The best spas in London
An indulgent London spa day can be just what you need to rest and recuperate, and even the busy, thriving capital city has pockets of calm. Whether you're looking for a particular treatment or just a simple day of indulgence, we've selected the very best spas in London.
Ned’s Club Spa at The Ned, City of London
Best spa in London for: the full works
The Ned wears the crown as London’s smartest and coolest members’ club – and there’s nowhere else in the city quite like it. So, it makes sense then that its spa is thrillingly different too – and best of all, you don't have to be a member to visit. To get there, you’ll need to stride across the building’s gargantuan 32,000 square-foot lobby, with its Corinthian columns, swing band and enough restaurants to resemble a food court, and descend deep into the belly of the building. But instead of being greeted by whitewashed corridors and whale music, you’ll arrive to fridges stocked with cans of cold brew oat milk lattes and CBD-infused soft drinks, bright crushed velvet sofas popping against hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, and retro TVs showing reruns of Sex and the City. In short, it’s a masterclass in cool – and a whole lot more fun than your average oh-so-serious London hotel spa.
You could spend a whole day here being primped and preened, flitting between nail and waxing appointments, or settling in for a cut and colour at Ned’s Parlour. But there’s also a list of serious treatments: osteopathy for aches and pains, lymphatic massage to drain toxins, LED light therapy to treat acne and rosacea, and cryotherapy facials to reverse ageing. If you just want to be sent comatose, a top-to-toe Akwaterra massage uses heated sandstone pods to glide up and down the body and get deep into the muscles. But for a turbo-charged facial with results for days, book the De Mamiel Urban Warrior. It’s a treatment of two halves: one part eye-wateringly powerful facial massage, one part deliciously intense relaxation that’ll leave you stepping off your heated water bed in an utterly dazed and trance-like state. Once countless creams, scrubs and masks have been zig-zagged in and pressed into place, your neck, back and shoulders are given a good pummelling while the products get to work – and it’s all capped off with a spine-tingling scalp massage (tip: come with dirty hair). You’ll emerge looking sculpted, smooth and feeling as though you’ve just had the most thorough facial of your life.
Treatment to book
The De Mamiel Urban Warrior facial, £230 for 90 minutes.
Insider tip
If you’re not a member (or a guest staying at the hotel), you’ll need to spend over £400 on treatments to gain access to the full spa. If that's in your budget, it’s well worth the investment for the privilege of swimming laps in the colonnaded pool, chilling out in Europe’s biggest Hammam and then flopping in the mahogany-clad Club Room with a cocktail. And don’t rush off straight afterwards – instead, book into one of the six restaurants upstairs for a bit of indulgence after your detox.
Address: The Ned, 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
Telephone: +44 203 828 2000
Website: thened.com
Aire Ancient Baths, Covent Garden
Best spa in London for: a totally unique and social experience
It’s rare for something at once so seemingly historic and so fresh to open up right at the heart of London, a city renowned – like its people – for having seen and tried everything at least once in its long and fabled lifetime. But candlelit, sultry baths inspired by Greco-Roman spa traditions, located in the basement of a 17th-century building (incidentally the former home of Peter Pan creator JM Barrie) just off The Strand is new even for this old dame. With outposts everywhere from New York and Chicago to Barcelona and Copenhagen, Aire turned on the taps in London in 2021.
At this first British destination there are five baths, each the size of a small pool, to wander between in a robe at your leisure: the warm, 36ºC Tepidarium, the huge bubbling Balneum, the Vaporium (a steam room with aromatherapy), the Red Sea-esque saltwater bath known as the Flotarium, and the not-so-appealing Frigidarium (a cold bath of 14ºC and ice bath of 10ºC). There is also the pièce de résistance: a heart-shaped tub filled with alcohol-free Spanish Ribero del Duero red known as the ‘wine bath’ – ideal to wallow in post-massage. Look past any ‘faux distressed’ details and the fact it isn’t truly, truly ‘old’ in the typical London sense – Aire Ancient Baths offers a wonderfully fun and relaxing new experience in the capital, for both locals and tourists.
Treatment to book
The Relaxing Massage 30 package includes as many dips as you can handle and, as the name suggests, a 30-minute almond oil, just-firm-enough massage in a separate low-lit room upstairs (reached via a low-lit lift), followed by herbal tea sipped while reclining on warm marble stone. It will leave you feeling as fresh and sleepy as a baby after bathtime. Don’t plan to go raving afterwards. £170 for 120 minutes.
Insider tip
Book a late-afternoon or evening visit and head into one of the many Covent Garden restaurants nearby offering a pre-theatre menu beforehand, for excellent food at a fraction of the regular price. Becky Lucas
Address: Aire Ancient Baths, 2-3 Robert St, Covent Garden, London WC2N 6BH
Telephone: +44 20 80 77 5356
Website: beaire.com
Durston SaylorSense Spa at Rosewood, Holborn
Best spa in London for: solo me-time
In the context of its utterly celestial Belle Époque London home, there’s something a little surprising about this pocket-sized London spa. Rosewood is one of the city’s grande dames: a huge country house pile tucked behind wrought iron gates and a peaceful cobbled courtyard, just a stone’s throw from the thronging West End. In a hotel like this one, you’d expect the spa to be cavernous, unfurling in a maze of swimming pools, salt chambers and ice rooms. The very fact that it isn’t is exactly what makes it so special. It’s as simple as just a clutch of candlelit treatment rooms anchored around a central gold-leaf-clad relaxation room – and it’s the perfect spot to steal away time on your own.
Treatments and products are deeply rooted in a sense of place – British lavender is used in oils worked deep into the body; facials incorporate skincare from plant-powered British-born brand Votary, and body rituals include muscle-relaxing Epsom salts direct from the Surrey spa town. But it’s the massages that really stand out here: thorough, all-encompassing and packing a proper punch. Therapists are brilliantly confident, intuitively knowing what you need to decompress but unafraid to push you to the edge of your pain threshold to get the results. If winter has played havoc with your skin, unique seasonal treatments begin with a back scrub to slough off dry skin and finish with a thorough facial cleanse and exfoliation to leave you ruddy-cheeked and glowing. Afterwards, there’s a small sauna and steam room to retreat to, but all you’ll feel like doing is holing up and hiding away in the relaxation room, sipping little cups of rooibos tea and wondering how you’ll find the energy to get on the tube home.
Treatment to book
Any of the massages might incorporate hot stones, body brushing, deep tissue massage guns and CBD oil – or rely on the brilliance of your therapist’s hands. From £145 for 45 minutes.
Insider tip
Ask for therapist Denise. She won’t rest until she’s tracked down and unlocked every last knot in your weary body, and although you might feel a little sore the next day, she somehow manages to lull you into a deep state of relaxation while doing so. And if you’re staying at the hotel, book any treatments well in advance – the spa’s diminutive size means slots get snapped up quickly.
Address: Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EN
Telephone: +44 207 781 8888
Website: rosewoodhotels.com
Claridge’s Spa, Mayfair
Best spa in London for: a sprinkling of stardust
Amongst a flurry of new arrivals on the London hospitality scene last year, Claridge’s was the name on everyone’s lips. This grande dame may have been an enduring London icon for the past 211 years, but with no spa – and hotels seemingly locked in an ongoing arms race to build bigger and better facilities – there was still one tiny piece of the puzzle missing. Until now, that is. Last September, after seven years of subterranean digging, Claridge’s Spa finally flung open its doors. Inside, the Andre Fu-designed, Japanese temple-like space delivers a serious smack of zen, with its oak-panelled corridors, Damien Hirst cherry blossom artwork and the deeply soothing soundtrack of trickling water following you to the dreamy pool, which is flanked by a clutch of muslin-shrouded private cabanas to come round in after a treatment.
And just as Claridge’s is known for its roll call of illustrious guests, the spa has brought in its roster of A-list therapists, too. There’s manicurist-to-the-stars Harriet Westmoreland, who pops in to deliver her Insta-famous French manicures; acupuncturist Ross J. Barr (a favourite of the Duchess of Sussex), on hand for fertility advice, and cuts and colours by Josh Wood, who works from a deliciously discreet, two-chair salon. Treatments based around skin wizard Augustinus Bader’s The Method are available to book for the first time in a London spa. Intense facial sculpting comes from FaceGym (founder Inge Theron was instrumental in the spa’s design). But if you only book for one treatment, it must be the Signature Bamboo & Silk. Using a trilogy of different massage techniques – hot rice poultices to relax the body, warm bamboo sticks to get deep into the muscles and your therapist’s deeply powerful knuckles and forearms to unpick knots – it’s one of the most all-encompassing, unbelievably spoiling 90 minutes we’ve ever experienced. It’s all capped off with a mini-facial using pure-spun silk gloves to exfoliate and work products into the skin (this is Claridge’s, after all). But it’s the perfectly-pitched attention to detail that sets Claridge’s apart from the rest: the little wooden boxes of cotton pants in lieu of the paper parachute versions, the phone chargers in the lockers, the beautifully chic peach kimonos that double up as robes, and the private wet rooms attached to each cossetting treatment room. Just like the hotel itself, it’s obvious that this spa stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Treatment to book
Bamboo & Silk Ritual, £295 for 90 minutes.
Insider tip
FaceGym’s 30-minute Signature Sculpt can be added to any treatment of 60 minutes or more – and don’t pass up on the opportunity to do so. It’s a somewhat unrelaxing finale (the whipping, flicking and EMS sculpting verges on uncomfortable). Still, the results are instant – and if it’s your first time trying the revolutionary facial workout, you’ll leave as a total convert.
Address: Claridge’s, Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR
Telephone: +44 207 409 6565
Website: claridges.co.uk
Tommy PiconeThe Spa at the Bulgari Hotel London, Knightsbridge
Best spa in London for: snapping up a slot with an a-lister’s favourite
There’s no disguising this spa’s grand jewellery house heritage; not only is it one of the biggest and best in the city, it’s also one of the blingiest. Five floors below the silvery lobby of the Bulgari Hotel – just steps from Knightsbridge – it’s a maze of dark-wood treatment rooms, saunas, swirly onyx-marble steam rooms, ice fountains and a vitality pool that glints with gold-leaf mosaic. And at its heart lies the greeny-gold colonnaded pool, flanked by muslin-draped cabanas with buttons to press when you fancy a gut-friendly antioxidant shake. You could while away an entire day loafing and grazing and swimming gentle laps, but if all that sounds a bit soporific then there’s an ultra-contemporary, ultra-discreet Workshop gym on site, where founder Lee Mullins sculpts the silhouettes of actors and supermodels.
Do book in for a treatment too; the list includes straight-up pampering, Ayurvedic healing, science-backed treatments from skincare greats 111SKIN or Augustinus Bader, and the holistic, incorporating sleep rituals with breathing exercises and herbal compresses. But the most compelling to visit right now is Adeela Crown, the highly sought-after facialist to the stars. She’s just taken up residency at the Bulgari between stints as the on-set facialist at Pinewood Studios and helping with Oscars prep in LA – and, honed through years of studying cosmetic chemistry, Crown’s treatments go way beyond the typical facial. There’s no gentle stroking or endless application of indistinguishable creams and masks: instead, up to eight different forms of whizzy skin technology are put to work. There might be skin vacuuming to loosen clogged pores, a slick of plant-based enzyme to gobble up all the grime, a bout of radiofrequency to stimulate collagen and a spell under the LED light to reduce inflammation. Then it’s time for Crown’s signature Skin Dance – her powerful sculpting massage that starts at the tip of your skull and extends right down to your collarbone – and a cocktail of potent serums to lock in the benefits. No two facials are the same, but one constant is her cheery disposition and encyclopedia-like knowledge of skincare – and you’ll leave promising to overhaul your regime for ever.
Treatment to book
If you can somehow wrangle your way off the waitlist, don’t miss Adeela Crown while she’s in residency for select dates in June, September and November 2023. Adeela Crown Crowning Glory Facial, from £635 for 90 minutes.
Insider tip
Make sure you book a treatment that lasts at least two hours in order to get access to all the facilities, including the pool.
Address: Bulgari Hotel London, 171 Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DW
Website: bulgarihotels.com
Telephone: +44 20 7151 1055
The Berkeley Health Club & Spa, Knightsbridge
Best spa in London for: a spring awakening
The rooftop infinity pool is one of the first thing that draws most wellness-seekers to the Berkeley, one of London’s loveliest and biggest-hitting hotels. It’s a humdinger of a spot, and in the summer – when the Italian gardens are in full bloom, and Mary Poppins-views look out over the London rooftops – there are few better places for a staycation. But a couple of floors below, there’s a cosy, birch-clad spa that anyone can book into. All white clapperboard and pale wood, it’s the perfect hideout for rebooting all year round. Dappled light peeks through soft muslin curtains, shelves are lined with springs of lavender in tiny vases, hooks for fluffy white robes have been fashioned out of tree branches and treatment rooms have names like Willow and Beehive. Bamford is the lead brand here, and there’s absolutely no disguising the spa’s country-chic Cotswolds roots.
And when a spa is so clearly known for a brand (alongside body treatments by Bamford, there are also facials using skincare from Oskia), how does a newcomer muscle in? Through a regularly-changing roster of pop-ups, of course. Celebrity facialist Lisa Franklin was in residence over the summer; now, the latest brand to land is OTO, a bang-on-trend, pioneer of CBD-infused spa treatments. During an OTO-designed massage, the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oil help soothe sore muscles, while its mood-boosting qualities melt tension away like butter on a hot summer’s day. A bamboo roller is used to help therapists knead even deeper into muscles and give limbs a proper stretch – which certainly beats your usual cool down in the gym. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself being gently nudged awake at the end – CBD is also a key ingredient for promoting sleep, and you’ll flout cloud-like into the Berkeley-beautiful marble bathrooms, which are all part of the spoiling process. But do make sure you stay conscious enough to browse the little wellness shop on the way out – all of the products used in the treatments are available to buy, so you can pick up your own bottle and continue the relaxation long after you get home.
Treatment to book
OTO CBD Balance Deep Relaxation Massage - £160 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
You need to be a guest at the hotel in order to access the rooftop pool, so make a night of it and book into one of the Berkeley’s calm muted bedrooms. You can then slide straight into bed after your treatment – and save yourself the embarrassment of tiptoeing through the glamorous lobby with a make-up free face and oil-slicked skin.
Address: The Berkeley, Wilton Place, London SW1X 7RL
Telephone: +44 20 7201 1699
Website: the-berkeley.co.uk
The Lanesborough Club & SpaThe Lanesborough Club & Spa, Hyde Park Corner
Best spa in London for: stealing away for some subterranean pampering
The grey-suited doorman at the Lanesborough is a pro at spotting the weary and city-worn when they walk into the hotel’s columned lobby. He winks a wink and instantly offers to take you to the spa himself. And it’s just as well, because it’s hidden away down corridors and around corners – but that just makes it feel all the more special. Well, that and the plush interiors: silk wallpapers; marble floors and reception desk; dark wood panelling; brass-trimmed mirrors. The sense of indulgent downtime starts in the powder-puff changing rooms, before you head, fully fluffy-robed, into the low-lit lounge for a cup of signature Lanesborough green tea.
There’s a long list of treatments: deep tissue massage using an Ayurvedic method of gently pounding potali pouches along your spine; microneedling to tighten, lift and firm the face, and even a 24-carat gold HydraFacial (the anti-oxidant properties of the precious metal work wonders on inflammation). You can also book in for a manicure or pedicure, where Tata Harper masks are slathered over hands and feet to leave them looking years younger (the skincare expert’s eponymous products are loved by the fashion set). But the most exciting new arrival here is Royal Fern, a revolutionary plant-based skincare line created by dermatologist Dr Timm Goluke. Fern extracts have been used as a natural remedy for centuries (the plants are known for their moisture-retaining properties and extreme resistance to UV rays), and the Signature Royal Fern facial is designed to make the most of these healing qualities. There’s a round of powerful facial massage to help your jaw unclench, before beautifully-scented Royal Fern masks, serums and creams are worked in using microcurrent gloves (a little twitchy at first, but not at all uncomfortable) and EMS around the eyes. The soothing and sculpting effects are instant – and may even uncover cheekbones you never thought you had.
Treatment to book
The Signature Royal Fern treatment. Book the 90-minute version and you’ll get a neck, shoulder and scalp massage thrown in too. From £180 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
This is the sort of spa you’ll want to linger a while in, so make sure you don’t need to rush off straight after your treatment. The spa’s bubbly, bath-warm hydro-pool is a welcoming cocoon from the outside world, and there’s a team of friendly Spa Butlers on hand to bring pots of steaming herbal tea straight to your lounger. By Grainne McBride
Address: The Lanesborough, 2 Lanesborough Place, London SW1X 7TA
Telephone: +44 20 7333 7064
Website: lanesboroughclubandspa.com
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge
Best spa in London for: holistic treatments rooted in chinese medicine
Lording it up at the top of Sloane Street, the MO Hyde Park is a bastion of Knightsbridge glamour, home to two extremely good restaurants, two Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and The Aubrey, and boasting some of the best bedroom views in London, looking out over the park where the Household Cavalry take the horses out for a hack in the early mornings. But there also happens to be terrific spa spread across two floors of the hotel – and it’s equally holistic as it is spoiling. As soon as you arrive, your shoes are whisked away, and along with a tiny cup of steaming white apricot tea, you’re handed a questionnaire. How do you feel today? Do you often feel irritable? Do you crave objects and recognition? Do you have vivid dreams? It may feel a little intrusive, but it’s all designed to help your therapist uncover your elemental balance: wood, earth, water, fire or metal – with treatments here deeply rooted in Chinese medicine in a nod to the Mandarin Oriental brand’s Eastern heritage.
Every treatment begins with a welcome foot ritual, with feet gently cleansed and massaged in a bowl of warm water filled with amethyst crystals. Signature massage treatments focus on resetting your yin and yang, and after totting up the answers to your questionnaire and choosing your oil, a full-body massage (which includes the stomach, to help balance the digestive system) begins, honing in on pressure points everywhere from your fingers to your toes (think of it as acupuncture without the needles). Then it’s off to the relaxation room, where you can tuck yourself under a weighted duvet and zen out with the colouring book thoughtfully left beside each bed. The books are packed full of advice on how to practice mindfulness and switch off – and you may find yourself lingering far longer than planned. Which is no bad thing, as there’s also a great swimming pool, a suite of steam rooms and saunas, a Rasul chamber, a Bastien Gonzalaez Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio and a heavy-weight gym – plus a range of in-house wellness experts to book in with, running the gamut from reiki healers to osteopaths.
Treatment to book
If you’re never experienced a four-hand massage, this is the perfect spot to try one out. The spa’s signature treatment, Oriental Harmony, involves two therapists working in perfect unison – and will leave your entire body feeling like jelly. From £480 for two hours.
Insider tip
If you’re unsure what you want, book a length of time rather than a specific treatment. It’s the most holistic way to get exactly what you need out of a spa trip, and after a thorough consultation, your therapist might diagnose a stress-relieving massage, a skin-healing Biologique Recherche facial, or a revitalising top-to-toe body scrub.
Address: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Telephone: +44 207 838 9888
Website: mandarinoriental.com
Spa de La Mer, Harrods, Knightsbridge
Best spa in London for: pre-night-out prep
Cult skincare La Mer has been at the top of almost everyone’s beauty wish list for years. Its rich, intense, restorative creams, serums and lotions, both deeply expensive and deeply covetable, are now intrinsically synonymous with the notion of anti-ageing. A few years ago, the company opened its first spa treatment room, in Harrods. The space is a calm oasis of white corridors, muted taupe and dusty-pink hues on the lower ground floor of the store, well away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist chatter above. Here they offer mainly facials, many of which are exclusive treatments, all of which cleanse, energise and hydrate.
Treatment to book
Any of the facials, depending on what your skin needs. The famed Miracle Broth is at the heart of all Crème de la Mer creations: a fermented mix of sustainably harvested giant sea kelp, vitamins and minerals that has a kind of supernatural rejuvenating effect on skin. This powerhouse concoction is only available in its concentrated form in the spa, making the results of the treatment all the more potent. In the signature facial, it isn't just a case of layering the infusion on. After a light exfoliation, lotion is used to hydrate and prepare the face, various massage techniques follow to warm up the skin (to get the best from the Miracle Broth). Then, once it is applied, a hydrating mask is layered on top to protect while the broth is sealed-in using ice cubes stroked over the area. The treatment finishes with eye cream. Sure, the lighting in the room is advantageous, but afterwards the results do look pretty exceptional. Tired skin definitely appears more glowing, wrinkles are smoother and it feels completely acceptable to leave without any make-up on. £250 for 90 minutes.
Insider tip
Unlike most facials, where you want to slope your shiny rosy face straight home, this is one to book before a night out. Skin really looks so bright and revived that it would be a shame not to show it off. By Paula Maynard
Address: Spa de La Mer at Harrods Knightsbridge, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL
Telephone: +44 20 7893 8892
Website: cremedelamer.co.uk.jpg)
Andrew Beasley PhotographyThe Retreat at The Londoner, Leicester Square
Best spa in London for: precious peace under buzzing soho
No one would know that hidden in the subterranean levels under one of London’s busiest spots lies The Londoner’s Retreat spa, a calm haven to totally unwind in. Escape Leicester Square’s frantic energy and crowds and head down into the Retreat’s wellness centre to fully immerse yourself in the state-of-the-art spa.
Robe up to roam around or sprawl out across one of the cabanas circling the pool and alternate between the sauna and steam room to improve your blood circulation, clear your airways and skin, and increase that sense of relaxation. Dip in and out of the blue-water pool and bubbling hydro-pool or simply doze off to the therapeutic music from your own plumped-up sofa bed.
It’s best to book into one of the treatment rooms for a facial by Omorovicza, the Hungarian luxury skincare brand with a ‘zero-nasties’ policy or a massage using Ila’s all-natural and organic handmade oils and balms. Choose from detoxifying, exfoliating and brightening facials and a selection of massages including invigorating, deep-tissue and CBD-focused.
Staff manage a perfect balance between leaving you be while also frequently making sure you have your ice-cold water glass topped up and that you’re kitted out with towels, slippers and other poolside drinks.
Treatment to book
The Harmony massage covers the whole body – from your head to your toes, this treatment soothes out and harmonises any physical and mental tensions. Disconnect from your daily stresses as oils are massaged all over you and be transported to your own personal sanctuary via scents of rosehip seed, sea buckthorn, rose geranium and lavender. Leave feeling like jelly and guaranteed to sleep phenomenally. From £110 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
Pull up a stool at the Refuel Bar post-treatment for a fresh, mineral-rich smoothie or beauty juice, each created with scientifically analysed supplements by alchemists and the Refuel’s research team to improve the functions of your body and mind. Pair with a nourishing wrap or salad bursting with superfoods such as avocado, kimchi, curly kale and omega for a wholesome lunch packed full of flavour and goodness. By Cordelia Aspinall
Address: The Londoner, 38 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7DX
Telephone: +44 20 7451 0101
Website: thelondoner.com/the-retreatNow read our full review of The Londoner hotel
Agua Spa at Sea Containers London, South Bank
Best spa in London for: riverside unwinding
The Tom Dixon-designed Thames-side hotel has transformed this part of the South Bank. The designer’s first complete hotel comes with portholes and a curved copper hull as well as a little bit of disco-ball shimmy in the air. His aesthetic flows down to the subterranean spa, where a huge copper droplet appears to drip through the ceiling from in the relaxation lounge. There are backlit ceramic walls and an all-enveloping sci-fi whiteness that’s a little bit 2001 A Space Odyssey, a little bit Auroville, India’s utopian meditation commune. And while restaurants have long been dabbling with foraging and seasonal ingredients, the spa scene has taken longer to catch up, but Agua London might just be the first with a seasonal treatment menu designed to use the best of British hedgerows. The team has added house-made herbal salves, butters and blended oils to the signature treatment menu, drawing inspiration from the country's indigenous flora. Each product has been created using local, botanical ingredients that can also be nurtured in urban communities and city environments including London’s South Bank.
Treatment to book
Agua Advanced Body Work is the spa’s signature massage, which is actually aimed at treating sports injuries and chronic pain. Therapists will use pressure to loosen pain points you weren’t even aware were a possible future problem. The aromatic treatment uses a warming and salve of comfrey, St John’s Wort, peppermint and rosemary and also includes a deeply relaxing head, hand and feet massage. From £115 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
Agua has built a reputation as a destination spa for carefully focused cancer and post-surgery treatments, as well as pregnancy massages – the Bust Blossom, for instance, uses marigold, rosehip and lemon balm remedies to release tension in the spine and shoulder girdle. By Tabitha Joyce
Address: Agua London at Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PD
Telephone: +44 20 3747 1010
Website: seacontainerslondon.com
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
Best spa in London for: penthouse views
The first thing you notice when you enter the lift in the Four Seasons Park Lane lobby is that you go up not down. Unlike the majority of London’s hotel spas, which are relegated to the basement, this one takes prime position on the top floor with widescreen views across West London and Hyde Park. The reception is bathed in natural light – take in the panorama over a welcome cup of green tea or coconut water, or while getting a manicure in the nail lounge. There is a vitality pool with jacuzzi features, steam room and sauna to dip into before heading through to one of nine treatment rooms, and connecting the two areas is a peaceful, dimly lit waiting area with wall sculptures and – perhaps most importantly – great snacks.
Treatment to book
The spa has partnered with two leading names in beauty and wellness as part of its menu, one of which is cult favourite The Organic Pharmacy – which is as selective with its partnerships as its ingredients so this is one of the few places to try its treatments. The other is premium skincare brand Linda Meredith (if you’ve ever wanted skin like Gwyneth Paltrow, this is the go-to). Her signature Oxygen Facial includes unique serums with vitamin A, hyaluronic acid and botanical algae, all with smoothing and healing properties. The treatment begins with a cleanse and hydrating gel, followed by the glycolic peel – a very quick application that stings a little at first to remove the top layer of dead cells, which then allows the complexion to absorb the vitamin-enriched V-Tox serum. This is worked into the skin using pressurised oxygen to energise and plump the skin. To finish, the therapist applies SPF and eye cream. I was told not to expect any immediate visible improvements after the first treatment, but my skin looked noticeably firmer and smoother. From £210 for 75 minutes.
Insider tip
Don’t feel like you have to rush out afterwards – you can rest and sip a cup of chai or listen to music in your own little relaxation pod complete with duvet to delay facing the bustle of London outside. By Charlotte Davey
Address: Four Seasons Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1J 7DR
Telephone: +44 20 7499 0888
Website: fourseasons.com/london
Akasha at Hotel Café Royal, Piccadilly
Best spa in London for: back problems
Hidden below the bustle of Piccadilly Circus lies a surprisingly large and completely calm urban retreat. There’s a gym, nine treatment rooms and a vast hammam as well as a Jacuzzi and sauna. But the biggest draw has to be the slender 18m pool that’s flanked by squashy day beds jutting out of semi-private alcoves in pairs. You are immediately a world away from the hustle and grime of the streets above.
There are all sorts of treatments on offer, including facials and massages you’ll struggle not to fall asleep in – an Aromatherapy Associates facial resulted in a string of compliments that lasted days, while medical-grade facials by luxe Swiss brand Valmont promise to help fix niggling skin issues. A new Harmonious Hydro-Massage treatment involves lying on a bed while being blasted with water (far more relaxing than it sounds) before a very lavish four-hand massage administered by two therapists working in sync. But the more unusual offerings include water treatments in the Watsu pool and an energy healing treatment called ‘bone setting’ which is run by tai chi master Andy Mack and his son Duran. The aim: to resolve tension by creating waves to clear the blockage in the body through energetic (and physical manipulation). If you’ve got back problems, this is probably the London spa for you.
Treatment to book
Bone Setting. There’s no pretending that the treatment is relaxing – soon after entering there’s one grown man on top of you with an elbow in your tightest knot and another at your feet. Legs are yanked in order to create said energy waves, and what is quickly clear is that the father-son duo can read your body – straight away finding the pressure points you didn’t necessarily know you had. And it’s quick – at just 20 minutes, it’s easy enough to fit into a lunchbreak. But book well in advance – the pair are in high demand. From £110 for 20 minutes.
Insider tip
Book a 90-minute treatment and gain access to the rest of the spa for the whole day. By Tabitha Joyce
Address: Akasha Holistic Wellbeing, Hotel Café Royal, 50 Regent Street, Piccadilly, London W1B 5AS
Telephone: +44 20 7406 3360
Website: hotelcaferoyal.com
Lanserhof at the Arts Club, Mayfair
Best spa in London for: all-round wellness with a focus on fitness
This is the first medi-gym in the world, with six floors dedicated to health and fitness in the glamorous, light-flooded building on Mayfair’s Dover Street, where guests can book in to see a medical doctor or a range of experts including an osteopath, physiotherapist or nutritionist.
As with the Lanserhof Group’s other medi-spas, it’s rooted in naturopathy, using hi-tech diagnostic equipment to analyse the body’s strengths and weaknesses. A full-body MRI scan is just the start of the process, and produces a gratifyingly detailed report forming the basis of the programme. Along with the cutting-edge Musculoskeletal and Movement Laboratories, Lanserhof offers pain-relieving shockwave therapy, a state-of-the-art gym with complimentary exercise classes, massage, cryotherapy, acupuncture and vitamin infusions. You’ll emerge feeling fresh and fit – if slightly dazed. Plus you’ll be protected from any future back problems caused by hefty sports bags, as there’s even a butler service to wash and store your gym kit. Be warned: Lanserhof is members-only and wincingly expensive with a price tag of £6,500 a year, a £1,500 joining fee and £1,000 for the butler service.
Treatment to book
Test out the virtual-reality Icaros machine: strap on the headset, lean forwards onto the machine and set off on a simulated flight through mountains and valleys while trying to shoot things – finally, an entertaining core workout (three words we never thought we’d combine).
Insider tip
Don’t be daunted. It’s a much friendlier place than you’d expect, thanks to the kindness and enthusiasm of chilled veteran general manager Sheila McCann. By Adriaane Pielou
Address: Lanserhof at the Arts Club, 17-18 Dover Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4LT
Telephone: +44 20 3967 6969
Website: lhtac.com
Ilapothecary, Notting Hill
Best spa in London for: a totally tailored, deeply cosseting reset
A healing, herbal-smelling holistic hideaway tucked between the antiques shops and art galleries of Kensington Church Street, this is the London outpost of Ila founder Denise Leicester’s second line, Ilapothecary. The tenets of the brand don’t stray too far from her organic Ila Spa, but things here are more earthy and rooted, less floral and perfumed. The set-up is, as you would hope, like the most delicious old-world apothecary, with tall wooden cabinets and drawers of curiosities.
Just up the stairs is a calming space for talks, workshops and sound-bowl therapy, and at the back is a treatment room in which to utterly switch off from the outside world. The music playing, at 432 hertz, with Denise’s haunting vocals, is hypnotic, and the therapists are trained to deliver exquisite treatments that are utterly bespoke (unlike many other places). After you’ve answered an in-depth 50-point questionnaire on not just your physical wellbeing but your emotional status and even your spiritual leanings, a diagnosis is drawn up based on imbalances, pinpointing hormone levels, fatigue and energy blockages.
You can then divine the route of your treatment – liver or kidney compresses, perhaps, a grounding reflexology session, deep hydrating facial or tension-busting back massage. Or indeed a mix of all of the above. This is no one-size-fits-all stop-off, but a totally tailored, individual approach to regaining balance for the long term. Very special.
Treatment to book
Start with the 432 Re-Balancing Reflexology or the Beat The Blues Back Massage (both £65 for 45 minutes), but also be open to the therapist’s suggestion for what would be most beneficial – a warmed castor-oil pack with liquorice and juniper extract and an abdominal massage may give better results than the facial you thought you needed.
Insider tip
Don’t make plans for afterwards. Facials start at your collarbone and go right up into the hairline, so you leave deliciously oily but completely unpresentable – best to head straight home. By Issy von Simson
Address: Ilapothecary, 99 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN
Telephone: +44 7342 168395
Website: ilapothecary.com
The Away Spa at the W Hotel, Leicester Square
Best spa in London for: a very special hammam
The Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square is housed in a building dating from 1922 and has the oldest, wisest, Beaux-Arts head on its shiny, refurbished shoulders. Walking into the circular lobby, over the marble floors and velvety red carpets, all centred around the grandest grand piano, you get the sense you may have stumbled onto a Bond film mid-take, or at least the latest season of McMafia. But take the lift down a floor to the even more recently redone spa and you’ll realise you’ve actually fallen straight into Aladdin’s lamp, so glittering and swirly are the walls, so curvy and sleek the lines of the pillars. Even the pool walls have reeds made up of teeny, tiny golden tiles, shooting and swaying up from the water jets.
And yet you haven’t even reached the beating heart: the Turkish hammam. Little pink beams, like upside-down tea-lights, gently shine down on you from a ceiling of mother-of-pearl as you lie back on a warm slab of marble in nothing but your disposable pants and, more unusually but more comfortably, bandeau top. Rather than sitting, as might be more traditional, between the legs of your Turkish masseuse, at the Four Seasons you are treated (in the best sense possible) like a pizza base being kneaded on a table-top, with your therapist – male or female, according to your preference – manoeuvring themselves around you, making for a wholly less invasive and more relaxed experience. As well as special salts, sniffed and approved by you at each step, water is whooshed over you throughout, culminating in a surprisingly lovely blast of cold – though only if you agree to it.
Treatment to book
The Traditional Hammam Ritual, which includes a deep facial cleanse and hair treatment at the end, leaving your locks as silky-smooth as your skin. £200 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
After your treatment, book in for a blow-dry and style in Gielly Green, the hotel salon. If your hair is in need of a little attention, they’ll pack you off with plenty of sample products to go. By Becky Lucas
Address: Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
Telephone: +44 20 3297 9200
Website: fourseasons.com
Chuan Spa at The Langham, London, Marylebone
Best spa in London for: a complete mind and body rebalance
Round corners, along corridors and down lifts, the Chuan spa is squirreled away in a quiet corner of the gorgeously grand Langham. The hotel might be better known for its clever craft cocktails – its Artesian Bar is regularly crowned the world’s best – but it is its unique mix of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western results-driven facials that draws serenity-seekers here. Visits begin with a questionnaire to determine your elemental balance: fire, earth, metal or water. What time of day and what season do you prefer? What foods do you crave? What body aches and grumbles do you have? Totted and tallied, you’re first prescribed a mind-stilling breathing exercise: for Earth, visualising the colour yellow and resting your right hand over your spleen while practising a deep exhaling chant. Then work begins on your chi. A full-body Chuan Harmony massage releases tension through firmly working acupressure points, awaking and lightening limbs, all designed to balance energy flow through the body. Or there’s stone therapy with hot (yin) and cold (yang) rocks, algae wraps and jade facials, all channelling ancient Eastern traditions. This is complemented with some decidedly 21st-century skincare: tightening, firming and contorting using tech-enhanced products from Zelens (a brand founded by a plastic surgeon and one of the world’s most eminent anti-aging experts), and radiance-boosting facials from Swiss brand Jacqueline Piotaz, which packs its products with natural ingredients found in the Alps.
Treatment to book
The Chuan Ritual, consisting of two and a half hours of deeply resetting, mix-and-match, top-to-toe treatments tailored to your elemental balance. £310 for 2 hours 30 mins.
Insider tip
Make time for a dip in the usually-deserted 16m pool before your treatment – it’s housed in this former bank’s vault, so sealed in silence. It’s more relaxing than the spa’s lounge, which is sound-tracked by the whoosh of the treadmill from the (well-stocked) gym through the big picture window next door. By Fiona Kerr
Address: The Langham, London, 2 Cavendish Place, London W1B 3DE
Website: langhamhotels.com
Telephone: +44 20 7973 7550
Ushvani, Chelsea
Best spa in London for: a full day decompression
Just off Sloane Street, the handsome Grade II-listed Edwardian mansion-house that Ushvani sits inside calls to mind the sort of place Lucy Honeychurch, heroine of A Room With A View, might stay on a visit to London, tripping out for iced coffee and meringues with cousin Charlotte. The spa's walls and staircases are clad in the original Arts and Crafts carved panels, and the rich colour and history of the wood immediately casts a spell on the visitor – there is the immense quiet and dignity here almost of a grand library. And yet the permeating scent is of hibiscus, the treatments are Asian-inspired, and there’s a subtle sound of water from the subterranean plunge pool – which guests are encouraged to take proper time in before a treatment – as well as the dry and wet steam rooms. The signature Malay Massage centres on stretching, the therapist firmly guiding movements, stopping to concentrate on areas that are gnarled. There is a sense of someone properly listening to your body and making any changes in the treatment to suit – it feels intuitively bespoke and therapists are confident and strong: this is proper, sensitive bodywork. There are many thoughtful things about Ushvani: the careful way they stagger treatments so that the place is never crowded; their own super-light king coconut and hibiscus facial oil; the little morsels of glacé mango they serve with fresh herbal tea in the drawing room that looks onto the stuccoed elegance of the street, before you gather your thoughts and leave, somewhat dazed, zinging-clean and acutely relaxed.
Treatment to book
Ushvani Malay Massage: £180 for 90 mins.
Insider tip
The yoga studio upstairs is flooded with light, with classes for all abilities and styles led by master practitioners. By Antonia Quirke
Address: Ushvani, 1 Cadogan Gardens, Knightsbridge, London SW3 2RJ
Website: ushvani.com
Telephone: +44 20 7730 2888
Martin MorellCOMO Shambhala Urban Escape at COMO Metropolitan London, Westminster
Best spa in London for: pertinent, intuitive treatments with a top-of-their-game roster of therapists
Small but perfectly formed, the spa here often gets overlooked for bigger players, but this is one of London’s best-kept secrets. Not only is the space completely sleek and serene – no plinky-plonky music or trickling fountains – but the treatments pack an enormous punch. Anti-aging facials from French skincare brand Guinot are satisfyingly clinical and results-driven. Come for the Lift Summum facial, which combines intense massage with firming, collagen-stimulating topical therapies, and leave with properly glowing bare skin. There are great salt-and-sugar body scrubs to polish and slough off old skin, and a considered range of Asian-leaning massage treatments, from Japanese Shiatsu and Chinese reflexology to Indian head massage, as well as a powerful and authentic Thai massage. Most noteworthy of all though are the visiting masters. A roll call of some of the most impressive therapists globally, many of which are from other COMO hotels around the world – COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali, COMO Parrot Cay in Turks & Caicos, COMO Maalifushi in the Maldives – stop in at the COMO Metropolitan London for a week or two’s stint, and when they’re in town, you’d be mad to miss out.
Treatment to book
One of the in-house experts or the visiting masters, of course. But if you’re struggling with insomnia and can’t wait, the COMO Shambhala Sleep treatment will sort you right out. After a deeply relaxing massage and reflexology session, you’ll be sent on your way with tips for how to restore your energy levels once and for all. From £265 for 120 minutes.
Insider tip
The exercise options are excellent, too, particularly if you’ve just had a baby. Try a session with post-natal exercise specialist Lyndon Littlefair to gently ease your fitness back on the right path. By Issy von Simson
Address: COMO Metropolitan London, 19 Old Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 1LB
Telephone: +44 20 7447 5750
Website: comohotels.com
Richard PowersESPA Life at Corinthia, Trafalgar Square
Best spa in London for: complete isolation
This is one of the largest spas in London. Behind heavy swing doors, four floors of powerfully restorative treatments help to induce a deeper level of relaxation. From the golden crocodile-skin-print walls, to the curving corridors, and the calming fragrance of sweet orange, lavender and palmarosa in the Restorative candle range, everything here encourages tranquillity. But beneath the serene design lies a state-of-the-art spa that can deliver as much or as little as you need. Yes, there are facials; cooling ones for irritated skin and anti-ageing ones which lift and firm, plus massages to pummel or to soothe (some are so sleep-inducing it’s essential to crawl to the sleep pods afterwards), but ESPA Life also offers a long-term holistic approach to physical and mental health. Diverse disciplines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and reflexology delve deeper into issues, and the mindful programme uses guided breathing and visualisation techniques to lower stress levels. Plus, of course, there’s a gym and full fitness programme, with small group personal training sessions and – for hotel guests, complimentary classes specifically targeting the legs or upper body. Or simply come to enjoy the thermal floor, a dark cocoon of smooth Italian black marble. Here, stone loungers are warmed and set beside flickering fires, a place to wind down even further after enjoying the steam room or the hydro pool. The elegant glass-encased sauna stands next to an imposing ice basin used to rapidly cool a heated body and stimulate circulation. Or maybe just swim serenely up and down in the pin-drop peaceful pool.
Treatment to book
The deeply relaxing ESPA Restful Massage, which combines guided breathing with hot stones and a scalp massage: £285 for 90 mins.
Insider tip
Book into the onsite Daniel Galvin hair salon or Julia Diogo nail studio to get cocktail-bar-ready before you leave. By Paula Maynard
Address: Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD
Telephone: +44 207 321 3050
Website: espalifeatcorinthia.com
Spa at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, West End
Best spa in London for: a very special hammam
The Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square is housed in a building dating from 1922 and has the oldest, wisest, Beaux-Arts head on its shiny, refurbished shoulders. Walking into the circular lobby, over the marble floors and velvety red carpets, all centred around the grandest grand piano, you get the sense you may have stumbled onto a Bond film mid-take, or at least the latest season of McMafia. But take the lift down a floor to the even more recently redone spa and you’ll realise you’ve actually fallen straight into Aladdin’s lamp, so glittering and swirly are the walls, so curvy and sleek the lines of the pillars. Even the pool walls have reeds made up of teeny, tiny golden tiles, shooting and swaying up from the water jets.
And yet you haven’t even reached the beating heart: the Turkish hammam. Little pink beams, like upside-down tea-lights, gently shine down on you from a ceiling of mother-of-pearl as you lie back on a warm slab of marble in nothing but your disposable pants and, more unusually but more comfortably, bandeau top. Rather than sitting, as might be more traditional, between the legs of your Turkish masseuse, at the Four Seasons you are treated (in the best sense possible) like a pizza base being kneaded on a table-top, with your therapist – male or female, according to your preference – manoeuvring themselves around you, making for a wholly less invasive and more relaxed experience. As well as special salts, sniffed and approved by you at each step, water is whooshed over you throughout, culminating in a surprisingly lovely blast of cold – though only if you agree to it.
Treatment to book
The Traditional Hammam Ritual, which includes a deep facial cleanse and hair treatment at the end, leaving your locks as silky-smooth as your skin. £200 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
After your treatment, book in for a blow-dry and style in Gielly Green, the hotel salon. If your hair is in need of a little attention, they’ll pack you off with plenty of sample products to go. By Becky Lucas
Address: 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
Telephone: +44 20 3297 9200
Website: fourseasons.com
Aman Spa at The Connaught, Mayfair
Best spa in London for: lunchtime laps
As you might expect at one of London’s more discreet grand hotels, The Connaught’s spa is similarly unobtrusive, hidden away in a shiny wing in the basement. As the only Aman spa outside of an Aman resort, it’s a pretty good secret to know about. The space is dark and glamorous, but simple – styled with natural woods, marble and slate. A sleek (chlorine-free) pool is the centrepiece, with its black-tiled water-fountain-wall providing the only soundtrack. You might find a magazine stylist doing lengths, or a hotel guest reading on one of a row of smart poolside loungers but, chances are, you’ll have the place to yourself.
The treatments on offer reflect the global reach of the Aman brand – and a serious range taps into wellness techniques borrowed from the likes of China, Japan and Tibet. But the best way to experience the spa is by booking one of the Signature Journeys. Treatments are split into three categories: grounding (for anyone feeling stressed and burnt out), purifying (aimed at tackling low energy, and the associated effects – say, dry skin or headaches) and tonic (a brilliant tonic for emotional exhaustion). Within these categories, there are three different treatments to pick from: a massage, a body polish and wrap, or a facial. But a Journey is the holy grail – and you’ll receive all three in one three-hour marathon of blissing out. For something a little more spiritual, there’s also Reiki with a master healer, breathwork and mindfulness to reduce anxiety, and vinyasa yoga – plus personal trainers available in the sleek gym, and deep tissue massages to aid post-workout recovery.
Treatment to book
The ultra results-driven Aman Advanced Facial. This is a proper facial, packed with muscle-sculpting massage, ultrasonic scrubbing, EMS and cryo bulbs to get your blood pumping. Products slathered on the skin are boosted with powerful Japanese herbal extracts, and masks used are the result of a brilliant partnership between Aman’s own skincare line and cutting edge, doctor-led 111SKIN. From £230 for 60 minutes.
Insider tip
Don’t forget to bring your swimming costume, as all treatments of two hours or more include access to the pool and steam rooms. By Tabitha Joyce
Address: The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
Telephone: +44 20 3147 7305
Website: the-connaught.co.ukREVIV, Marylebone
Best spa in London for: a post-trip pick-me-up
There are a lot of jet-lag cures out there – light therapy, melatonin, fasting. But if you’re looking for a tried-and-tested spa treatment to get you feeling ready for the real world upon landing back in London, Reviv’s clinic on Great Portland Street is your best bet. It started providing IV therapies to the jet set in 2011 and has since expanded its empire to every corner of the globe, from Johannesburg to Toronto.
Having opened its first independent outlet in central London five years ago (you could previously head to Harvey Nichols for the treatments), Reviv offers a handful of distinct therapies that can pep you up after a cold, a heavy night out or, crucially, a big trip. The setting isn’t medical or clinical – you’ll barely even notice being hooked up to the drip once you’re ensconced in one of the big, squishy sofas.
Treatment to book
For people who travel regularly we recommend the Megaboost therapy, which restores hydration and replenishes essential minerals and vitamins, while also giving you an energy boost thanks to its extra-high levels of vitamin C mixed with detoxing antioxidants and electrolytes. The results will ease away any travel-induced fatigue or fogginess, meaning you’ll be feeling every bit as relaxed as you did when you were snoozing in a hammock beside the pool. From £209.
Insider tip
The influx of minerals and vitamins can actually make you feel worse at first, as your body processes the drip. It's normal to feel a bit tired and foggy immediately afterwards, but this soon disappears.
Address: Reviv, 45 Great Portland Street, Marylebone, London W1W 7LD
Telephone: +44 207 7636 4922
Website: revivme.com