Latest news with #StanleyLeif
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pictured: Inside the British spa loved by Kate Moss and Brad Pitt and how it's changed since opening 100 years ago
Having been diagnosed with a seemingly incurable heart condition as a child in 1890, Stanley Leif sought a solution in the practice of osteopathy and diet. Self-cured by the age of 16, he went on to study naturopathy and opened Champneys in Tring, in 1925, after acquiring the estate from the Rothschild family. It was a pioneering health farm and the first of its kind in the UK, focusing on holistic health and naturopathy. Later, another three Champneys venues opened up - Henlow Grange, Bedfordshire, in 1981, Springs Health Farm, Leicestershire, in 1990, and Forest Mere, Hampshire, in 1995. And the health resort has welcomed many famous faces over the last 100 years - including Naomi Campbell, Princess Diana, Kate Moss and Brad Pitt. In fact, in the 1940s, during the Second Word War, Prime Minister Winston Churchill's wife Clementine Churchill sought refuge at Champneys. Lief sold Champneys – which takes its name from former estate owner Ralph de Champneys – in the 1950s, with the brand changing hands several times before it was acquired by Stephen Purdew and his late mother Dorothy in 2002. They guided the brand to even greater heights, making significant refurbishments to the resorts, and adding two hotels - Eastwell Manor, Kent, and Mottram Hall, Cheshire - plus two city spas in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and Enfield, London. And now, as the spa brand celebrates its big 100, the Daily Mail takes a look at just how much it's changed in the last century through fascinating photos... The Finnish sauna culture began to make waves after the Second World War, as Finnish expats set them up around the country. By the 1950s, Champneys had one in Tring and still has them in all their resorts to this day Forest Mere has had a tennis court available for guests to use since it opened in 1995 (left) and it's been updated for Padel in more recent years (right) Champneys has always been about 'healthy, delicious and beautiful food'. In the left picture, is a dinner by the pool in Tring, in the 80s, and on the right is a more modern meal available to eat
Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
How Champneys made us fall in love with spa hotels
A wooden paddle, ice cold facial roller, essential oils and sips of warm lemon water are all key components of Champneys' latest treatment, the '100 Years Face & Body Reset'. I instantly felt the benefits: energised legs, tighter skin and shoulder knots eased. My pampering took place at the original Champneys in Tring, Hertfordshire and was inspired by the spa's century-old treatment back catalogue which neatly combines nostalgia with cutting edge, much like the hotel itself where white robes, dance classes and detoxes are offered alongside of-the-moment cryotherapy and vitamin IV drips. I suspect it's one of the reasons the brand has survived for so long on the wellbeing scene – there's something for everyone. When Champneys first opened in 1925, there was nothing else like it in the UK. Established by Latvian wellbeing pioneer Stanley Leif, his Nature Cure Resort set in 170 acres was aimed at customers open-minded and wealthy enough to invest in holistic self-care that found the root cause of ailments rather than merely treating the symptoms. Guests, once described as 'starved, irrigated and beaten, but for a good cause,' would detox for weeks on warm lemon water and little else at the red brick mansion house, while taking part in immune-boosting treatments like hot and cold plunges (sound familiar?), combined with stretching and walks in the open air. In the 1970s global spa specialists Tanya Wheway and her late husband Allan were invited to manage Champneys, successfully transforming the brand from elitist holistic bootcamp to healthy holiday for all. In a time before mental health was front and centre, the decision to provide Lifestyle Consultants (psychologists) alongside fitness experts and dieticians was pioneering. 'What you're eating's important, but more important is what's eating you,' was Allan's mantra, says Tanya, who was also behind world-famous spa Chiva Som in Thailand. A star-studded era followed its purchase in 2002 by Stephen Purdew and his late mother Dorothy (or Mrs P as she was affectionately known by employees), who also owned three spa resorts which were rebranded under the Champneys name. Sporting heroes such as Frank Bruno and George Best would pop in for a sauna while super models and movie stars including Naomi Campbell, Barbara Streisand and Brad Pitt also donned a white robe. Its most famous guest, however, was Princess Diana – though staff remained discreet about the details of her visit, says Wheway. Fast-forward to today and the headline-making A-list visits of the early 2000s are a distant memory, with the average Champneys guest more likely to be working in accounts than Hollywood. The UK spa scene has radically altered too. Lemon water detoxes and Mr Motivator-esque fitness classes have long been relegated to spa room 101. Guests now tend to visit for a day or overnight stay rather than weeks and the vast majority are women compared to a century ago when it was men who were more likely to sign up for the Nature Cure. However, it's notable how many popular treatments today have their origins in the last century. 'It's gone full circle,' agrees Champneys' Wellbeing Director Louise Day, who says that the benefits of breathwork, for example, were recognised by Stanley Leif 100 years ago and are once again featuring heavily on spa programmes. Day has been with the company for decades and seen the fitness offer change organically from the 'feel the burn' era of Jane Fonda-style classes to the launch of bootcamps, PT sessions and strength training. She says guests are more focused on variety and personalisation, with mobility and HITT classes now part of the mix. According to Innovation Director Kate Taylor, Gen Z are the most clued-up generation health-wise thanks to social media, with most understanding that if 80 per cent of your wellbeing comes from lifestyle choices and just 20 per cent from genes, it's vital to start educating and looking after yourself way before the 35 years marker – the age your body officially starts to deteriorate. Gulp. Consequently, longevity and lifestyle are current buzz words in the spa world which Taylor believes will help shape wellness over the next 10 years. In response, Champneys is rolling out more retreats than ever before (up to 200), covering everything from detoxing and the menopause to the slightly more woo: a 'Twilight Moon Manifesting' retreat and 'Wim Hof Fundamentals' getaway. Taylor says research shows that poor sleep health is a concern that spans the generations from boomers to Millennials, so retreats to help guests get some shut eye are an important offer. And in an era when technology is threatening to impose on all areas of life, it's interesting to learn that Champneys' Group Spa Director Laura Sheridan is a big believer in digital detoxing and thinks human touch will become 'ever more important' to guests feeling increasingly isolated in a high-tech world. It's safe to say there's no danger of robots taking over the massage treatments at Tring just yet. Champneys clearly won't be hanging up its white slippers any time soon, with a new spa in Marbella scheduled to open this year, which will sit alongside the existing four spa resorts (Tring, Forest Mere, Henlow and Springs), two hotels and two city spas. Its challenge is to remain relevant at a time when there are more luxurious UK spa hotels than ever before and to meet the demands of guests expecting results in record time. Amanda Statham travelled as a guest of Champneys Tring, which offers doubles from £140.
