Top 7: The best spa for finding your zen is in the heart of London
The Peninsula London Spa & Wellbeing Centre, Belgravia, offers relaxation of the highest degree
Perched imperiously on Hyde Park Corner, The Peninsula London is the much trumpeted first British outpost of the almost century-old high-end Hong Kong-based hotel chain.
Opened late last year, the newly-built 190 room haven embodies custom-tooled serenity with all the luxurious hallmarks of one of the world’s most iconic hotel brands, all underpinned by Far East aesthetics and rituals. Each element of the interior from the marble guardian lion sculptures (they symbolise luck, prosperity and success), hand blown crystal chandeliers to the parlour palms have been sanctioned by a feng shui master.
The jewel in the crown is the spa, secreted underneath the cream-coloured eight floor edifice overlooking Wellington Arch, which offers a distinctly Oriental holistic spa experience, from its architect-designed 25 metre swimming pool, thermal suites and gym, to its seven luxurious wood-panelled treatment rooms, with offerings based on purpose-driven wellness. There’s a particular emphasis on alternative therapies and Chinese medicine, all underpinning its ‘Life Lived Best’ philosophy.
The Peninsula London also has an exclusive partnership with Subtle Energies, the astonishingly effective Australian aromatherapy and skincare brand founded on Ayurvedic principles. The only place in the UK offering Subtle Energies treatments, it provides a curated menu of facials, massages, body wraps and more which offer to not only nourish and rejuvenate the skin, but also uplift the senses and promote emotional balance.
Try the Personalised Holistic treatment combining marma, a traditional Ayurvedic massage technique, and a signature aromatic facial massage to reduce stress and boost collagen to rebalance all your chakras. Enhance your experience by adding a guided 15-minute meditation, a Himalayan body polish, or shirodhara, which involves warm oil being poured onto your forehead (way more blissful than it sounds, honestly).
What to take:
If you’re taking a dip in The Peninsula’s show-stopping pool, stick with purpose-driven swimwear outfit Pursuit the Label – each body-sculpting item is produced from regenerated materials, so you can be fashion-forward and eco-friendly.
Switch off and read . . . International bestseller The Piano Teacher by Janice YK Lee. It’s about an Englishman who works as a chauffeur in Hong Kong high society in the 40s and 50s, so it seems apt…