Cleanliness ~ 9.5/10
Relaxation Factor ~ 9/10
Treatment ~ 8/10
Customer Service ~ 9.5/10
Facilities ~ 8.5/10
Grand Total ~ 8.9/10
The Highs
- Treatments. The first half was divine. Divine! I had a milk and honey body wrap which started with a full body salt scrub. In contrast to my experience at the Corinthia, this was done very well. It smelled fabulous and the therapist really covered all the areas that needed to be without rushing. After washing it off (there's a shower in the treatment room) I was ready for the actual wrap itself. I lay on what can only be described as some type of cling-film-tissue-paper-combo (!) as the mixture was applied. Afterwards, I was wrapped up and covered with a warm blanket. Then came the hot oil scalp massage (I'd chosen orange blossom) at which point I fell asleep. The true sign of a fab treatment! Then it was back to the shower to wash it all off before my 90 minute (yes, you read that correctly) body massage. I had a light to medium pressure used on me. After this came a 45 minute facial. Both the massage and the facial were performed using Murad products (the 'Essential-C Cleanser' was very refreshing). Nothing out of this world in terms of technique (the Sofitel massage is still the tops) but the products did leave my skin looking very hydrated and happy! My therapist was also very good in terms of interaction - just enough to let me know what she was about to do and to discuss any specific requirements but not in any way disrupting the treatments. Thumbs up!
- Location. The spa was just a few minutes walk from Green Park station.
- Products. I mentioned one of the products above. The other impressive one was the AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser - gentle but effective. I had absolutely no adverse reaction the next day. The products available in the changing room showers were from the 'Essential Elements' range by Gilchrist & Soames. They were wonderful too and probably the nicest I've come across to date - I'm very tempted to buy them to recreate the experience at home!
- Customer Service. It was very easy to book and I received a courtesy reminder call the day before. The lady on reception when I arrived was very friendly and showed me around the facilities.
- Atmosphere. I seem to have a knack for picking times of day when no one else is around. This time, again, I pretty much had the entire spa to myself! I arrived an hour beforehand in order to use the steam and sauna rooms and found that I was the only one in there - perfect! I was also the only one using the changing rooms (which are small but fit for purpose). All of this combined with the treatment length is what made me give it a 9/10. The reason for writing about it in the in-betweens? Minor quibble but either the corridor outside the treatment rooms needs a carpet or there needs to be a soft-footwear rule! During my massage I could hear people walking up and down and talking too. It was a tad disruptive when I was trying to switch off.
- Treatment structure. For the price, what you get is amazing. However, it is a long set of treatments (3hrs 15 mins) and there is no break in the middle. Considering that I'd been there since 11.30am, by the end of the afternoon I was starving. A mini-lunch or provision of some healthy snacks would have been ideal. There were some apples in the relaxation room but I'm allergic to these so I just had to make do with water.
- Facilities. I think picking a cold weekday in January was probably great timing - the changing room and facilities are fairly small so it wouldn't be as relaxing if it were even a bit more busier than it was. Hairdryers and straighteners were provided, as were brushes - for the latter, I'm not a fan of communal ones so maybe some disposable combs would have been a better idea. Do note that slippers are not provided and the robes look as if they've seen better days, but were perfectly clean. Towels were perfectly adequate although not in abundant supply. As with the Sofitel, this isn't a large spa so there is no pool. Not being a fan of luke-warm water, I didn't mind this at all. Bring on the sauna heat as far as I'm concerned!!
The Lows
None. I didn't encounter anything that made me frown!
Overall it was a very nice experience. The customer service was excellent and the spa rooms were clean and atmospheric (see pic above!). If you'd like to try the same experience, I chose the Frangipani and Lotus Ceremony - at the time I booked this was £279. Definitely value for money - I left feeling incredibly relaxed and very Cleopatra-ish!
Would I go again? I'd definitely visit just for that wonderful milk and honey scrub - that was heavenly. Well done, the May Fair.
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