London's Best Spas
The best hotel, health, beauty and day spas in London, all ideal choices for luxury pampering and effective treatments by skilled therapists...While the ancient Greeks rejuvenated in mineral-rich hot springs, today's spa aficionados can choose from a bewildering array of treatments. The choice can be overwhelming, but an array of exceptional, effective treatments are on offer in London. For whatever ails you, our recommended treatments below should provide welcome comfort, rapid relief and beautiful surroundings.
Best for Facials: Espa Life at Corinthia London, Embankment
Designed to reflect the flow of energy through the body, Espa Life at the Corinthia hotel is a sinuous space where sharp edges are banished. Wave-style corridors hand-cast in resin lend a fluid, futuristic feel; in the relaxation room, sleep pods replace traditional daybeds. Facials are a forte here, and for immediate results an enzyme peel is recommended. Gentle enough to allow for a dinner date afterwards, but effective enough to show results, a deep cleanse and exfoliation is followed by a cooling mask of argan oil and menthol, leaving the complexion noticeably plumped and fresh.
Top treatment: Age-defying enzyme peel facial (90 minutes, £155)
Best for Mental Wellbeing: Como Shambhala Urban Escape, at the Metropolitan hotel, Park Lane
Como’s retreats are where the jet-setting elite and stressed executives go to decompress. Compared with its sprawling sister resorts in Bali, Turks & Caicos and the Maldives, Como's London outpost, in the Metropolitan hotel, is lacking in looks. But for anyone in need of spiritual replenishment, a session with one of Como's visiting masters is sure to do the trick. “Intuitive healer” Susan King, for example, has been soothing successful minds for the last 20 years. Her sessions take the form of one-on-one free-flowing conversations (similar to psychotherapy). The difference is, Susan uses her powers of perception to pick up on deep-lurking emotional problems. Part therapist, part fortune-teller, she's skilled at helping the derailed get back on track; her analysis of my post-natal panic attacks was on point and I found her non-judgmental manner thoroughly refreshing.
Best for Glamour: The Bulgari Spa, Knightsbridge
Finished with smooth oak, onyx marble and sandblasted stone, the vast Bulgari spa includes a 25-metre swimming pool and an outpost of the top-notch hair salon, Nevilles. Bulgari’s broader associations with fashion and style mean that, in advance of starry nights out, fashionistas and brides-to-be flock for their MOTs, starting with the "Perfect Legs Retreat" - a high-tech programme involving acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, radio frequency and micro-needle therapy to target cellulite, reduce water retention and eliminate stretch marks - and finishing with hair shine treatments and glitter nails.
Best for Massage: Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park
With an array of Buddha statuettes and amethyst crystals on display, the Mandarin Oriental London spa might feel dated but don’t let the décor put you off. Masseurs are of a holistic persuasion, capable of intuitively picking up on what guests need, be it a damn-good kneading or gentler lymph-draining strokes, tailoring treatments accordingly. The four-hands massage is legendary among the Chelsea set. Aromatherapy Associates custom-blended oils fill the air, and the signature Quintessence oil, a blend of ginger, mandarin and frankincense, will revive even the most jaded execs. Top treatment: Oriental Essence massage (80 minutes, £155)
Best for Speedy Pampering: Urban Retreat at Harrods, Knightsbridge
On the fifth floor of Harrods, Urban Retreat is less a spa, than a beauty super-highway flanked by row upon row of make-up counters, barbers chairs, bulb-lit mirrors and half-empty champagne glasses. This is where the rushed come for efficient care, by that eyebrow threading or make-up tutorials. It’s all open-plan, with professional therapists who are no-nonsense and ready to get the job done quickly. If you can withstand the deafening whir of hairdryers and the high-level gossiping, it’s a convenient pit stop for those on the go. Top treatment: Lash tint (£30, 30 minutes)
Best for Something New: Liz Earle at Soholistic Spa, Ham Yard Hotel
The subterranean Soholistic Spa at Soho's Ham Yard hotel has become the UK’s first independent spa to offer treatments from British skincare brand Liz Earle. Alongside the spa’s regular menu, therapists now perform facials using Liz Earle’s natural, plant-based products; including the new Botanical Lift facial. Designed by the brand’s ‘celebrity facialist’ Abigail James and based on Ayurvedic and Chinese practices, the Botanical Lift is far from a soothing, sleep-inducing facial. Instead, the therapist gets to work using deft hand movements, a jade stone and a vibrating Foreo Luna device - a hand-held instrument that aims to cleanse the skin deeply by emitting low-frequency pulses - to literally scrub out fine lines, plump cheeks, lift eyebrows and relieve tension which can lead to facial sagging. Afterwards, the face may feel like its been put through the skin care equivalent of Tough Mudder, but the eye-widening, skin-brightening effect is more akin to having spent time at a yoga retreat. Top treatment: Liz Earle Superskin Botanical Lift facial, £120 for 50 minutes
Best for Facials: Espa Life at Corinthia London, Embankment
Designed to reflect the flow of energy through the body, Espa Life at the Corinthia hotel is a sinuous space where sharp edges are banished. Wave-style corridors hand-cast in resin lend a fluid, futuristic feel; in the relaxation room, sleep pods replace traditional daybeds. Facials are a forte here, and for immediate results an enzyme peel is recommended. Gentle enough to allow for a dinner date afterwards, but effective enough to show results, a deep cleanse and exfoliation is followed by a cooling mask of argan oil and menthol, leaving the complexion noticeably plumped and fresh.
Top treatment: Age-defying enzyme peel facial (90 minutes, £155)
Best for Mental Wellbeing: Como Shambhala Urban Escape, at the Metropolitan hotel, Park Lane
Como’s retreats are where the jet-setting elite and stressed executives go to decompress. Compared with its sprawling sister resorts in Bali, Turks & Caicos and the Maldives, Como's London outpost, in the Metropolitan hotel, is lacking in looks. But for anyone in need of spiritual replenishment, a session with one of Como's visiting masters is sure to do the trick. “Intuitive healer” Susan King, for example, has been soothing successful minds for the last 20 years. Her sessions take the form of one-on-one free-flowing conversations (similar to psychotherapy). The difference is, Susan uses her powers of perception to pick up on deep-lurking emotional problems. Part therapist, part fortune-teller, she's skilled at helping the derailed get back on track; her analysis of my post-natal panic attacks was on point and I found her non-judgmental manner thoroughly refreshing.
Best for Glamour: The Bulgari Spa, Knightsbridge
Finished with smooth oak, onyx marble and sandblasted stone, the vast Bulgari spa includes a 25-metre swimming pool and an outpost of the top-notch hair salon, Nevilles. Bulgari’s broader associations with fashion and style mean that, in advance of starry nights out, fashionistas and brides-to-be flock for their MOTs, starting with the "Perfect Legs Retreat" - a high-tech programme involving acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, radio frequency and micro-needle therapy to target cellulite, reduce water retention and eliminate stretch marks - and finishing with hair shine treatments and glitter nails.
Best for Massage: Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park
With an array of Buddha statuettes and amethyst crystals on display, the Mandarin Oriental London spa might feel dated but don’t let the décor put you off. Masseurs are of a holistic persuasion, capable of intuitively picking up on what guests need, be it a damn-good kneading or gentler lymph-draining strokes, tailoring treatments accordingly. The four-hands massage is legendary among the Chelsea set. Aromatherapy Associates custom-blended oils fill the air, and the signature Quintessence oil, a blend of ginger, mandarin and frankincense, will revive even the most jaded execs. Top treatment: Oriental Essence massage (80 minutes, £155)
Best for Speedy Pampering: Urban Retreat at Harrods, Knightsbridge
On the fifth floor of Harrods, Urban Retreat is less a spa, than a beauty super-highway flanked by row upon row of make-up counters, barbers chairs, bulb-lit mirrors and half-empty champagne glasses. This is where the rushed come for efficient care, by that eyebrow threading or make-up tutorials. It’s all open-plan, with professional therapists who are no-nonsense and ready to get the job done quickly. If you can withstand the deafening whir of hairdryers and the high-level gossiping, it’s a convenient pit stop for those on the go. Top treatment: Lash tint (£30, 30 minutes)
Best for Something New: Liz Earle at Soholistic Spa, Ham Yard Hotel
The subterranean Soholistic Spa at Soho's Ham Yard hotel has become the UK’s first independent spa to offer treatments from British skincare brand Liz Earle. Alongside the spa’s regular menu, therapists now perform facials using Liz Earle’s natural, plant-based products; including the new Botanical Lift facial. Designed by the brand’s ‘celebrity facialist’ Abigail James and based on Ayurvedic and Chinese practices, the Botanical Lift is far from a soothing, sleep-inducing facial. Instead, the therapist gets to work using deft hand movements, a jade stone and a vibrating Foreo Luna device - a hand-held instrument that aims to cleanse the skin deeply by emitting low-frequency pulses - to literally scrub out fine lines, plump cheeks, lift eyebrows and relieve tension which can lead to facial sagging. Afterwards, the face may feel like its been put through the skin care equivalent of Tough Mudder, but the eye-widening, skin-brightening effect is more akin to having spent time at a yoga retreat. Top treatment: Liz Earle Superskin Botanical Lift facial, £120 for 50 minutes
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