Helen Rock gets a golden makeover in Inchydoney

FEELING a bit broke and being a firm believer in the old adage that "money begets money" (and by extension gold, diamonds, emeralds, whatever), I leapt at the chance to draw some wealth and well-being unto myself by accepting an invitation to sample the new "devised in Monte Carlo, ultra luxurious pampering treatment" called the Golden Glow Ritual, being offered exclusively at the Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa outside Clonakilty in West Cork.

It all began with a personal visit from the spa manager, followed by a letter to our room, telling us what time to appear in the spa section on the other side of the hotel and what to wear for the journey . . . white towelling dressing gowns and blue plastic slippers that we would find in the wardrobe.

It was embarrassing, walking through the corridors dressed like a member of some weird cult: next time I'm wearing my own clothes en route to any spa experience.

Absolutely lovely staff . . . many of them French as this is a French Thalassotherapy and Elemis spa . . . looked after us from there on, first showing us to a tiered set of seats in the chill-out room overlooking a very nice heated seawater pool.

Chilling-out along with us were other cult figures wearing the same gear, men and women of all ages. It was unnerving to hear a big, unshaven man growl in a strong Belfast accent about being left waiting for his grape massage and facial. Later, I realised he was one of the people who had flown there in his own helicopter. Helicopters are big at Inchydoney and every arrival on the scene attracts an audience of fascinated male onlookers. If you don't want to attract attention while you're at Inchydoney, don't bring your helicopter.

Back in spa-land, my companion was led off reluctantly for his first ever ordinary massage and I was led away by a petite French girl to one of a warren of silent and windowless little rooms to begin my "Golden Glow Ritual".

This was to have begun with a "Cleopatra Milk Bath, with added 24-carat gold flakes". Instead there was a bath full of warm seawater with what looked like brown scum and other bits floating on top. For one moment, I thought I was in an old-fashioned mental hospital, or a convent. "Eet ees chocolat, " explained my escort. Yes, it was pure cocoa powder.

Now, I like nothing more than bathing in seawater, surrounded by soft slithery seaweed fronds to rub all over my body, face and hair, until I feel clean as the sea itself. But cocoa?

Well, left to my own devices in the silence and the self-massaging bath my skin soon absorbed all the scum and after about 20 minutes my mind seemed made of nothing but salt and soothing cocoa. I was beginning to feel irresponsible and disconnected from the outside world.

Next I was led hapless to a bigger room, where the usual undefined, new-agey relaxation music was playing, the lights were low and there was a smell of pot-pourri or scented candle. This room had a huge photograph of a beautiful mossy forest floor, a fine shower, a massage table covered in clingfilm and a microwave oven. It could have been scary but I was beyond caring by now and besides, my masseuse Aoife was gentle and kind and the oven was only for heating her massage mittens, with which she exfoliated my skin with diamond dust. Yes, diamond dust.

I think the shower came next and then the rubbing with milk and honey, and frankincense and myrhh. Or maybe afterwards.

Either way, all that was wonderful. And then I found out what the cling film was for: it lay on top of a heated rubber blanket and you were enveloped in both up to your neck for what seemed like ages. I would have panicked at this stage except that Aoife gave me a relaxing head massage before leaving me alone, wrapped in hot plastic and rubber.

The final touch was the longed-for dusting with fairy gold, administered in a cream but only on my face, neck, forearms and chest.

Then I was told to relax, drink plenty of water and to abstain from bathing or showering for another 24 hours, to let it all sink in.

Relax? I was sleepwalking around Clonakilty for the rest of the day with a smile on my face.

And for days afterwards, I felt different.

More a part of the floating world, open to all the good things life has to offer, more positive and yes, richer, as I received my first ever gold jewellery and diamond ring very shortly afterwards.

AGHADOE HEIGHTS HOTEL AND SPA Lakes of Killarney, Co Kerry. Tel: 064-31766; www. aghadoeheights. coms

Claire O'Mahony gets the luxury treatment in Aghadoe Heights

JUST because a hotel has a spa, doesn't mean I'll necessarily get excited about a visit there. This is not because I'm a horribly spoiled individual (honestly) but has more to do with the fact that they're now part of the experience in a good hotel, a bit like room service, en-suites and multi-channel TV.

Of course, not all hotel spas are created equal. The word 'spa' can just as easily mean a couple of treatment rooms with some basic treatments as it can an allsinging, all-dancing spa area. And while it all sounds good on paper . . . facials that purify, body wraps that sculpt, hot stone massages that detox, shakra treatments that rebalance . . . unless the therapists really know their stuff and the products are excellent, some spa treatments can really make you feel a little bit Emperor's New Clothes about the entire thing. It's somewhat depressing actually, when after you've been soaked, kneaded, exfoliated and moisturised to within an inch of your life, the end result is a chilled-out but not significantly betterlooking you.

Thankfully, a trip to Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa in Killarney will cure anyone of such ennui. With its views out over the Lakes of Killarney and its incredibly welcoming staff, Aghadoe is the epitome of five-star graciousness and charm. The suites are sufficiently lush that you could happily spend your entire day in one but to miss out on the spa experience here would be shockingly remiss.

It's a tranquil, soothing place, especially the thermal suite with hammam, rock sauna, aroma grotto and tropical rainshower. The hotel has always been innovative, unveiling Ireland's first Aveda concept spa in 2004 and now its latest offering is the ultra luxurious Futuresse range, in addition to Aveda and Biodroga. How luxurious is Futuresse? Enough to make Creme de la Mer seem common.

Aghadoe is the first hotel in Ireland (or in the UK) to offer this range, which is created in Baden-Baden in Germany, merging high-tech research with Far Eastern tradition. Lotus blossom extract, collagen, marine and caviar extracts and impressive sounding bio-technological products called things like Fucogel 1000 and Matrix Stimulator are some of the ingredients contained in the products. On the premise of its exclusivity and pedigree, I'm sold on the Futuresse range already, but most appealing of all, the three facials and five body treatments promise immediate results, and it's hard not to be won over by that possibility.

"The Eternal Beauty of the Lotus" (120 minutes of a facial involving a peel, deep pore cleansing, a caviar face mask and a hand and arm treatment), which clarifies skin tone and reduces fine lines and wrinkles sounds wonderful. But as I usually opt for facials over body treatments, I decide to ring the changes and opt for the "Magic of the Lotus" instead.

This is a 60-minute body treatment, which will leave skin feeling silky soft and to start proceedings, there's a refreshing cup of herbal tea. Then begins the twenty minute immersion in a bathtub of Futuresse Lotus Milk Bath (bliss, could stay here forever) and then it's a quick dry-off before the Lotus Regeneration Pearls are applied to the body, which is then wrapped in the Lotus Silk Pack.

While this takes effect, the therapist gives a highly relaxing foot massage and to finish, the Futuresse Rich Body Cream is applied.

Afterwards, it's not so much a case of walking back to my room but a sort of staggering back instead, completely disorientated by the experience, but in a very good way. It felt very good, it smelt very good but did I look any better? Oh yes. My skin had a luminous, glowing quality it hadn't possessed in years and the effect lasted for days. The only problem now of course is that despite my earlier protestations about not being spoiled, I think that Aghadoe has managed to do so.

Wherever my next spa visit might be, it's now going to take an awful lot to impress me.

POWERSCOURT SPRINGS HEALTHFARM Coolakay, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. Tel: 01-2761000; www. powerscourtsprings. ie

Isabel Hayes detoxes in Powerscourt Springs

AS I make my way down to Powerscourt Springs Health Farm for a two-night detox break, I reflect that I'm actually a pretty good candidate for it.

A friend who is going to Australia for the year held a major bash the night before and I didn't crawl into bed until nearly six o'clock in the morning. Now, a few hours later, my head is still splitting as my sister Ger and I roll into Powerscourt Springs, near Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, looking outwardly fit and ready for detox action. Hidden in our suitcases, however, nestle three bottles of wine, two packets of crisps, a pack of Smarties, an Aero and a generous pick-and-mix sweet collection from the village shop. Oh dearf Arriving at Powerscourt Springs is like stepping into another world. There is an air of incredible calm as people potter around the reception area wearing fluffy white dressinggowns and slippers. It looks like we've come to the right place.

Detoxing, however, is a bit more strenuous than I first thought. As we change into our dressing-gowns and toddle along to our welcome meeting, we are kindly told that in order to detox our bodies and gain the maximum benefits, we will not be having any meat, wheat, dairy produce, salt, sugar, caffeine or, ahem, alcohol during our stay.

All food is forgotten, however, when it's time for our first treatment. A detox break at Powerscourt Springs includes three therapeutic treatments to complement the programme. Then there are all sorts of classes held during the day, from water aerobics and cardio salsa to meditation and yoga.

There is a tennis court available, a pool, jacuzzi and sauna as well as organised walks every morning, but we're here for some serious downtime.

As I lie half-asleep in the treatment room, I can feel my hangover slipping away. I am here for a Cranapple body scrub and it's absolutely gorgeous. Cranberry, explains my therapist, is a excellent detoxifier and the ingredients in my scrub are entirely natural.

It's followed by a luxurious body-milk massage and soon my skin is as soft as butter.

Ger has had a similarly lovely experience in a seaweed hydro-bath . . . a huge scented bath with jets aimed all over the body to boost circulation and help eliminate toxic waste through the pores (excellent! ).

Our spirits flag somewhat at dinner as we are told that we're the only guests detoxing in Powerscourt Springs this weekend. Disaster! Everyone around us tucking into medallions of beef and chocolate fudge cake and our tummies begin to rumble. But this feeling doesn't last long when our food arrives.

It may be healthy, but it's also delicious with each course inventive and flavoursome.

The next day's breakfast and lunch are just as good. There is plenty of good food and it's so wholesome and filling that we're now looking rather smugly at our 'unhealthy' neighbours. We're drinking detox tea like there's no tomorrow and after a consultation with the nutritionist, Joyce, I'm ready to eat healthily for the rest of my life.

Today I have my hydrobath, followed by a detoxifying seaweed wrap. This treatment involves being covered in a seaweed mask and wrapped up for twenty minutes before a massage. Once again, my skin is left silky smooth and after some cardio salsa, aqua aerobics and a game of tennis, I feel like a whole new woman.

Of course, we didn't quite abandon our wine during our stay. Nor did we forget to eat the Smarties, the Aero, the pick-and-mix and the crisps. But nobody's perfect. And as we're leaving, we both agree we've never felt so refreshed or good within ourselves.

And with that virtuous thought in mind we drive into a coffee-shop in Enniskerry to have some scones with jam and cream.