It was my husband’s first spa visit. You could tell this because when he was asked to choose what he wanted from the menu (of treatments), he joyfully emailed back with a list of what he was hoping to consume in the restaurant at Carey’s Manor Hotel.

Told he’d be having a one-hour Thai massage at the hotel’s celebrated SenSpa he looked nervous, then asked: “And the food?”

He needn’t have worried. From the handmade chocolates on arrival, to the delicious Thai lunch before departing, perfection came as standard.

We arrived for our mid-week break in the early afternoon although, thanks to SenSpa’s generous policy, even though we were only staying for one night we had full use of the spa facilities, including classes, from 11am onwards from the day of arrival to 3pm the day we left.

After being shown round by indefatigable concierge Ray – he even parks the car for you – we realised just how big the place was, inside as well as out.

Guests relaxed on sofas and cushions in the tasteful gardens and the original manor, built in 1888, which contains the restaurant and an old-world panelled staircase, blends seamlessly with the modern bedrooms and facilities.

And it’s definitely the facilities you’re here for.

Ten years ago the owners decided to create a spa with a difference; one which has the Eastern philosophy of calm and peace plus efficacious treatments, and which is decorated to reflect that.

We started off in the gym, discovering muscles we didn’t know we had before taking a breather and a cup of tea in our bedroom with its Juliet balcony facing the gardens.

After that it was time for our first visit to the day spa facilities: pool (ozone treated so no nasty chlorine smells) steam room and sauna.

The pool looks out over the Zen Garden and its restaurant and the entire area, inside and out, is designed to promote calm and relaxation in the visitors.

There’s an unhurried air, no therapists screeching out people’s names, or irritating music.

After a joyous hour of this it was time to get ready for drinks and dinner. Because Careys is most definitely a hotel with a spa attached, not the other way round, and that’s important if, like me, you are married to a human labrador.

You can order calorie-counted food but that was never going to happen at our table.

After enjoying a few gins and some well-chosen New Forest beer for him we perused the menu for the Manor restaurant, although we could easily have chosen the hotel’s bistro or the Zen restaurant.

Beautiful fish starters, excellent sauvignon blanc, lamb with a rhubarb soufflé and local cheeseboard to round it off was a fantastic ending to our first day.

And the next morning we were raring to go again; gym before full English, and then a spot of swimming before we were borne away for our Sen Fusion full body massages.

I hadn’t warned my husband about the paper pants horror but any trauma was soothed away by the lovely therapists. I was treated by Da, as small and pretty as her name, but whose strength was such that I should imagine she probably wrestles pythons in her spare time.

The joy of these massages is that they seem to go on and on, held in darkened, beautifully-scented rooms with compelling Eastern music in the background.

Prior to the treatment you can point out any body issues, such as cellulite or bloated stomachs, and the therapist will work on them while you drift to the edge of consciousness.

We took time out in the relaxation room to have some water and tea before trotting down for lunch in the Zen Garden restaurant.

Anxious not to undo all Da’s good work, I restricted myself to a smoothie. The human labrador munched his way through a Thai curry.

And then we resolved to try the hydrotherapy suite; which is some of the best fun you can have on a cold, wet, early summer morning.

SenSpa has a number of great facilities, from the hydrotherapy pool and its pounding waterjets and champagne bubbles, through to the crystal steam room – a large, hot space where the steam is supercharged by the giant crystal they keep in there. With the tiny, sparkling LED lights it was like being in Aladdin’s cave.

My favourite space was the herbal sauna; just heat – intense heat – beautiful scent and more sparkly lights that go on and off like stars in the dark.

We tried the tropical thunderstorm shower – it even has its own lightning and thunder effects – and the infamous ice-bucket where you pull the handle and drench yourself with freezing water.

But there were so many things we could have done, from a Rhassoul Mud Bath to a whole list of rituals, scrubs, facials and massages.

It’s easy to see why this place is a finalist in the 2014 World Luxury Spa Awards.

Easy, too, to understand just why my colleagues were so envious of our visit. In the 10 years it’s been open I can truly say I have never heard a bad word about SenSpa and now I understand why.

Best of all, however, is the fact that it’s virtually on our doorstep. Because the last thing you want after all that pampering is to get back in your motor and battle down the M3.

We were home in 35 minutes and are already planning our next visit. The place is bliss itself.

A one-night Zen Spa Escape break costs from £175 per person. senspa.co.uk.