The best spas near London

BEAVERBROOK, SURREY

BEST FOR BOLD DESIGN

Distance from London: just under two hours from Waterloo station or 22.5 miles (around one and a half hours) by car

Close enough to swing by for lunch, but just far away enough for a stay to feel like a proper break, Beaverbrook is a deliciously easy weekend hangout for West Londoners. The main house, an imposing 19th-century neo-classical mansion, with its Japanese restaurant and Sharky & George-run kids’ club, is gorgeous. But the really bold design is found in the spa. Artist Brian Clarke has let rip with a primary-coloured Pantone chart of stained-glass work. His simplistic natural designs – oak leaves, cherry blossom, wild poppies, primroses – reference the holistic spa garden that is intrinsic to all of the treatments. A cathedral-like glow falls not only in the open spaces but also in the treatment rooms which are bright and sunshiny, rather than dimmed and cocooning.

Skincare wonder brand Pai has been brought in to create a bespoke range of oils for the Coach House Spa; botanicals include lime and peppermint, chamomile and juniper berry. And while the styling is exceptional, what makes the spa quite so standout are the therapists. The staff have been brought in from far and wide (and of course with London so close, many of them commute from there). Make a beeline for ex-Chelsea Football Club masseur and yoga master Lino Zinchi, whose biodynamic massage is a rollicking ride of sweeping shiatsu, Ayurvedic pulling, Chinese energy release and yogic concepts. His goal is to open up the body so hips are pulled, shoulders are lifted, cheeks are pummelled (bottom and face). He says you will be taller afterwards. Not just feel taller. Actually be taller. As good as anything you’ll find in London, perhaps better. Issy von Simson

Coworth Park, Berkshire

BEST FOR GLEAMING GRANDEUR

Distance from London: just over two hours from Paddington station or 26.7 miles (approximately 55 minutes) by car

Forget about old-fashioned charm or anything shabby chic: Coworth Park is a different beast entirely, with staff who wear headsets to communicate with each other and a veneer as polished as the fleet of Range Rovers in the drive (there are a lot of heels, lipstick and suits in the dining room). Just 45 minutes from London, on a 240-acre estate on the edge of Windsor Great Park, the sprawling white Georgian manor house is manicured perfection, with four-poster beds, huge bathtubs and smoky oak flooring. Outside the gloss continues with some smartly converted stables, a collection of cottages (ideal for families), a rose garden, tennis courts and – star of the show – a fabulously sparky eco-spa. The swimming pool is very slick, lined in gigantic amethyst crystals and with music playing underwater. There are also den-like saunas and steam rooms to retreat to. And the treatments deliver exactly what is needed: Carol Joy collagen facials, spirulina wraps, wildly invigorating eucalyptus exfoliations and the sedating Insomniac’s Dream massage, which includes a mass of powerful scalp work to slow down a racing mind. And to seal the deal? Immaculate Hot To Trot pedicures afterwards. Even the changing rooms are a treat to use, but don’t leave your hairbrush behind. Regardless of whether it’s a Mason Pearson beauty or a seen-better-days Tangle Teezer, it will be taken by security guards, moved to the main hotel, and boxed up like precious jewellery for collection. It’s just that kind of place.

CLIVEDEN HOUSE, BERKSHIRE

BEST FOR STAR-QUALITY SKINCARE

Distance from London: two hours from Marylebone station or 29 miles (just over one hour) by car

This is a place that needs no introduction. The legendary long drive up to the majestic splendour of Cliveden does not disappoint. Nor do the spectacular views across the Chiltern Hills, or the exquisite green spaces – the rose garden, the water garden and the round garden – surrounding the Grade I-listed country estate. Nor of course that famous outdoor pool in the walled garden, where the spa is found. Leading the charge is a facialist who also needs no introduction: Sarah Chapman, the most impossible-to-book skin specialist in London, has set up a new outpost here, 45 minutes’ drive from her clinic in Chelsea, with a rigorously trained team. Her Skinesis products, used by Victoria Beckham, Gigi Hadid and Meghan Markle, have won countless awards. The treatments themselves are properly results-driven (nice to find in a country spa), but not so functional and focused that they aren’t also deeply relaxing. A foot-bathing ritual and skin diagnosis kick off the 60-minute bespoke facial before you hop onto a water-topped bed. The baobab and jojoba aromas of the double cleanse are as deliciously hypnotic as the cleansing process itself. This is followed by a chemical peel that remains on the skin for three minutes, accompanied by an extremely relaxing chest and arm massage.

Next up, the application of the overnight exfoliator, which involves more of Chapman’s unique signature massage techniques – ‘gymnastics for the face’ she calls it – with a potent jasmine scent relaxing you even more. The finale of a mask, serum and cream completes this firming and plumping treatment which also smoothes the skin and targets signs of ageing (always welcome). It’s not hard to see why Sarah Chapman has garnered such a cult following, and if you want to go one step further there’s the Skinesis Stem Cell Collagen Activator, which includes micro-needling and LED-light therapy (£280 for 120 minutes) and is also exclusive to Cliveden. Martha Ward

Read our full review of Cliveden house here

Grayshott, Surrey

BEST FOR A DIGESTIVE REBOOT

Distance from London: approximately two hours and 20 minutes from Waterloo station or 53.4 miles (just under one and a half hours) by car

Picture a boarding school in the 1960s: rolling parkland, mullioned windows, a panelled dining room and staff who are polite, motherly even, but very, very firm. This is not, it’s made clear, a detox programme; it’s all about gut re-education. The subtle but significant difference is that the digestive system is repaired, or ‘healed and sealed’, as they like to sing. Bad bacteria is flushed out, good bacteria pumped in, and easily digested food introduced. Your blood is analysed, body composition examined – down to fat distribution and protein mass – diet deconstructed and individual goals set. The good news is that these targets are hit by focusing on food and not exercise. The bad news is that the food is unremittingly regimented: no alcohol, grains, sugars, caffeine, dairy or puddings, limited carbs and barely any fruit. Instead, there’s sea trout with fennel and coconut milk or smoked duck breast with lentil and lime ragout. You become fixated on your next meal and learn to spin them out – a good thing, as chewing is great for digestion; you’re even encouraged to chew your soup. By day four you start to feel full, headachy withdrawal symptoms are gone and your stomach is flatter. Distractions include heaps of free classes, hydrotherapy baths, abdominal massages and castor oil compresses. Be sure to opt for the faded charm of a Manor House room; the extension-wing rooms are bland by comparison.

The Grove, Hertfordshire

BEST FOR GREEN SURROUNDS

Distance from London: 20 minutes by train from London Euston to Watford Junction or 18 miles (around 45 minutes) by car

Known by some as ‘the city’s country hotel’ – it’s just a quick dash from North London – The Grove is favoured by visiting stars and politicians (especially those hoping to squeeze golf onto their itineraries), as well as actors shooting in nearby Pinewood Studios and England’s football team, who often take over the west wing to make the most of its privacy and lush pitches. However, the majority of regulars at the hotel’s Sequoia Spa are locals who love to make the most of their membership, using it as a sleek home from home.

The spa itself is a cool and quiet subterranean space, a short distance from the main building within the property’s 300-acre grounds. There’s a peaceful Asian design influence – you’ll spot walled gardens with rockeries and swaying bamboo as you breeze along the light-filled corridors to a comfortably sized treatment room, via changing rooms large enough to socially distance in without even thinking about it. Service is warm but respectful and, to avoid masses of form-filling, guests are asked a number of not-too-personal questions in a more conversational way to ensure the experience is as bespoke as possible. The various creams and peels used are high-quality, seemingly effective and gorgeous-smelling – principally ESPA, or citrusy Nature Bissé for a gentler option – with some unique twists available, such as a diamond-infused facial peel that fizzes on the skin as though you’ve just been doused in Champagne.

Exercise classes are held indoors and outside, and the gym is airy – but the black-mosaic-tiled, extremely Zen pool and jacuzzi is recommended by repeat visitors as the go-to above all other hotel attractions, even beyond the spa (such as the cute man-made beach next to the al-fresco pool, pretty ‘outdoor kitchen’ created during lockdown, and the woodland cycle and walking track). And one silver lining of 2020 government guidelines is that you can reserve the whole pool almost entirely to yourself. Becky Lucas

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