An hour or two for a swim and steam; a half or full day for a spa packageHow long
Pay as you goEntry
Adults & familiesBest for
IndoorSetting
FreeParking
The leisure club at the White Horse Hotel — a 20-metre pool, sauna, steam room and outdoor hot tubs, with a proper Decléor day spa alongside it, a few minutes out of Derry.
What you'll enjoy: a 20m pool heated to 29°C with a separate children's play pool and a semi-circular bubble spa, a sauna, a steam room, a fully-kitted gym, two outdoor hot tubs (extra charge), and a day spa with two treatment rooms and a relaxation room with waterbeds.
Who it's for — the age policy: the pool takes children from age 14 during general hours, but there are set children's hours when younger swimmers are welcome — Mon–Thu 8am–7pm, Fri–Sun 9am–8pm. The gym is 16 and over. Bringing the kids for a swim? Go within children's hours.
Book ahead: the day spa runs on bookings, not walk-ins — treatments and spa-day packages are secured with a 50% deposit. The pool and gym are pay-as-you-go, but it's worth a quick call at busy times.
Cost: day passes are £8.50 pool-only, £8.50 gym-only, or £12 for both. Spa-day packages run from about £70 to £205 and fold in a treatment, use of the pool and thermal suite, and lunch.
Come ready: swimwear, a towel and flip-flops; the spa provides robes on package days. A padlock for the lockers is handy.
When: the leisure centre opens 7am–8pm Mon–Fri and 8am–8pm at weekends. Confirm hours and spa availability on the day.
Plan your visit
What you'll actually do here
Two things happen under one roof, and it helps to know which you're coming for. The leisure club is the everyday side — a 20-metre pool kept at a warm 29°C, a children's play pool off to one side, a semi-circular bubble spa built into the pool, and a sauna and steam room to sit and thaw out in. There's a well-equipped gym with cardio and weights, Power Plates and a class timetable, and two hot tubs out on the deck for anyone who wants the open-air soak (that one's an extra). You can drop in and pay for a day, or join as a member. The day spa is the treat side: two treatment rooms working with Decléor products, a menu that runs from a half-hour facial (from £30) up to hot-stone massages, body scrubs, spray tans and manicures, and a relaxation room with waterbeds where a spa day settles into sorbet and a slow afternoon. Honest steer from guests: the therapists get warm praise and the spa days land well, and while the odd swimmer has found the pool on the cool side, most families say the kids come out happily worn out and ready for their dinner.
20m pool at 29°C plus a children's play poolSauna, steam room and bubble spaTwo outdoor hot tubs (extra charge)Fully-equipped gym with classesDay spa with two Decléor treatment roomsRelaxation room with waterbeds on spa days
Before you set off:
Spa treatments and packages are booked ahead with a deposit and can fill up, and the pool has separate children's hours (above). A quick call to the hotel confirms availability, current prices and the day's timetable — the number's at the bottom.
Before you go
What to bring
🩱Swimwear & a towelThe essentials for the pool, sauna and steam room — plus flip-flops for poolside.
🔒A £1 or padlockHandy for the changing-room lockers so you can relax without watching your bag.
🧖Just yourself, on spa daysRobes and slippers come with the package — arrive a little early to settle in.
💳A cardFor the hot-tub add-on, a treatment or a bite in the bar afterwards.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Day passes: pool only (14+) £8.50, gym only (16+) £8.50, pool and gym together £12. Outdoor hot tubs are an extra charge. Spa-day packages run from about £70 (afternoon-tea pamper) to £205 (overnight escape), taking in a treatment, use of the pool and thermal suite, and lunch. Individual treatments start from around £30 for a 30-minute facial. Memberships available; members get 10% off food in the hotel and one free hot-tub session a week. Confirm current prices when you book.
Opening / hours
Leisure centre 7am–8pm Monday–Friday, 8am–8pm Saturday & Sunday. Children's hours (when under-14s can swim): Mon–Thu 8am–7pm, Fri–Sun 9am–8pm. Spa treatments are by appointment. Confirm on the day, as timetables can change.
Best for ages
Adults and families. The pool takes children within the set children's hours; outside those, and for the general pool, the minimum age is 14. The gym is 16 and over. Spa days suit adults and older teens.
What's here
A 20m pool (29°C) with a children's play pool and a semi-circular bubble spa, sauna, steam room, a fully-equipped gym with classes, two outdoor hot tubs, and a day spa with two treatment rooms (Decléor) and a relaxation room with waterbeds.
Booking
Pool and gym are pay-as-you-go. Spa treatments and packages are booked ahead and secured with a 50% deposit. Gift vouchers available (flexible monetary vouchers, redeemable later).
Food
Spa-day packages include lunch (and some add afternoon tea or bubbly). The hotel's restaurant and bar are open to leisure guests too; members get 10% off. Reviewers rate the food and the spa-day lunches well.
Toilets
Changing rooms with showers and lockers at the leisure centre; toilets throughout the hotel.
Parking
Free on-site car park at the hotel.
Accessibility
The leisure centre and spa are within the hotel complex. Access varies by area — call ahead to talk through the pool, changing rooms and treatment rooms if you have specific needs.
How long to allow
An hour or two for a swim, sauna and steam; a half day or full day for a spa package.
Address
68 Clooney Road, Campsie, Londonderry, BT47 3PA
Questions
Before you go
Can I just turn up for a swim, or do I have to book?
The pool and gym are pay-as-you-go — day passes are £8.50 for pool or gym, or £12 for both. The day spa is different: treatments and packages are booked ahead with a deposit. At busy times it's worth ringing first to check the pool isn't reserved for a class.
Can I bring the children swimming?
Yes, during children's hours — Mon–Thu 8am–7pm and Fri–Sun 9am–8pm. Outside those hours, and for the general pool, the minimum age is 14. There's a separate children's play pool alongside the main 20m pool. The gym is 16 and over.
Is it a proper spa or more of a beauty salon?
It's a genuine day spa within a hotel leisure club — two treatment rooms working with Decléor products, a relaxation room with waterbeds, and spa-day packages that pair a treatment with the pool, sauna, steam room and lunch. It's not a stand-alone destination resort spa, but the treatments and spa days get warm reviews.
What do the spa days cost and what's included?
Packages run from around £70 to £205 per person. They typically include a treatment (30 or 60 minutes), use of the pool and thermal suite, time in the relaxation room, and lunch — the higher tiers add extra treatments, bubbly or an overnight stay. Confirm the current menu when you book.
Are there gift vouchers?
Yes — flexible monetary gift vouchers you can redeem against treatments or a spa day later. Ask at reception or when you call.
Getting there
The White Horse Hotel is at 68 Clooney Road, Campsie, on the Derry side heading out towards the airport and the north coast, about five minutes from the city centre. There's a free car park on site. Tap below for directions, or call to book a treatment or check the day's pool timetable.
A family hotel with a pool people keep coming back to
The White Horse is a family-run hotel out at Campsie on the Clooney Road, the stretch that carries you from Derry towards City of Derry Airport and on to the north coast and Donegal. It's part of the Best Western Plus group, and for a lot of locals it's less "a hotel" than "the place with the pool" — the leisure club has quietly become part of the weekly routine for members and families around the city.
The leisure centre grew up alongside the hotel: the 20-metre pool with its children's play pool and bubble spa, the sauna and steam room, a gym that has kept pace with kit and classes, and the outdoor hot tubs added out on the deck. The day spa is the newer, calmer wing of it — two treatment rooms, the Decléor product line, and a relaxation room where a spa day slows right down. Over the years the beauty side has picked up a good name in the north west for its therapists, which is usually the part guests mention first.
What it isn't is a sprawling destination spa resort, and it doesn't pretend to be. It's an honest, well-used leisure club with a proper little spa attached — the kind of place you go for a swim before dinner, a morning in the gym, or a birthday spa day with friends, and leave feeling looked after. If you're in Derry with an afternoon to fill well, it's an easy, warm one to spend.