These are London’s best day spas: tried, tested, and recommended by team Citizen Femme.
Whether you’re after a rejuvenating facial, a full-body massage, or simply a few hours of tranquility, London’s top day spas offer a perfect escape from the capital’s hustle and bustle. These seven spas are where the CF team love to retreat to whenever they need a little rest and relaxation.
AIRE Ancient Baths
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Hidden underneath a historic building, just a few minutes from Covent Garden, AIRE Ancient Baths is an underground spa away from the hustle and bustle of central London. The oasis of calm feels immediately soothing, with a candle lit staircase and exposed brick archways leading you to the thermal baths – inspired by the ancient Roman and Greek bathing rituals. Start the Holistic Ritual alternating between the many pool areas – seven to be precise, from floating in salt water to detoxing in a 40° hot bath. Then, enjoy a 15 minute full body scrub in an aesthetically pleasing marble room, followed by a 45 minute body massage, and a honey mask hair treatment to finish. You are greeted with a glass of champagne to end your journey in one of the relaxation areas, and you can enjoy more time in the baths post massage if you want to soak up the sanctuary. A hot spot for loved-up couples, it’s a romantic destination for those looking for some much needed R&R with their partner.
The Lanesborough Club & Spa
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If you’ve been rushing through London sightseeing, shopping or after work, The Lanesborough Club & Spa is a welcome pod of relaxation. The luxury health club on Hyde Park Corner is a sanctuary for wellness inside the regency-style hotel, and is a 360-degree destination for health and wellbeing. Immediately feeling a sense of zen, the staff escort you to a decadent changing area before arriving at your treatment room: a spacious, dimly lit room with a larger-than-usual massage bed that feels like a warm hug – the underneath heating a welcome touch. There’s plenty to choose from on the treatment menu, including Ground Wellbeing massages, aesthetic tweaks and a particular highlight – the Royal Fern Signature Facial. Products from the premium German skincare brand are combined with stimulating facial massage techniques that drain and sculpt, as well as EMS tools to ensure a lifted appearance. Even more tired-looking skin will have emerge with an instant glow.
Guerlain Spa at Raffles OWO
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Once home to legions of spies during the Second World War, Raffles London at the OWO is a beautiful Grade II listed space that now plays host to one of London’s largest spas. It’s particularly spectacular to walk down the winding staircase and be met with the lounger-surrounded 20 metre pool. After all, finding a good swimming pool in a London spa has been tricky for years. But, that’s not all. Aiming to give your mind and body a full rejuvenation MOT, the Guerlain spa has tailored floors for treatments and a high tech Pillar Wellness fitness studio. Each of the nine treatment suites is impressively large, with cosy, padded treatment beds and a traditional brass bath tub for the spa’s signature bathing rituals, and Guerlain has designed three new signature treatments, which you won’t be able to experience anywhere else in the world. That’s likely to help seal the deal for non-hotel guests, who will need to book in for at least a 90-minute treatment to gain access to the exclusive facilities.
Aman Spa at The Connaught
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The Connaught in London is home to the only Aman spa built outside the company’s world-renowned resorts, and once you step inside it you’ll understand immediately why Aman is renowned for its intimate and immersive wellness experiences. You start your experience by descending underground as the traditionally sleek Aman-style interiors immediately make you feel a million miles away from bustling Mayfair, just a few feet above you. To further envelop you in a sense of luxurious calm, a welcome veil of silence is respected throughout, alongside low lighting and back lit furniture. Dipping into the black granite swimming pool is a must, as is a treatment in one of the candlelit rooms, which are both soothing and romantic if a couple’s spa day is on the cards. With therapies inspired by ancient Asian healing practices, the ultimate experience is the 3 hour Grounding Journey which begins with a body polish and wrap, followed by a massage and face ritual; together the perfect treatments to revive and restore you.
ESPA Life at Corinthia
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Set across four subterranean floors at the five-star Corinthia hotel, ESPA Life is one of London’s most magnificent urban spas, with heavenly spaces dedicated to relaxation and rejuvenation. Start your visit in the thermal floor, with a swimming pool and Jacuzzi surrounded by gleaming black marble, a steam room, ice fountain, and an impressive glass-walled sauna that looks like it’s come straight out of a James Bond film. Then it’s time to choose from a myriad of treatments that adhere to a ‘restorative wellness’ philosophy, blending holistic practices, scientific techniques, and tech innovation to achieve powerful and long-lasting results. The ESPA Restful Massage comes highly recommended; a deeply soothing 90 minutes that includes breathwork, a full body aromatherapy massage with hot stones and the indulgent addition of a scalp massage. Afterwards, head to the chill out lounge with mood lighting, a flickering fire, and individual sleep pods to help maintain your zen just that little bit longer.
Claridge’s Hotel Spa
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Hotels in London don’t come much more classic than Claridge’s and since the addition of a spa in 2022 it has become the perfect wellness retreat too – especially after a day of indulging in the iconic afternoon tea. The spa whisks you away from central London – transporting you to a world inspired by Japanese Zen gardens and temples as soon as you slip on your very covetable floral Kimono robe. As you feel the fast-pace of the capital fade away, you can enjoy a cabana-surrounded pool, steam rooms, and a sauna, with spa treatments delivered in one of seven private rooms. With the perfect balance between holistic rituals and results-driven technology, the brands on offer including beauty heavyweights FaceGym and Augustinus Bader. A lovely touch is that each experience begins with a welcoming foot ceremony and there are world-leading experts in other beauty and wellbeing specialities, such as acupuncturist Ross J. Barr and hairstylist Josh Wood, on site too.
The Spa at The Four Seasons Hotel
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Located on the underground floor of Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, this little haven of peace in the middle of the city provides everything you need for some wellness time, especially if booking in with friends. It’s also a top pick for active types – whether you spend some time in the vitality pool, or take advantage of the state-of-the-art fitness centre at the start of your spa day. As with many of the best spas in the capital, the space has introduced a more holistic approach to wellness, and the traditional Hammam ritual, which includes a detoxifying scrub, facial cleanse and hair treatment is 90 minutes of heaven. Personalised recommendations by the spa therapists also ensure that those less confident about what their bodies (and minds) need are suitably taken care of. A traditional chrysanthemum tea is the cherry (or flower) on top of this truly revitalising experience.
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