my list. I kept mentioning it to Egg (that’s my husband), hoping that he would book me a surprise trip. A few years went by and unfortunately Egg didn’t take my well placed hints. Then, last Christmas my friend bought a day pass for me and her to use this year.

I was extremely excited. I had built up the spa in my head a lot and was concerned that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Usually when I get hyped up about something, I set such high expectations that they can’t be met. I’m pleased to say that this time it was different.

We went on a Thursday and had the basic package, which didn’t include access to certain areas, like the floatation tank. We had 3 hours access to the facilities, plus additional time to change on either side of our spa access. I’m not sure if going on a weekend might make the experience slightly busier, but I get the impression that the spa tries not to overbook.

The spa provides a plush robe and a towel. Slippers aren’t provided. I brought flip flops with me.

Why Nirvana Spa Was a Great Fit

Often, I find that spa staff can be friendly but it seems fake. It makes me feel awkward and on edge because it doesn’t seem genuine. The staff at Nirvana Spa were friendly, but also seemed relaxed and at ease. I had a pleasant experience checking in when we arrived, which helped to set the tone for the rest of the day.

Spacious Facilities and Quiet Areas

There were multiple changing rooms. We were guided to one specifically, which had a few people in but wasn’t crowded. I had a look inside the others throughout the day and they were also not busy.

The facilities are extensive. There are three standard indoor pools, all with plenty of loungers available around them. Also indoors there’s a large hydrotherapy pool, a dead sea salt therapy pool, multiple cold plunges of varying temperatures, tropical showers, a large steam room and sauna, ice chamber, tepidarium, and real sunlight loungers next to one of the pools.

Outside there are a couple of jacuzzis, a pool with loungers, cold plunge and a pool where you can swim against the current.

All of the facilities are spread out, which makes it feel relaxed and easeful to walk around. Whilst checking out the other changing rooms, I also stumbled across a separate women’s only sauna and steam room. Both were completely empty. These could be great if you are a woman and want some private me-time.

The Tepidarium: My Favourite Part

One of my favourite experiences was the tepidarium. It’s a room of heated loungers, with ambient lighting and a water feature in the middle of the room that provides relaxing, trickling water sounds. I felt super relaxed there and nodded off for a few minutes. I felt the same level of relaxation as when I tried a floating sound bath experience.

When leaving the room, I noticed there is a box of pillows that you can use with the loungers. I was comfortable without one, but I bet adding the pillow in would have been even more relaxing.

A Comfortable Social Environment

My experience with the other guests was positive. Everyone seemed friendly, but because the facilities were spread out and there was a lot of space, I didn’t experience people trying to make conversation with me. I prefer being able to stay in my personal bubble. It provides less social anxiety for me and allows my nervous system to fully relax.

Some of the areas were quiet zones, where you weren’t allowed to talk. This helped to reduce sensory input and encourage more relaxation. I found that even in the louder areas, the acoustics were pretty good and it didn’t feel too overwhelming for me. It would have been fine to wear earplugs and next time I would bring some just in case.

If you’re feeling peckish, there is a main restaurant that can be booked in advance or on the day, but it does eat into your spa time. There are a number of little cafe outlets where you can order food and drink. You can then take it to a lounger at any of the pools or eat on a table, whichever works best for you. I didn’t eat there because we had a packed lunch and ate before.

I made use of the free chilled infused waters that were located next to the main restaurant. My favourite was the cucumber infused water.

Things That Didn’t Go So Well

There were a couple of things that weren’t as positive and did affect my overall experience.

I found that some people still talked in the designated quiet areas. It affected my ability to relax. There were two people who were whispering very quietly. I found it more annoying than if they were talking normally.

There is a pretty strong smell of prawns that comes from the main restaurant and can be smelt in the pool area next to it. If you have a strong sense of smell like me, you would probably want to avoid chilling in the pool area next to it. I didn’t find it to be a major problem because I avoided that area and luckily hadn’t booked in for lunch at the restaurant.

When we went into the dead sea salt therapy pool, I noticed that everyone was around the sides of the pool. I thought it was because of the pool being quite deep. My friend and I went into the middle of the pool and noticed that there was so much salt in it that you could float.

We started floating on our backs and it was incredibly relaxing. About a minute later we heard someone calling to us, we stopped floating and noticed that the lifeguard was telling us that we weren’t allowed to float in the middle of the pool. They said that we were only allowed to float if we held onto the side. We tried that but it was very uncomfortable.

Upon reflection, we wondered whether this was because the spa offers a separate flotation experience elsewhere on site. We found it a bit silly that you weren’t allowed to float.

Would I Visit Nirvana Spa Again?

Even though there were a couple of things that impacted my experience, they didn’t cause me to feel stressed or overwhelmed. The positives greatly outweighed the negatives.

I came away from the spa feeling wonderfully relaxed and thinking, when am I coming back?

Since being home, I’ve been back on the Nirvana Spa website and have noticed that you can pay for Spa Club Annual Retreat membership. The price varies from £360 for Monday–Thursday or £420 for weekends, and members pay in instalments across the year.

The membership gives you access to one night of overnight accommodation in their hotel, which is located 10 minutes from the spa, dinner and breakfast, plus a full day’s access to Nirvana Spa. As soon as I saw this, I was tempted.

Nirvana Spa is by far the best spa that I have visited in the UK and I would highly recommend it as a great place to visit for someone looking for a relaxing sensory experience.

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Much love,

Rachael xx

The Invisible Onion