Sustainable spa experiences at South Lodge

Within the grounds of a country house hotel, the spa at South Lodge is a beautiful contemporary spa that’s worked hard to incorporate eco friendly practices. Recognised by the Sustainable Spa Association, here’s what they’re doing to look after the environment as well as its guests…

Design that’s considerate of the landscape

The spa at South Lodge is set into the natural contours of the land in the beautiful South Downs. Showing consideration for the surroundings, it has been designed to showcase the best of modern wellbeing but also to be harmonious with the surrounding landscape. A grass and sedum roof as well as green oak cladding work hard to make sure that it blends into the landscape rather than jarring with it.

Bringing the outside into the spa experiences

The spa experiences work to celebrate and limit their impact on the environment. Lots of windows allow plenty of natural light into the space. A really unique feature is the wild swimming pool, which is a heated outdoor pond, complete with reeds and moss for a natural vibe. Meanwhile, the infinity edge pool is UV treated, which destroys toxic by-products of chlorine without adding further chemicals into the water.

Sustainable spa practices 

An eco-awareness is also at the forefront of the design with a biomass boiler used for power and a reed bed for sewage treatment. Furthermore, echoing both these aspects is the spa’s dedicated restaurant Botanica, which is found adjacent to the spa reception.

Sustainable spa dining 

The Mediterranean inspired spa restaurant - spearheaded by head chef Jonathan Spiers - is a celebrated part of the spa experiences. It features dishes such as the ‘wasted’ burger, which is an indication of their minimal waste philosophy and is made from surplus vegetables. There is a focus on local and largely plant based foods, although it’s not exclusively vegetarian. Standouts including the all-day brunch including English chorizo, house baked beans, sourdough toast and eggs from South Lodge’s own hens. Even the sparkling wine is local, from the celebrated Ridgeview vineyard close by. It’s arguably best enjoyed in the Ridgeview Beauty Bar, where you can enjoy your pedicure or manicure with a glass of Ridgeview sparkling wine via the UK’s only sparkling wine Enoflute dispenser to perfectly serve the bubbles. 

Looking to the future as a sustainable spa

Moving forward, the hotel and spa are continuing to look for ways to improve their eco credentials. They have a long list of pledges for the coming years. Amongst them, they aim to continue to make better purchasing decisions, doing what’s right not what’s easy. They continue to prioritise their desire to promote the use of British and local suppliers, producers and manufacturers where possible, and are continuing to invest in home grown wherever possible, especially their kitchen gardens. They aim to remove all single use plastic by 2022, and have a zero waste direct to landfill policy with a target of 95% of waste to be recycled.