Chapel Spa opens after year's delay

A £1m day spa and gym in Cheltenham, located in a grade II-listed former chapel, has opened after a delay of almost a year.

The Chapel Spa is the brainchild Mitch and Tina Powis, who previously ran a fitness and climbing centre - the Chapel Rock Gym - in the 19th century Gothic church.

The spa was designed and developed by the Powises with their business partner Sue Corlett. It includes eight treatment rooms, with products and treatments supplied by Elemis, a large hydropool, a steamroom, a rasul chamber, a yoga studio and a gym fitted with 10 pieces of cv equipment and 10 pieces of resistance equipment from Star Trac. There is also a bar and on-site kitchen, catering for themed cuisine evenings.

The facility offers 200 memberships, says Mitch, although 80 per cent of the business will come from day visitors. There are 12 therapists and three fitness instructors, who also offer personal training, employed at the spa.

The decision to move from pure fitness into the spa market was a response to the changing face of the health club sector, he says.

'With the big boys coming into health and fitness, it was time for people like ourselves to find a niche. We already had one in adventure sports, but it was high risk and insurance was costly. At that time, both personal training and yoga were growing in popularity and we noticed that there was a renaissance of the spa movement in the UK.'

The partners are drawing on Cheltenham's spa town heritage to market the facility and have the full support of the local council. 'Cheltenham has wanted to regenerate its spa offer for a long time,' says head of tourism Ken Jennings. 'This is the first step on the health revival ladder.' Details: 44 (0)1242 518075