England
London is home to some truly indulgent spas, with many offering specially curated day experiences for guests seeking some R&R in a tranquil setting.
Whether it’s for an invigorating stint in a sauna or steam room, a pampering massage or manicure, or a relaxing dip in a pool against a backdrop of soothing music, there’s nothing quite like a luxury spa as an antidote to the hustle and bustle of city life. If you’d like to treat yourself to a sumptuous spa experience after a hard day’s sightseeing in London, we’ve picked out 10 of the best that the city has to offer.
Beauty and Melody Spa at the Montcalm Royal
Visitors will feel a world away from the traffic-filled hullabaloo nearby at this oasis in the city. Set within The Montcalm Hotel in bustling Marble Arch, the spa provides a wide assortment of hair, beauty, and mineral-rich, marine-inspired treatments designed to help clients look and feel their best. Services on offer include massages, facials, laser hair removal, dermal fillers, and more, with specially tailored spa packages also available. Among them is the Spa Access for Two, which includes a 50-minute treatment of choice and a glass of bubbly for you and that special someone. There’s also a centrepiece eight-metre pool, a Jacuzzi and a state-of-the-art fitness room. From £125 per person.
Groupon currently offers a 47% discount on this spa experience. They also offer reductions for many other London spas. Check Groupon.com.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
(Photo: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental)
Situated in the heart of Knightsbridge at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, this sensual Asian-themed spa offers a diverse range of holistic therapies and experiences across its 13 treatment rooms. Among them is the decadent Oriental Harmony, which sees four hands work in unison to elicit a harmony of the senses, first providing a warm scrub that soothes the skin and later a harmonious massage that balances the body. Alongside the treatment rooms, you’ll find the Couple’s Oriental Suite, featuring two massage beds and a Rasul water temple with health-enhancing heat, steam and mud, and there’s also an Amethyst Crystal Steam Room, a Sanarium, a Vitality Pool, and a Zen Colour Therapy Relaxation Area. From £430 per person.
Wellness in the Clouds at The Shangri-La
(Photo: Shangri-La Hotel)
It doesn’t take long to work out the inspiration behind the name of this decadent spa. Perched on floor 52 of the ultra-luxurious Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, and with floor-to-ceiling windows providing panoramic views of London’s skyline, the spa transports you into the clouds – both literally and metaphorically. Along with a Skypool and sauna, a variety of wellbeing services including beauty treatments, hairdressing and nails are on offer, with a particular favourite being the Couples Massage by Neal’s Yard Remedies. Using a tailor-made blend of 100% organic Essential Oils, not only will you both feel the physical benefits of massage, but your senses will also be awakened through the power of fragrant essential oils. From £150 per person.
Aman Spa at The Connaught
Tucked away in the inner sanctum of The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair lies the entrance to a place devoted to tranquillity. The first Aman Spa outside the world-renowned Aman resorts, this opulent spa offers specialised therapies that help you find balance, while beauty services provide the perfect finishing touch. Five low-lit treatment rooms each feature a dressing area, steam room, and individual music systems, where a range of massages, body treatments and healing therapies are delivered. One of the most indulgent experiences is the Grounding Journey, which encourages a deep connection to the earth and a renewed sense of self. It begins with the Body Polish & Wrap, followed by a Massage, and completed with a Face Ritual. Other amenities include a huge 60-metre swimming pool, a crystal steam room and a fitness centre. From £550 per person.
Le Kalon Spa at The Bentley Hotel
(Photo: Le Kalon Spa)
A haven of serenity within The Bentley Hotel in Kensington & Chelsea, Le Kalon is dripping with opulence, featuring a grand marble interior and intricately hand-painted walls that lend an air of grandeur to proceedings, while a soothing colour palette tempers the sensory explosion as you enter. Spa facilities include a sauna, an authentic Turkish Hammam, and a high-tech gymnasium, all of which can be partaken of during the extravagant 5* Spa experience. During a 30-minute Hammam session you’ll get to choose from a range of restorative massages delivered by an expert therapist, and you’ll also have full use of the sauna and gymnasium. From £89 per person.
Groupon currently offers a 31% discount on this spa experience. They also offer reductions for many other London spas. Check Groupon.com.
Espa Life at Corinthia
(Photo: Espa Life at Corinthia)
Seductively lit with glowing fire torches, this subterranean spa at The Corinthia Hotel in Central London offers a holistic approach to wellbeing with a combination of hydrotherapy, alternative therapies, fitness, beauty treatments and a hair salon. The spa team consists of traditional Chinese medicine acupuncturists and herbalists, naturopaths and spa professionals, delivering therapeutic treatments and modalities to suit your needs. The enticing ESPA Life Calling experience includes a 60-minute massage, a personalised facial, user of the thermal spa facilities which include an indoor swimming pool, vitality pool, amphitheatre sauna, ice fountain, heated marble loungers and sleep pods. Afterwards, sit down to a one-course light lunch with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne to bring your experience to a close. From £435 per person.
Book at Spabreaks
Heavenly Spa at The Westin
(Photo: Heavenly Spa at The Westin)
Cool, calm, contemporary and stylish, this spa at The Westin Hotel on the banks of the River Thames is just, well, heavenly. Speaking of which, the Heavenly Empress Escape is one of several lavish experiences available. Comprising a total of four treatments – a Foot Ritual, Full Body Exfoliation and Silk Wrap, a Royal Jelly Facial and a Back Massage with Semi-Precious Stones – the exquisite experience delivers the pinnacle of self-care. Upon arrival, you’ll be allocated a locker with a robe towel and slippers for your comfort during your spa day. Over the next three hours you’ll get to enjoy full use of the spa facilities including the Westin Workout Fitness Studio, steam room, sauna, ice fountain and experience shower, as well as the 12-metre pool and Jacuzzi. From £285 per person.
Book at Spabreaks
Gentlemen’s Tonic
A self-styled “retreat for the modern gentleman” in the heart of Mayfair, Gentlemen’s Tonic provides a luxury destination for men’s grooming. Decorated in an understated style reminiscent of a smart tailors’ shop, the salon combines the old-world luxury of wood, leather and marble, with contemporary finishes, including a personal LCD screen in each booth. Among their custom offerings is the Complete Gentleman experience, including 120-minutes of gentleman’s face and body spa treatments, plus a Tonic Bloody Mary (or other beverage of your choice) on arrival. You’ll also get to take home two complimentary Gentlemen’s Tonic product samples. From £155 per person.
Book at Trulyexperiences.com
Bvlgari Spa at The Bulgari
(Photo: Bulgari Spa)
Deep within the plush confines of The Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge, The Bulgari Spa effortlessly blends the brand’s aesthetic of timeless glamour with Italian opulence. Inspired by the Palladio architecture of Venice and Ravenna, it’s set with dark oaks, green onyx marble, sandblasted Vicenza natural stone and artistic mosaics throughout. The spa houses a relaxation room, multiple steam rooms and saunas, an ice fountain, a gold-leafed vitality pool and a fitness centre. Particular attention has been paid to the stunning 25-metre pool area, with private linen-draped cabanas surrounding the water’s edge. The Suite Life experience for two invites you to indulge in all of this, including use of the Onyx Spa Suite for a full hour, followed by a treatment of your choice. The experience also includes a therapist consultation, a fruit platter and a glass of champagne or mocktail. From £750 per person.
Book at Trulyexperiences.com
Cloud Twelve Spa
A one-of-a-kind wellness and lifestyle club in Notting Hill, Cloud Twelve extends over three floors with an interactive play and learn zone for families with children, salon and spa, nutritionally-focused brasserie and a holistic wellness clinic. The spa offers a diverse choice of natural, yet results-driven treatments that bring together the best of Western and Asian philosophies including massages, facials, pre and postnatal rituals and treatments for men. The Day Spa Ultimate experience elevates the standard day package, allowing you to choose from either Raindrop or Crystal Therapy for an immersive and total body experience. This experience also includes two tapas dishes with a glass of champagne in the venue’s delightful Brasserie. From £275 per person.
