Following an £8m refurbishment, Gisborough Hall Hotel has opened its own beauty salon. Women's Editor Christen Pears enjoys a morning of pampering.

LYING face down on a couch, the tension in my back being kneaded away and gentle music lulling me to sleep, the office is but a distant memory. No constantly ringing telephone or clattering keyboard. The Beauty Club at Gisborough Hall Hotel is an oasis of calm.

The Grade II listed building on the outskirts of Guisborough has just undergone an £8m refurbishment. Originally built as the family home of Baron Gisborough, it has been transformed into a 71 bedroom luxury hotel by Macdonald Hotels. The refurbishment included the creation of the Beauty Club, a purpose-built salon offering a wide range of treatments.

"We've only been open a few weeks so we're still finding our feet, finding out what people want, but the feedback has been really positive," says Emma Starworth, the hotel's human resources manager, who also oversees the Beauty Club.

There are two treatment rooms, both with showers, and a relaxation room. Dimmed lighting and soft music add to the atmosphere.

The salon is also open to non-residents, as well as guests. "One advantage we have is that we're open on Sundays, which is great for people who have hectic lifestyles during the week. Quite often in salons they squeeze you in on a Saturday and it's very rushed. This way, you have time to relax and make the most of your treatment," says Emma.

But it's not just women who can enjoy the treatments on offer; the Beauty Room hopes men will pop in for a massage, facial or pedicure.

"When we first opened, we offered treatments to the staff. Most of the men had never set foot in a beauty salon before but they absolutely loved it and some of them have booked up for another treatment," says Emma.

"We have already had a few guests in, mainly businessmen who want to relax after a stressful day, but we want men to realise that beauty salons aren't just for women."

I need no convincing. Beauty therapist Ria Halliday begins my treatment with a diagnostic back massage. My aching shoulders crunch under her fingers, and after a few minutes, I can feel the tension seeping out of me.

The massage is designed to show up any problems by revealing heated areas of the back, each one related to a particular organ. My lungs show up, possibly connected with the start of the hayfever season, but also my liver. I'm a little puzzled as I haven't engaged in any drinking binges recently but Ria suggests it could be due to dehydration.

I blame the air conditioning vent positioned over my desk, which also seems to suck the moisture out of my face. But the next part of the treatment deals with that - a Decleor facial.

My skin is cleansed, toned, exfoliated and massaged. Ria then applies an aromaplasty face mask - a thick Weetabix-like concoction that warms up on the skin. I lie with it covering my face for ten minutes, feeling like The Mummy while Ria explains what it does.

"Decleor is quite unusual because it uses aromatherapy. This works on the deep layers of the skin, while some other treatments just concentrate on the surface. The mask decongests, brightens, relaxes and revitalises the skin."

The session ends with a Jessica manicure, which makes even my short, weak nails look glamorous. My hands are exfoliated and moisturised before the base coat and colour are applied.

"Jessica products are designed to treat the nail at the same time so you can look after them the same time as having a manicure," explains Ria. "There is a huge range of products so there's something to treat every type of nail and problem."

I leave the salon feeling relaxed and refreshed, and when I get back to the office, several colleagues comment on my glowing complexion. I could get used to this...