Boutique hotel The Ice House in North Mayo, Ireland, has spent over €500,000 (£429,527, US$592,660) upgrading its Chill Spa set beside the picturesque River Mayo and Belleek forest.

The overhaul is being conducted in a phased approach, with the initial stage having recently been completed.

This first phase saw the 600sq m spa gain a new wellness-focused outdoor extension overlooking the river including four new Corian baths for bathing therapies, two new sunken Jacuzzis and one outdoor wellness treatment room for couples with floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the river and forest.

This new room includes a private hot tub and two Gharieni MLX quartz treatment beds – the first of their kind in the west of Ireland – which use luxurious quartz sand to cocoon the body during holistic treatments.

Guests can also access a new outdoor seating area overlooking the river as well as an outdoor sauna and shower area.

Spa manager Elaine Armstrong told Spa Business that the outdoor spa garden has been extended further onto the estuary to help create a natural sense of wellness.

For Armstrong, the new outdoor wellness area is her favourite aspect of the overhaul as she firmly believes in nature’s huge healing abilities.

“The Irish spa and wellness industry is worth around €2bn (£1.7bn, US$2.4bn) a year so there’s huge demand for our sector, especially after Covid, as people are looking after themselves more and are becoming more aware of the importance of mental health," she said.

“Part of our inspiration behind the renovation was to ensure we take all of this into consideration and create a special haven for people to relax, pamper or unwind and forget about their stresses even for a day or even an hour.”

Phase two of renovations will finish in mid-September and add a brand new nature relaxation room built on stilts over the River Mayo.

Called the River Room, the experience will offer 360° riverside views and include heated loungers for guests to relax on while they’re immersed in the calming presence of nature.

As part of the overhaul, the spa’s sauna and indoor facilities have also been updated and décor has been refreshed.

The existing spa includes six treatment rooms – with two designated for couples – and offers a menu of rituals supplied by Irish marine skincare brand Voya and French skincare and beauty brand Yon-Ka.

The spa is also home to experience showers, a steamroom, aromatherapy sauna and two relaxation rooms – the first is a light-filled space for pre-treatments overlooking the river while the second is a soothing snooze room with a Himalayan salt wall for post-treatment relaxation.