Best London hotel spa breaks

Sofitel St James
Nicole O'Neil, Content Editor for Life & Style, Travel and Shopping
Tucked away on a side street next to St James's Park, in the grade II-listed former home of Cox's and King's bank, the Sofitel St James is a five-star hotel with a rather grand new spa attached. I opted for the Exhilarating Euphoric and Soothing Body Massage, a 60-minute treatment which uses signature techniques designed to shape and tone your silhouette.

It takes place on a gently heated bed, beginning with a hot towel foot cleanse, followed by a head, shoulder and neck massage. The therapist then moves on to the arms and legs, firmly massaging the muscles to help release tension and give that 'aaah' feeling. Using essential oils which are designed to awaken and invigorate the senses, the therapist works her way through major pressure points on the arms, legs, back and shoulders to relieve tension and get the blood flowing.

I felt both wonderfully revived and relaxed afterwards and would recommend it to anyone looking to unwind at the end of a hard day's work.
So SPA, Sofitel London St James, 6 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4AN. Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 2200 or visit the website.

Intercontinental London Park Lane
Poorna Shetty, Travel Editor

It is testament to the sheer brilliance of Intercontinental Park Lane's spa, that on the day I arrive I am both grouchy and sniffly - a combination of a hard day at work and a cold refusing to budge. Yet barely a minute in, I've already forgotten about the snarl of traffic outside or my inability to smell.

Past a warmly lit corridor, I'm led to the VIP room which is dressed in soothing dark wood and soft greys and browns. Soon, my therapist Lauren enters and whisks me off to the clean, comfy treatment room. She talks me through every part of the treatment - I'm trying the signature English Rose package, which starts with a back massage and finishes with a facial using Elemis products.

The ritual starts with washing my feet - brave Lauren places them in a petal-strewn bowl, then massages and scrubs them down. It is such a tiny part of the treatment, but so important to set the right tone of relaxation - it instantly de-stresses me. During the massage, which is a series of warm kneading and unwinding of knots, I'm virtually blissed out as Lauren places hot stones on my back. Her technique is so perfect it's easy to see why she was a finalist in last year's BBC Beautician of the Year competition.

Then the facial begins, starting with cleansing my skin. I end up feeling so relaxed, I awake to a giant snore emanating from yours truly. Afterwards I check my face - it's as if a fairy godmother granted me fresh, dewy skin - it felt super clean but not stripped. The Rose package finishes with champagne and chocolates - a true haven in central London.
Intercontinental London Park Lane, One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, W1J 7QY. Tel: +44 (0) 871 423 4907 or visit the website.


The Dorchester
Monica Stylli, Health & Wellbeing Editor
A bastion of British style and elegance, the Dorchester's spa has recently undergone a complete transformation. Guests are now greeted by a space that is a classy combination of 1930s Art Deco and contemporary chic.

Visitors can enjoy signature facials by Carol Joy London - specialists in anti-ageing technology - and receive a complimentary Floris almond oil and aloe vera body lotion with their robe and slippers.

I opted for the aromatherapy massage on my visit - it was 55 minutes of pure bliss. After the therapist helps you to select the Aromatherapy Associates essential oil that best suits your mood she massages away any tension you might be feeling with a combination of Swedish and neuromuscular techniques. Bolsters are used to support your legs and feet for extra comfort and warm towels keep your body warm as the therapist moves onto the next section of the treatment.

Once your treatment is over you can while away the hours in the spa's sleek relaxation room. You'll be served a glass of champagne if you've opted for a package, but if not, simply lie back on one of the plush sofas and enjoy the free lychee juice and healthy snacks.
The Dorchester, Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA. Tel: +44 (0) 207 629 8888 or visit the website.


The Langham
Rebecca Bryant, Shopping Editor

The new Chuan Spa, based on the holistic values of traditional Chinese medicine, may have won rave reviews at its other worldwide locations but can the London version really rebalance the energies of the stressed and worn out City dweller?

Located at the beautiful Langham Hotel just off Oxford Street, it is the perfect location to wind down after a day of shopping with friends. Lounge chairs, relaxing Chinese music and low-lit décor all add to the calming atmosphere.

Before the treatment, my therapist Karen identifies which five elements I am most similar to: earth, water, metal, wood and fire. Each relate to a particular part of my body and it comes as no surprise that, after a day of shopping excitement at London Fashion Weekend, my element is fire - linked with the heart, joy and mood swings.

We then proceed with a breathing ritual, which involves chanting, and then Karen begins the treatment with hot towels on my feet, a facial massage and hot towels then working her way down my body using a pressure point technique. As the treatment came to a close with a glass of 'Fire' tea, I felt calm, relaxed and as if a huge weight had been lifted off my weary shoulders.
The Langham Hotel, 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London, W1B 1JA. Tel: 44 (0) 207 973 7550 or visit the website.

Athenaeum Hotel spa
Sarah Hecks, Fashion Editor

Set in the basement of the Athenaeum hotel, an opulent hotel and apartment block in Mayfair, this newly re-launched spa is the epitome of restrained style. Voices are hushed and black-clad therapists discreetly move through the subtly lit rooms, showing the elite few where to find the showers, newly installed wet rooms or relaxation areas.

The spa offers an array of rubs, scrubs, pedicures and skin treatments alongside procedures such as collagen therapies and resurfacing facials all performed with REN or Elemis products.

I decided on a deep tissue muscle massage - a spa staple and one that the Athenaeum maintains it does very well. And indeed it does: the room was the perfect temperature, the cotton drape was impossibly soft and my therapist thoroughly unknotted me.

Amidst all the fancy wraps and quasi-scientific cellulite treatments, lots of spas are let down by their massages. But after a stressful week is there anyone who doesn't love to submit to the stern thumbs of a good masseuse?
The Athenaeum, 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London, W1J 7BJ. Tel: +44 (0) 207 499 3464 or visit the website.

W Hotel
Poorna Shetty, Travel Editor

Located in the upper reaches of the newly launched hotel, it's hard to believe that beneath the W's Away spa, pulsing music and gaggles of 20, 30 and 40-somethings are quaffing cocktails. The first thing that hits you as you enter is the sheer white light - the feel is minimalist, white and simple, with just a sliver of that disco theme running through the hotel in the form of a silver fringe curtain.

I'm led to my locker containing the pre-requisite fluffy robes, slippers and towels, where I'm asked to change in the unisex bathroom. The lack of a designated same-sex changing room may be disagreeable to die-hard spa goers, but my feeling is that the spa isn't designed for long periods of relaxation, rather it's for the urbanite who wants to squeeze in a bit of down-time where they can.

I'm led through to the clean, white inner sanctum of the treatment room - I've opted for the signature massage. My therapist asks me how I'd like to "feel", I opt for 'relaxing' after a stressful day at work. She deftly mixes various potions - the end result smelling of my favourite fragrance, rose - and starts to knead me into blissful relaxation.

It is over 90 minutes later, and I feel a deep pang that I didn't opt for the longer 120-minute treatment. Then again, with my next appointment already ringing my phone to find out where I am, who has the time?

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