Living in London is great but sometimes the hustle and bustle can get to you. As a Brighton girl, I’m used to a more relaxed laid back environment and at times, I am overwhelmed. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good spa day. There’s nothing better than spending a few hours being preened and pampered to re-charge the batteries. There are some perks to working for yourself. Wonderful appreciative clients! As a thank you for all my hard work I was treated with to an experience gift voucher. I could choose between flights somewhere, a restaurant booking or hotel stay. I of course chose to start the new year with a Spa day at the ESPA Corinthia. After 8 glorious hours, I came out of the spa a new woman. And here’s why:
The Spa itself
Spread over four floors, the spa features 17 treatment rooms, a private spa suite, nail studio, indoor swimming pool, vitality pool/Jacuzzi, sauna, marble heated loungers and private sleep pods. This spa is spectacular. Everything is so perfectly designed to give the wow factor but is equally warm and inviting.
The massage
I have had a few massages in my time and I can honestly say this was one of the best (if not the best) I’ve ever had! My therapist knew exactly how to work away the tension and her pressure was perfection. Before you begin, you have a mini consultation and asked what you want to get out of the massage (e.g. detox, therapeutic, sports etc.). You then get to choose the oils from the ESPA collection (which all smell incredible by the way), relax on the soft heated bed, and wait for your therapist to work her magic. I had 60 full minutes of bliss and came out relaxed and de-stressed.
The facial
My facial also began with a consultation, and the therapist looked at my skin in detail under a vision lamp. She identified dryness under my eyes, forehead and chin and suggested I had a hydrating treatment. Facials are specifically tailored to you and for 60 minutes, I got a therapeutic, deep cleansing, nourishing massage. I came out with an instant glow and my skin got the VIP treatment.
The sleep pods
Ahh the sleep pods. Probably my favourite room in the entire spa! Located just before the changing area, the room is filled with individual pods with crescent-shaped beds, soft pillows and cosy blankets. A suspended fireplace hangs in the centre of the five pods and you can help yourself to plenty of fruit, nuts and of course water. It was so relaxing in there that I did my meditation, had a little nap felt incredibly relaxed afterwards.
The pool
One of the standout features about the spa is the thermal suite on the bottom level. Heated marble beds, thermal floors, main steam room and an amphitheatre sauna. Though I’m not the strongest swimmer, I had to take a dip in the gorgeous heated pool lined with stainless steel and reflecting lights. The vitality pool was even better, with various air and water massage jets. I definitely had way too many jet sessions but it felt amazing!
The steam room and sauna
A great piece of advice I got from one of the therapists was to have a sauna or steam before a treatment. Apparently, it relaxes your muscles and opens up your pores so the skin is ready to absorb oils. I didn’t realise this so avoided the sauna after my massage, but did have 15 minutes in the black mosaic steam room before my facial. The sauna was great to just look at; a design masterpiece, sunken into the floor and boxed in glass.
Overall, I had a wonderful day at a beautiful spa in a beautiful hotel. The staff are warm and friendly and the treatments superb, really the best I’ve ever had. It truly deserves the five-star rating from all aspects. The only small thing I’d say is that lunch was very very light. I know they said light lunch and you’re not supposed to over eat in a spa but I could have done with a bigger portion!
Overall, I had a wonderful day at a beautiful spa in a beautiful hotel. The staff are warm and friendly and the treatments superb, really the best I’ve ever had. It truly deserves the five-star rating from all aspects. The only small thing I’d say is that lunch was very very light. I know they said light lunch and you’re not supposed to over eat in a spa but I could have done with a bigger portion!
For more information visit https://www.espalifeatcorinthia.com/