London has a great tradition of grand old hotels, with ostentatious architecture and a treasured sense of the past, some with a spa menu offered alongside your afternoon tea and jaunt along the Thames. This past spring the Corinthia Hotelopened, in a lauded Victorian building, and in July added a spa that commands equal reverence as a new London landmark. With all the quintessentially British touches of pomp and grandiose in the hotel—spot the 1,001-crystal chandelier as you enter—the ESPA Life Spa is the very zenith of modern spa design, for the ultimate indulgent experience.
Comprising four floors and a jaw-dropping 3,300 square meters, the spa opens with a state-of-the-art Daniel Galvin hair salon. As you—quite literally—"walk toward the light" (of the reception area)—the hum of bustling London and the salon’s hair dryers become distant until only the gentle sound of ambient music lightens each step. First up is the nail studio, the exclusive spa lounge, and the private makeover suite; as you soon sense, privacy was a key theme for the designers, GA Design.
Downstairs, the exercise floor houses a high-spec gym and men’s changing rooms, while women get their own private floor, complete with individual sleep pods, vast changing facilities, and a thermal suite—in case you’d rather steam-and-sauna alone. The thermal floor includes a nine-meter silver steel swimming pool—the closest thing to swimming in liquid silver I’ve ever come across—a vitality pool, an amphitheater sauna, a black mosaic steam room, and an ice fountain.
Within the 17 treatment rooms you’ll not only encounter ESPA’s cutting-edge treatments and therapies, but also the collected wisdom of osteopaths, naturopaths, acupuncturists, and physiotherapists—to create a veritable wellness retreat in a luxury setting. And when they say "luxury," they’re not kidding; from the black Tunisian marble, white Italian Calacatta, and handcrafted "champagne" walls to the bacchanalian abundance of fresh fruit and white flowers, everything is, quite simply, breathtaking. The walls of every room are softly curved, specifically designed to enhance the flow of energy, be it in the private exercise pods arranged around the gym, the sumptuous treatment rooms, and even the boudoir-style dressing room. It’s a veritable palace of pampering.
I opted for a consultation with a naturopath followed by the bespoke ESPA Time (£210)—two hours of treatments appropriate to your own specific needs. First, naturopath Hannah Yang recommended a series of supplements based on a thorough consultation, before she met with my therapist to discuss which treatments would be most beneficial to me: a personalised facial, a hot-stone back-neck-and-shoulder massage, and elements of the Active Abdominal Detox.
I enjoyed a soothing foot ritual while I chose oils for both body and face. With a combination of dry body brushing, exfoliation, and hot-stone massage, I was floating within seconds, rousing only to turn for my abdominal treatment—more dry body brushing, exfoliation, massage, and a seaweed wrap. Kim then set to work on my typically wintry complexion, using ESPA Hydrating Cleansing Milk, Refining Skin Polish, and Essential Cleansing Mask. to clear away London’s impurities, before treating my skin to the Balancing Face Treatment Oil and 24-Hour Skin Saviour, to calm seasonally sensitive spots; a scalp massage, to relieve stress and tension; the 24-Hour Replenishing Moisturiser, to nourish dry patches; and Herbal Spafresh Spray and Soothing Eye Lotion, to revitalize and refresh, bringing me back around to reality with far brighter, more radiant skin that no longer cried out for foundation.
While you’re there, be sure to sample a tipple from the Tea Palace menu in the Spa Lounge, and take home ESPA’s 24-Hour Skin Saviour—a great all-around balm for tackling everything from perennial dry patches and irritation to cuts, bites, and stings. It’ll make stepping back out onto London’s streets from this divine microcosm a little more bearable ...
ESPA Life Spa (011-44 207-930 8181, or, toll-free from the U.S., 818-129-5550) is located at the Corinthia Hotel London, Whitehall Place, London. For details, go to espalifeatcorinthia.com.
