On leaving behind the cacophony of traffic outside and walking
into Mandarin
Oriental Hyde Park‘s swish, newly renovated spa sanctuary,
you’ll immediately breathe a deep, relaxing sigh of relief.
Cocooned on the lower-ground floor, the space is a masterclass in
understated luxury. You’ll have the run of facilities, including an
amethyst-crystal steam room, vitality pool and colour therapy
relaxation area, complete with health-conscious snacks and
lemon-infused water. This being the first London spa to partner
with luxury CBD brand OTO, guests also have the choice of three
different bespoke CBD-infused massage experiences, each accompanied
by tailored sound therapy and crystals to match the mood of the
treatment you choose.

Situated on the 10th floor and with beautiful vistas of Hyde
Park and the city skyline, the award-winning spa at Four
Seasons is a beautifully designed haven, away from the hustle
and bustle of Knightsbridge below. Open from 7am until 10pm,
there’s plenty of time to fit in a treatment before or after work –
but we recommend booking a day package so you can make the most of
the facilities. The spa includes nine treatment rooms, each
offering dramatic floor-to-ceiling views and an individual
relaxation pod, as well as separate men’s and women’s sauna, steam
rooms and vitality pools. For the ultimate indulgence, book out the
Sky suite, an ultra-luxurious double suite allowing couples or
friends to enjoy private treatments together. A highlight is the
“Black Pearl 24k Golden Luminescence” facial, which uses a high
concentration of 24 carat gold and innovative nanotechnology to
help revitalise, tone and tighten ageing or dull skin.

With two locations in west
London, the Eden Skin Clinic specialises in non-invasive aesthetic
treatments – put simply, they achieve dramatic effects without
surgery. In a clean, bright setting, founder Lorraine Scrivener and
her carefully curated team offer a range of treatments from hair
removal to facials, massages, botox and fillers. Try the Venus
Freeze, a skin-tightening and wrinkle-reducing treatment which uses
state-of-the-art technology on the face and body to naturally
contour and rejuvenate the skin. Look no further for a skin
transformation.

Cult skincare brand Aesop will probably be well-known to those with
problematic skin. The naturally active range of products in chic
brown UV resistant packaging has won many fans for it’s minimum
fuss maximum results approach, and the brand’s acclaimed facial
treatments are no different. Available exclusively in the treatment
space at the Richmond
store, a beautifully renovated Georgian townhouse near the green,
qualified Aesop therapists offer six signature treatments, each
designed to solve a different skin problem. There’s the ‘lactate
surge’ for pigmented or blemish prone skin; ‘asorbic action’ for
dull or patchy skin; and ‘skin quench’ for dry or dehydrated skin
to name but a few – you’re bound to find something to suit your
needs.

Something of a west London institution, what this place lacks in
glamour it makes up for in character and authenticity. Situated in
an original 1920’s bath house, with high, arched ceilings and
green-and-white tiles, the spa contains a full size swimming pool,
plunge pool, steam room, sauna and various treatment rooms offering
simple services such as scrubs and hot-towel treatments. Most days
are single sex, with men having access on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Saturdays, while women are invited on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
and Sunday Mornings. Sunday afternoons are mixed, so you can enjoy
the facilities with a partner. Prices are very reasonable – but be
warned, you won’t find any scented candles or soothing music here.
For no-frills relaxation however, it doesn’t get much better.

It’s easy to burn the wick at both ends in London. Grace, a
female members club and spa popular amongst some of the city’s
party animals, is adept at dealing with even the most brutal of
hangovers. As well as their ‘cleanse me’ spa package, described as
as the ‘essential one day detox experience’, Grace has a gym, so
you can work off last night’s indulgences, and a restaurant – which
hosts a ‘Grace
detox brunch‘ every Sunday – complete with bottomless juices.
If you’re truly burned out, Grace also houses a medical and
wellbeing centre with a qualified GP, dedicated to getting you back
on your feet – and back in your dancing shoes.

Cowshed, the Soho
House-owned spa and beauty chain, has branches all over town,
making it one of the most convenient places to get pampered. Each
spa is kitted out in their famous shabby chic style, with some of
the friendliest staff in the capital, and a small but perfectly
formed selection of treatments and packages, some as short as 30
minutes. We recommend treating yourself and a friend to the ‘relax
and rejuvenate’ package at the Shoreditch House location, followed
by dinner downstairs at Pizza East, for the ultimate indulgent weeknight.

Part of Nine Elms – South
London‘s latest regeneration project – rapid expansion,
Linnaean is a beauty and wellness emporium complete with medispa,
salon and plant-based restaurant. All treatments place a strong
emphasis on clean beauty with only ethical products being used:
nearly all hair colourants, nail polishes and facial peels are
vegan and all are cruelty-free. After a buddha-bowl breakfast, book
in for an LED-light facial or, if your lifestyle has been
less-than-green of late, get hooked up to an IV-fusion packed with
essential vitamins. Overflowing with a botanical garden’s worth of
florals, plenty of pink velvet and selfie-ready mirrored walls,
Linnaean is as aesthetically pleasing as you yourself would hope to
be after an onslaught of treatments.

Slap bang in the centre of Piccadilly Circus, just seconds from
the tube station, this probably isn’t the first place you think of
when searching for peace and serenity in the city. Squirrelled away
in the basement of Hotel Café Royal, however, is a sleek, urban spa
retreat complete with 18m pool, sauna, watsu pool and Carrara
marble-clad hammam. Plus, there’s some of London’s best
soundproofing here – seriously you can’t hear a thing. Hydrotherapy
treatments are the specialism here, so try the detoxifying
green-tea shower ritual. Start with a sea-salt scrub before being
slathered in a blend of green tea and shea butter. The full-body
treatment finishes under the invigorating Vichy shower. Float
upstairs to your room to soak in the post-spa bliss, then spend the
next day treating yourself at the hotel’s Cake & Bubbles café.
Balance is key, right?

After a million-pound makeover and the introduction of some of
the world’s best wellness experts, The Lanesborough has set the standard for the city’s spa
scene. London’s grand dame called upon several trailblazing
facialists, science-driven skincare giant La Prairie and “Queen of
Green Beauty” Tata Harper to de-puff, de-wrinkle and de-stress.
Aside from age-defying facials that produce the kind of results you
can only dream of bottling, the couples treatment is particularly
knee-weakening. Grab your significant other by the hand and lead
them to the mud chamber for a Rasul mud bathing, followed by an
energising soft steam and a side-by-side massage – all taken in a
private spa cocoon. Finish off by summoning your personal spa
butler (yes, that’s really a thing) who will bundle you into your
robes, take you for herbal tea and ensure that the champagne is
kept on ice.

Hidden at the bottom of The Langham hotel in a former bank vault is an
innovative wellness hub that caters to city-worn souls looking to
try something new. Blending traditional Chinese medicine and
western practices, all treatments start with a multi-choice,
in-depth questionnaire to establish your elemental balance – wood,
fire, earth, metal and water – that combines with your energy flow
to influence your wellbeing. Experience the works with the Chuan
Ritual – a two-and-a-half-hour head-to-toe treatment that’ll buff,
polish and realign your elemental balance. The vigorous massage
banishes any aches, pains and resets desk-slumped shoulders; the
intense one-hour antioxidant facial rewinds the effects of city
dwelling and, to finish, the intensive scalp treatment may well
send you in to a peaceful slumber.