Tucked into a handsome Victorian building on Preston Road, The Hideaway Brighton is the kind of place that makes you exhale the moment you step inside. The city’s newest spa retreat — the second from sisters Iona and Eve Jones, following their much-loved Shoreham original — trades bright, clinical wellness for something warmer and more transporting: a private, Moroccan-inspired sanctuary built entirely around heat, water and rest. We went along to try it, and very nearly didn’t want to leave.
A Moroccan-inspired escape on Preston Road
Step through the door and Brighton falls away. The Hideaway is all deep olive tadelakt walls, hand-carved antique doors, brass Moroccan lanterns and soft, low light, with greenery spilling from every corner and a thermal pool glowing at its heart. Natural light filters down through a sky lantern, so even below street level the space feels alive rather than enclosed. The building has drawn people in since 1893, and that sense of a long-loved hideaway lingers in the atmosphere. It feels less like a treatment centre and more like slipping into a beautiful private riad for the afternoon.
Sauna, thermal pool and the luxury of doing nothing
The heart of the experience is exclusive use: you and your group have the spa suite entirely to yourselves, free to move at your own pace with no strangers, no queues and nowhere to be. You drift between the Finnish-style sauna, the warm thermal pool and the softly lit relaxation areas, with an outdoor space to cool off and breathe in the fresh air between rounds. Robes, towels, slippers and herbal tea are laid on, so all you have to do is surrender to the rhythm of hot, cool, rest and repeat. It’s a proper, unhurried ritual — the sort that quietly unknots a week’s worth of tension.
Add a massage — or simply switch off
The Hideaway also offers massage as part of the experience, specialising in the Jing Method™ of advanced clinical massage — an integrative approach drawing on both Eastern and Western techniques, from trigger-point therapy and myofascial release to acupressure and assisted stretching. We kept our visit to a pure spa session this time, and the sauna, pool and rest ritual alone was more than enough to leave us floating.
It’s the small touches that seal it. The waffle robes, slippers and towels are wonderfully soft, and there’s a drinks menu — herbal teas, botanical ferments and more — so you can stretch the calm out a little longer. It also makes a lovely group outing: with exclusive use of the whole suite, it turns a catch-up with friends into something genuinely special.
The verdict: why The Hideaway Brighton is worth booking
It’s the whole mood that stays with you — a private, candlelit, plant-filled escape that feels a world away from the street outside, all soft robes and unhurried calm. The Hideaway Brighton fills a real gap in the city: a genuinely private, design-led spa that feels like a mini-escape abroad without leaving BN1. Whether it’s a couple’s treat, a solo reset or a get-together with friends, it’s a beautiful addition to Brighton’s wellness scene — and one we’ll happily be recommending.
You’ll find The Hideaway at 197 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6SA. Sessions are private and booked in advance, and there’s a calm little bar on site for a botanical ferment or herbal tea before you head back out into the world. Bring swimwear; they provide the rest.
The Hideaway Brighton — hideawaybrighton.com
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