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SPAS

The best luxury spas in London

An up-to-date list of the capital’s most indulgent spa destinations

The Espa spa at the Corinthia “feels almost like a temple”
The Espa spa at the Corinthia “feels almost like a temple”
CORINTHIA
The Times

If you don’t have time for a full-on retreat but are still in need of a reset, a day at a UK spa is the perfect alternative. Pack your phone away in a locker and submit to the sensory pleasures of thermal pools, invigorating water jets or simply lying on a lounger staring at nothing. You will emerge renewed. Here, the Luxury editors recommend their favourites.

Espa Life, Corinthia London

The scale of the spa at the Corinthia is truly striking. It is set over four floors, with high ceilings and so much marble it feels almost like a temple — a very luxurious one. There are 17 treatment rooms and a private suite in which you can have any number of the 28 Espa treatments and six Barbara Sturm facials. They also offer physiotherapy, acupuncture, percussive therapy, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, guided meditation, gong baths and sound healing therapy. There’s even a Daniel Galvin hair studio.

The Corinthia’s glass-walled sauna
The Corinthia’s glass-walled sauna
JACK HARDY/CORINTHIA

There’s a yoga studio and an impressive gym, recently fully loaded with new Technogym kit and with personal trainers at your disposal. It also features a rack of Theragun massage guns, which look exciting and menacing in equal measure. The spa also partners with the London Regenerative Institute. Founded by two plastic surgeons, the institute offers the latest innovations in longevity such as stem cell therapies and aesthetic treatments up to and including full-on cosmetic surgery. The affiliation extends to recovery taking place in the hotel itself, with a nurse right next door if need be.

Jennifer George on the Corinthia hotel’s sumptuous new cosmetic surgery care package

The star of the spa, however, is the Thermal Floor with its a huge, glass-walled amphitheatre sauna, an ice fountain for when it all gets too much, some hilariously soporific hot stone marble loungers and sleep pods for when you need to check out entirely.

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There’s a large vitality pool with an assortment of jets and a swimming pool. Unlike almost all luxury hotels, the Corinthia is genuinely family-friendly — the same consideration is given to children’s specific needs as is given to those of the most demanding billionaire penthouse guest, so there are clear children’s swimming hours. But no matter when you’re in it, the pool is the ideal spot for floating about, reflecting on how lucky you are by some extraordinary series of events to find yourself here. Kate Reardon
espalifeatcorinthia.com, SW1A

The swimming pool at the Langham
The swimming pool at the Langham

Chuan Spa, the Langham

The Langham is almost as iconic as the BBC, its neighbour. And what better place to retreat from the relentless news cycle than the Langham’s Chuan Spa.

The spa was conceived by one of Hong Kong’s most revered traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, Professor Song Ke, and bases its treatments and products on the Five Elements theory. On arrival, guests fill out a questionnaire to establish which element they are most in tune with: water, wood, fire, earth or metal. The results dictate how your spa experience will unfold, from the tea that you will be offered to the oils used in your treatment. Type established (I was wood), the next stop is the relaxation area, decked out with candles and flowers, as well as a rich array of snacks — spicy rice cakes, banana chips — to be consumed while watching less idle guests work out in the adjacent gym (memberships are available for those not staying at the hotel).

A double treatment room at the Chuan Spa
A double treatment room at the Chuan Spa
MICHAEL WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY

There are four treatment rooms and an impressively wide-ranging treatment menu, offering everything from acupuncture with Professor Song Ke himself (£500), to the Golden Opulence body scrub using crushed gold (from £350) and firming facials using state-of-the-art Zelens ultrasound technology (from £195). Products used include the spa’s own Chuan formulations, as well as Jacqueline Piotaz Switzerland and the CBD brand OTO. I had the signature facial (from £175) and massage (from £160), both bespoke to suit individual requirements. The massage began with pressure point activation and general rubbing to get the chi — life force — flowing. My therapist then administered a brilliantly pitiless back massage, sorting out a shoulder issue that had been bothering me for weeks. During the facial there were various peels and masks, nimble use of a gua sha, and so much rubbing, tapping and pulling that at the end my skin felt warm from all the blood that had been brought to the surface.

Afterwards there was time for a bit of sauna and steam room action in the changing room, before visiting the glorious 16m pool, located in a former bank vault, to work up an appetite. There is no calorie-counting spa restaurant here. Instead, there is the Langham’s opulent Palm Court, the first hotel to feature afternoon tea on its menu when it opened in 1865. Its modern menu was created by the chef Michel Roux and the head pastry chef Andrew Gravett. It includes sumptuous reinventions of British classics like the Walnut Whip and Jammie Dodger, alongside arguably the best scones in London. If that won’t sort out your chi, nothing will. Gavanndra Hodge
langhamhotels.com, W1B. Afternoon tea, £75 per person

The spa at the Beaumont
The spa at the Beaumont
ZAC AND ZAC

The Beaumont

The spa at the Beaumont is an art deco-inspired jewel box, a peaceful oasis only touching distance from Selfridge’s. Like the hotel itself, the spa is luxurious, without being intimidating. Staff are smiley and relaxed; the walls are lined with vintage photos of women looking ecstatic on improbable exercise machines. It’s all polished silver and thick glass, marble and mosaic. Robes are thick, crisp cotton, and there’s hot ginger or lemongrass tea, along with the day’s newspapers and fresh fruit. There’s a steam room, sauna and plunge pool, with handwash and lotion by DR Harris, a venerable London pharmacy.

The spa uses products by Oskia, an award-winning British brand that makes its products in Wales and the changing rooms are generously stocked with full-size bottles of its cleanser and moisturiser. The spa menu includes everything from body scrubs to hammam treatments and reflexology. I tried the Revitalising Super-C facial (£160) . This involved an hour of my face being massaged with vitamin C capsules and Isotonic Hydra Serum. The one-hour full-body massage (£150) was equally invigorating, focusing on the knots, and by the end my whole body felt looser. My therapist somehow achieved this without getting product in my hair. This is crucial if you’re heading straight upstairs to the Colony Grill Room for a reviving Caesar salad and glass of cold albariño. You could also eat in the spa, which has a limited menu, but the restaurant is better for people watching. Saturdays don’t get any better. Hilary Rose
thebeaumont.com, W1K

A double treatment room at the Como Metropolitan hotel
A double treatment room at the Como Metropolitan hotel
MARTIN MORRELL

The Shambhala Urban Escape, Como Metropolitan

Off a busy Knightsbridge junction in a sleek modern building sits the Como Metropolitan hotel. The spa, the Shambhala Urban Escape, is located in an airy, second-floor space, where new arrivals are greeted with a mug of the signature lemon, ginger and honey tea. The Shambhala escape has been going in London since 1997 and since then it has assembled a crack team of experienced practitioners. The spa’s menu is extensive and offers a unique range of treatments from acupuncture and acupressure to shiatsu and Thai massage, as well as yoga and meditation instruction. I had a phenomenal deep tissue massage (£155), during which the therapist was able to identify my pressure points instantly and incorporated light stretching while talking me through ways to keep my tight muscles loose after our 60-minute session ended.

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After my massage I had the signature Dr Hauschka Holistic Treatment (£130) — the Como is Dr Hauschka’s flagship London location. It began with a sage foot bath to aid circulation, before a top-to-toe lymphatic drainage massage. But the main event was a facial using Dr Hauschka’s botanical products. My bespoke treatment included masks to target acne and improve hydration, as well as a facial massage using a brushing technique. If this wasn’t blissful enough, the wonderful experience was sealed by a veggie sandwich and green juice from the spa’s healthy menu, served in the Como’s lobby. Chiara Brown
comohotels.com, W1K

A treatment room at Sense, the Rosewood hotel’s spa
A treatment room at Sense, the Rosewood hotel’s spa
JAMES BEDFORD

Sense, Rosewood London

Sense, the spa at the Rosewood hotel, has been an oasis in the heart of London for nearly ten years, with elegant and understated decor and amenities including a sauna and steam room, as well as an extensive list of treatments. I tried the Contouring Marine Body Wrap (from £205) designed to detoxify and firm the body. The treatment begins with a full-body exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and prepare the skin for the warming Sodashi body mask. Sodashi products use only therapeutic-grade, ethically sourced oils and active plant ingredients. After the wrap is applied, you are left to relax while the marine extracts, plant essences and algae work to stimulate your lymphatic systems and remove toxins. Finally, the wrap is removed and a hydrating lotion applied leaving skin feeling soft and hydrated.

The spa’s relaxation lounge
The spa’s relaxation lounge
ROSEWOOD

After this, I was ushered to another room for the Face Place Signature Iderm Facial (£160). The therapist tailored the experience to my specific skin concerns, and combined deep cleansing and skilful extraction. They used a galvanic current, a form of electro-therapy, to ensure the collagen, zinc and vitamin C solution penetrated deep into my skin. I spent time in the spa’s gold leaf and teak relaxation room enjoying complimentary tea and nutritional snacks, before making my way down to the hotel bar, Scarfes. There, I capped off my experience with their “suspicious lady” cocktail, a combination of Roku gin, lychee wine, linden honey and citra hops. Henny Manley
rosewoodhotels.com, WC1V