The most exclusive hotels in the UK are upping their spa games. What better surroundings could there be to unwind in?
Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland
Built in 1924 to pander to the beau monde’s penchant for golf, Gleneagles is now also home to a cutting-edge, multi-award-winning Espa Life concept spa.
As well as health checks, personal training and an array of wellbeing, alternative medicine, and therapeutic treatments, the spa’s chill-out facilities are also hard to tear yourself away from, with ice rubs, arctic mist showers, Swedish-style saunas and a vitality pool. We experienced the deeply relaxing ReBalance oils (80 minutes, £140).
It’s also not only home to three of the finest championship golf courses in Europe – this year, Gleneagles hosted the 40th Ryder Cup, marking the first time since 1972 that the competition has been hosted on Scottish soil – but also boasts an array of outdoor activities from falconry to off-road Land Rover safaris.
Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterader, Perthshire, PH3; gleneagles.com
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THE GRAND, BRIGHTON
The newly opened state-of-the-art spa, part of a £5m refurbishment at the landmark Victorian seafront hotel, is a haven for men.
The new spa offers Espa signature treatments (the spa has nine dedicated treatment rooms), a thermal suite with saunas, steam rooms and ‘experience’ showers, and even a Spa Café.
We tried the ‘Hero’ treatment (85 minutes, £89), an Espa experience delivering triple results by targeting three key areas: the back, face and scalp.
Included within this experience is a back exfoliation, a back massage with the additional choice of hot stones if you wish, a personalised facial and a scalp massage with or without Pink Hair And Scalp Mud.
The Grand, Brighton, BN1; devere-hotels.co.uk/the-grand
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CLARIDGE’S, LONDON
Its hard to believe that U2 and Mick Jagger would choose to stay in the same hotel as favored by Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant, but then Claridge’s isn’t just any hotel. Steeped in history and appreciated by royals and Hollywood gentry alike, it is easily identifiable by its Gatsby-esque art deco interior – even though it was founded in 1812.
The spa offers a wide range of signature treatments using the ethically sound and effectively renowned Sisley Paris products. The Supreme Anti-Aging facial (one hour, £133), using Sisleyum For Men Skin Savior, is the spa’s latest solution to combat the signs of aging, leaving you uplifted and radiant.
Claridge’s, London, W1; claridges.co.uk/health-club-and-spa
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THE DORCHESTER, LONDON
The Dorchester has hosted the noble and noteworthy for more than 80 years. So it comes as no surprise to find out great attention has been paid to the spa, with nine treatment rooms including a sleek relaxation room. We experienced the The Refinery Aromatherapy Associates Men’s
Facial (one hour, £105), and left looking clean and luminous.
The Dorchester, London, W1; thedorchester.com
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THE CONNAUGHT, LONDON
Set in the heart of Mayfair, Aman Spa at The Connaught is the go-to treatment destination for intimate luxury.
The core of the spa menu features four treatments or experiences based on traditions and influences from China, India, the Americas and Thailand.
Recommended for detoxification and re-energising, each Aman Spa Experience or treatment uses the spa’s own specially formulated products and lasts 150 minutes (£280).
Renowned as it is for its cocktail menu, a visit to The Connaught would not be complete without having your martini of choice crafted in front of you by a specially trained mixologist, straight from the hotel’s famous Martini Trolley.
The Connaught Hotel, London, W1; the-connaught.co.uk
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COWORTH PARK, ASCOT
The Dorchester’s country hotel may not be cheap, but the experience of being treated like a sultan is well worth it. The spa on site is a counterpoint to the hotel’s old-school luxury and has enough Aromatherapy Associates scents, creams and potions to make you emerge resembling an eight-month old child.
The Swedish full-body massage (50 minutes, £80) is recommended.
Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire; coworthpark.com
