From high-tech facials to marble swimming baths, these London spas and clinics offer some of the best beauty experiences you could ever wish for, in the way of fitness, beauty and wellness.
Melanie Grant
Melanie Grant is one of the most celebrated skin experts in the industry, known for her restorative, non-invasive treatments that have made her the trusted facialist of Rose Huntington-Whiteley and Victoria Beckham (with whom she created the Daily Cleansing Protocol for Victoria Beckham Beauty). For years, Grant has operated clinics in Sydney, Melbourne, LA and New York, and now has finally opened a London outpost in Mayfair. The serene space located in a 19th-century townhouse shares the refined glamour of its Mount Street neighbours (The Row, Mount Street Restaurant, and the in-progress Phoebe Philo store) with interiors designed by Rose Uniacke. But it is, of course, the treatments that make this space a go-to for some of the city’s most famous faces.
The offering is vast, but Grant’s calling card for almost every treatment is to use a blend of massage, microdermabrasion, advanced skin care (Augustinus Bader and Biologique Recherche are favourites) alongside technology like light therapy and ultrasounds. The result is the signature Grant skin: poreless, porcelain-like, and youthful while looking entirely natural.
Dr Karen Doherty
If Melanie Grant is West London’s facialist to the stars with gentle, pastel interiors and a Mount Street address, Dr Karen Doherty is the East London counterpart with moody, leather-heavy interiors inspired by 1970s minimalism and a Redchurch Street address that puts it in the heart of Shoreditch.
The edgy, modern interiors make an ideal visual (foil) for the cutting-edge treatments on offer, which span everything from polynucleotide treatments to support cell rejuvenation and wrinkle reduction, an Emerald Green Laser fat loss treatment for the body, a Jalupro Super Hydro treatment to strengthen the synthesis of collagen for a lifted and firmer face, and much more.
Doherty was a dentist before she became the go-to facialist for people like Isamaya Ffrench, which gives her a unique understanding of the subtle adjustments that make a big impact on facial structure. That’s why her speciality is to resculpt the face in an instantly transformative manner, while maintaining an entirely natural look. First-timers to the clinic should try the Neogen Plasma treatment, a ‘red carpet’ facial that, when taken at a low-level, instantly brightens, tightens and evens skin tone with no downtime.
drkarendoherty.com
Surrenne
Surrenne is a members’ club in London’s Marylebone neighbourhood that sets a new standard in the growing longevity space. Spanning four floors, the space features a mind-boggling array of cutting-edge treatments and technologies, from a 2.0 Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, to ‘microbiome mapping’ sessions, full-body bathing experiences performed on a crystal bed, purifying scalp treatments, saunas and much, much more.
The team behind Surrenne recruited some of the most respected names in the industry to create a space where members can relax, work out, and improve every aspect of their health– from nutrition to sleep, athletic recovery to mental clarity. Collaborators include Inge Grognard, the Face Gym founder, whose wellness design agency dreamed up the interiors of the space and brought in experts like the nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson.
Surrenne has also become the first UK home for American imports like New York cult-dermatologist Dr Macrene and the Tracy Anderson Method. The dedicated Tracy Anderson studio is even fitted with Anderson’s ‘Super G’ bouncy floor, designed to minimise impact on joints when performing her exercises. The longevity offerings have also been designed in partnership with tech pioneers Virtusan, whose board includes Dr Andrew Huberman, Dr David Sinclair and Dr Shauna Shapiro. Treatments include everything from hypnotherapy sessions to ‘Exomind,’ a brain stimulation therapy designed to enhance cognitive function.
Arc
Arc reimagines the centuries-old Scandinavian concept of ‘contract therapy’ (i.e. cycling between hot and cold water) for a modern, city-dwelling audience. Located in Canary Wharf and outfitted with the largest sauna in the UK, Arc aims to create a social sauna experience, where guests can join guided classes aimed at improving a particular aspect of their health, or replace their night out at the pub with a ‘sauna party’ instead, where DJs curate energising soundscapes and aromatherapy scents fill the space, over the course of group class.
The classes are designed to address a range of needs, from athletic recovery to improved sleep, mood-boosting endorphin release sessions and sessions dedicated to pure relaxation. Those who would rather experience their sauna solo can enjoy a free flow session, cycling through the hot and cold areas at their own pace.
arc-community.com
Sifali
Sifali is a North London space for facial and body treatments that provides results comparable to the city’s most exclusive clinics, at a price that won’t break your bank account. The clinic's young founder, Jaya Nila Aziz, was a skincare obsessive who became dedicated to sharing her knowledge when she discovered the transformative power of massage on her acne-prone skin.
Sifali’s treatments incorporate the traditional massage techniques of various cultures (Turkish, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese, to name just a few) in order to naturally resculpt facial structure and rid the skin of impurities. For those who struggle with acne, regular treatments at Sifali are a highly effective alternative to investing in prescription-grade medications or harsh, acid-based skincare.
The Spa at Claridge's
The first spa in Claridge's history has all the pomp and glamour you would expect from the 200-year-old icon. Excavating five floors below the London streets, Claridge's has created a hermetic wellness sanctuary with a swimming pool, steam rooms, sauna and seven treatment rooms. Interiors are designed by Andre Fu and inspired by his own visits to traditional Japanese temples and Zen gardens in Kyoto to create an enveloping feeling of tranquillity.
Star facialist and former Wallpaper* Design Awards winner, Teresa Tarmey (who counts Julianne Moore among her famous clients) currently has a residency at the spa, offering her signature treatments alongside the Claridge’s exclusive Skinmaster Plus by Brera treatment. Using cutting-edge technology, the ultrasonic exfoliation treatment visibly turns back the clock on skin. The spa also offers Augustinus Bader facial treatments, which leverage the brand’s famous TFC8® technology to transform skin’s appearance in sixty seconds.
If you’re looking for a body treatment alongside your facial, we recommend the two-hour long offering from Budapest brand Omorovicza, which includes a steam, scrub and traditional Hungarian body massage inspired by the movements of the ballet. The experience is capped off with a mud facial that infuses skin with the brand’s patented Healing Concentrate (a potent distillation of Budapest’s thermal waters, created through the process of fermentation and encapsulation).
180 Health Club
Located along the Strand, the 180 Health Club is ideal for those looking for a spot in Central where they can fit a workout and treatment in between their busy schedule. It is located on the top floor of 180 Strand, the London culture centre known for hosting some of the city’s buzziest events and exhibitions, as well as a Soho Works co-working space and the Reference Point library and bar.
The Health Club’s expansive wellness offering includes an infrared sauna (especially great as we move into the cooler months); an ozone sauna designed to detoxify the system and improve metabolism; breathwork practitioners; body rolling classes for a hyper-intense stretch; Brazilian jujitsu; fencing; and ballet classes, not to mention book clubs and gardening workshops, among many more.
Many of the Health Club’s offerings have been curated by London tastemaker Alex Eagle, who, throughout her years in fashion and retail, either discovered classes and therapies through her own research or on the recommendations of friends and colleagues. The result is a unique menu of offerings and practitioners that have an if you know you know reputation.
180studios.com
The Ned Spa
The Ned boasts some of London's finest hotel accommodations, 10 different restaurants, and a state-of-the-art spa with one of Europe’s largest hammams. The Ned itself is located in a former bank, and the spa is in what used to be the vaults.
In addition to lounging alongside the space’s tiled pool, guests can experience the space’s barbershop, hair and nail salon, and physiotherapy centre. Treatments include CBD facial and body treatments, Therabody massages and, our favourite, treatments from skin health specialist Annee de Mamiel.
We particularly recommend the de Mamiel Urban Warrior pollution-proof facial, which has been designed exclusively for The Ned. Intended to brighten, cleanse, and release tension from stressed facial muscles, the facial incorporates biohacking techniques to target inflammation and boost skin cell metabolism. At this time of year, the de Mamiel Seasonal Autumn Oil (£94) is incorporated into the facial – a seasonal remedy that protects and prepares the skin for changes in temperatures while also working to ground emotions during a period when schedules become busier than ever.
To bring a bit of the spa home with you afterwards, purchase a vial of de Mamiel’s cult Altitude Oil, a must-have for frequent travels and a reliable cure for occasional hangovers. The potent aromatherapy oil is formulated to help combat the anxiety and fatigue of flying.
Le Petit Saint
Hotel spas are a reliable go-to for a day of indulgence, but for those moments when you need to cram a day's worth of relaxation and recharging into a lunch break, head to Le Petit Saint. The newly opened spot is the first London outpost of Dr Joseph Hkeik, the Australian cosmetic physician known for his innovative work in fillers, who counts celebrities like Eva Mendes and Rita Ora among his clients.
The clinic is one of the best in the city for injectables and cosmetic procedures, and their innovative facial offering is also top-notch (I was so zoned out after trying the Red Carpet Laser Facial that I left all my jewellery behind in the treatment room). But the real secret is the wellness area on the bottom floor of the clinic's enormous Mayfair townhouse. Clients can sign-up for one or all of the clinic’s thirty minute reboot therapies that include a Hyperbaric Hydroxy Therapy, which is ideal for boosting energy and refreshing especially when experiencing jet lag; Pressotherapy suits to stimulate circulation and lymphatic drainage; and Psychoacoustic Energy Pods, which encompass you in darkness and a specially tuned frequency designed to relax you and trigger deep, restorative sleep instantly.