Spas are my spiritual home, I’m sure of it! I always feel so at home. And admittedly I’ve never been one to wait for a special occasion – birthdays, hen-dos, anniversaries – to treat myself to a bit of R&R. And a trip to a spa is the perfect way to press pause on life’s madness for a while. No phone. No email. No messages. Bliss.
While I still love a good night out from time to time, my motto these days is spas before bars! Although at many spas these days you can combine both, result! A cheeky glass of champagne or two always gos down a treat!
A good long soak in the bubbles of a hydrotherapy pool, before sweating it out in the sauna or steam room and then starting all over again is great for clearing toxins and for boosting the circulation.
I also love to try new beauty treatments, and recently booked a Harmonising Rose Salt Ritual – more on that in a bit – at the Corinthia’s ESPA Life Spa. Situated just down the road from Trafalgar Square on the embankment, this place boasts stunning views over the Thames. It’s without doubt one of London’s most tranquil spots – the perfect place to unwind away from the city’s craziness.
My mind was blown when I first came here. Set over three floor of hydrotherapy heaven, it’s a place fit for James Bond! There’s lots of glass, sexy low lighting, fires, sleep pods, and a huge steam room, heated marble loungers to lay back and relax or read on and a pool. Not to mention the best open plan sauna I’ve ever seen. While I’ll confess I’ve never stepped foot in its state of the art gymnasium, I have it on good authority that it doesn’t disappoint!
I can lose hours in this haven, alternating between hot and cold treatments. The fire and the ice. And time always passes way too quickly. Before any treatment, I like to acclimatise and give myself some space and time to switch off. And in terms of getting the best out of a treatment, I give my muscles at least an hour to loosen in the heat.
The Corinthia features seventeen treatment rooms, with a women-only floor for added peace and privacy. The therapists take a holistic approach to well-being with an impressive breadth of treatments on offer. These include naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and herbal acupuncturists. Plus, I think you can always judge a spa by the products they use, and ESPA are a personal favourite of mine www.espaskincare.com
Now, for the treatment. The Harmonising Rose Salt Ritual is aimed at rebalancing the body and mind. Using warmed mineral-rich Himalayan rose salt stones and essential oils, this full body treatment totally lifted my spirits. Marma point massage helps to drain negative energy and I loved how my therapist tailored this treatment to my ailments. Being so tense and needing a good ironing out, she worked more deeply than is usually required, which really helped to destress both my body and mind. She started by washing my feet – heavenly! – and it also included a scalp massage using gorgeous-smelling oils. By the time she rolled me over, I was fast asleep.
Now, there’s no denying that a trip to the Corinthia will set you back a bit. The Harmonising Rose Salt Ritual is £250 for 120 minutes (espalifeatcorinthia.com) though there are definitely more affordable treatments to be found, and a stay at the hotel includes use of the spa. I would recommend looking into the different packages and deals that are always available and include access to the spa facilities as well as a treatment, afternoon tea and a nighttime package too. Facials start at £140, and massages at £150, though check out the website for day spa packages.
If you have any spa treatments or experiences you’d like to share, please do pop them in the comments box below!
LSx