T here is no shortage of space at Espa Life, the Corinthia’s labyrinthine underground spa, which is set across four enormous, Italian marble-clad floors directly beneath this Westminster hotel. Since opening in 2011, it has remained one of London’s most impressive spas, thanks to its memorable monochromatic design and complex treatment menu. Science-focused facials from the German brand Dr Barbara Sturm, which take place in one of 17 circular pods, are the highlight here.
But with so much else to try (high-tech body treatments, sleep pods, heated loungers, and a sauna built into an epic glass-walled amphitheatre), the 3,300 sq m space has something to excite even the most experienced spa visitor. The hotel above, a short stroll from the Thames, is equally luxe, featuring celebrity chef-led restaurants including Kerridge’s Bar & Grill and an in-house florist that you smell before you see. The grand Victorian-era building once served as the fashionable Metropole hotel; no expenses were spared on the decor when it reopened over a decade ago — the palatial lobby features an enormous 1,001-bauble Baccarat crystal chandelier — but modernly-appointed rooms still feel cosy and (aspirationally) homely.
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