London Wellness Centres: Our Favourites

A collection of our favourite London Wellness Centres, including...

• One set in one of London's most exclusive shopping centres
• One with a popular Watsu Pool
• Information on what a Watsu Pool is
• And much more

Relax. Let your eyes fall closed slowly. Feel your body gently falling into a comfortable position. Focus on your breath. Breathe in. And out. In...and out. And a big breath in. And out. Imagine you are in a busy capital city. Without judgement, notice all that is around you. The beeping of the cars. Children playing a playground. Swearing at each other. A siren. Two sirens. Just two relaxing crimes happening somewhere far far away, as you drift deeper into total relaxation. A car alarm goes off. Now a third siren. As you walk down the streets of this busy capital city, you’re looking for something. Somewhere away from it all. A clearing, an oasis, a getaway. But you don’t want to actually get away from it all. You don’t want to go too far. You’re looking for a retreat without retreating. A getaway without getting away. You’re looking for the best London wellness centres. Now, open your eyes. Return to the room. And have a read of this...

The Lanesborough Club & Spa, Kensington

Ooof. What a way to start. The Lanesborough Club & Spa is as exclusive as it gets in the realm of London Wellness Centres. With internationally renowned practitioners in the fields of fitness, beauty, wellness and mindfulness, they have a 360 degree approach to well-being. Probably more, but circles haven’t caught up with them yet. Manicures and pedicures in their breathtakingly designed Painting Room are a particular delight. And there are ‘Spa Butlers’ on hand to help you get the most from their thermal suites, hydro pool and Rasul mud bath. Their Time for Two spa day offer is ideal for rejuvenation-seeking couples, parents getting treated by their kids, kids getting treated by their parents and friends. And if you need any further convincing, they won the award for Best Hotel Spa in England at the World Spa Awards 2018.

ReCentre, Tooting

While ReCentre in Tooting thrives, my wellness centre has long since been boarded up. Plainly, I got it wrong. Someone told me that there was a gap in the market for a wellness centre in Tooting. I misheard and called my wellness brand Tooting. The centre was shuttered within a fortnight. Clean your ears out, man! And if you need to clean your ears out, you could do a lot worse than an ear candle session at ReCentre, Tooting. ReCentre receive much praise for their focus on getting people back into shape and gaining in confidence after an injury or particular condition. They do this through physiotherapy and osteopathy, thoughtfully tailored to the needs of each client. But their extensive menu of massages, therapies and fitness classes also make this an ideal place for those looking to relax and take the load off for a while, while maybe trying something new. ReCentre is also very competitively priced, which is nice.

Wellness Clinic, Harrods

And back up we go. Right up to the highest echelons of London wellness at this centre located on the Fourth Floor of Harrods. At Harrods, they’ve assembled many of the world’s most lauded experts in the fields of wellness, dermatology and aesthetics. Well, you didn’t expect them to have Andy the Clumsy Acupuncturist, did you? Mandy the mediocre masseuse? 111 Cryo are here with the UK’s first full-body cryotherapy chamber. 3 minute sessions expose the body to freezing temperatures, and aim to reduce inflammation and increase circulation, leading to a healthier body and mind. And New York Dermatology Group offer treatments designed to enhance the appearance of the face and body. Their signature EM Sculpt treatment uses electromagnetic waves to contract and relax stomach and glute muscles over a 30 minute period. So you’re toning your body without doing any exercise. Turns out you can get anything in Harrods.

Triyoga, Across London

I’ll try anything once, me. So why not Triyoga. While the Wellness Clinic at Harrods focuses on exercise-free ways of getting you looking and feeling as you want to, Triyoga encourages you to put the work in. And they’ve become massively popular as a result. Hot and Warm, Dynamic, Relaxing and Therapeutic, Family-Focused: all perfect ways of describing me and the huge amount of yoga they’ve got going on here. But it’s not all about the yoga, which is why Triyoga make our list of the best London wellness centres. Across their five London centres, they offer over 300 treatments performed by hand-selected, independent practitioners. Think up your dream massage. Chances are, Triyoga do it. Are you looking for an energy healing treatment, but don’t know where to start? Triyoga is a great place to dip your toes in for the first time, such is the range of treatments offered here. Triyoga do their best to keep their treatments and classes affordable and accessible. So your accounts will be balanced, along with your chakras.

Akasha Holistic Wellbeing, Soho

When you think about an urban spa and retreat, you’re probably thinking about this place. Akasha hides from the noise of London life in a subterranean home beneath the Hotel Cafe Royal on Regent Street. If you were born there, you’d have no idea that all of London was right above you. Akasha Holistic Wellbeing is probably where Plato got his Allegory of the Cave idea from. The Ancient Greek philosopher had just finished a relaxing, getting-away-from-it-all spa day with best pal Socrates when the lights and chaos and reality of London struck. ‘I must remember to write that down,’ said Plato. ‘No need. I never do. Someone will write it down for your eventually,’ said Socrates. Akasha is huge, so you have plenty of room to spread out by the pool, and you get a wonderful feeling of solace and solitude in the hammam and exercise areas. The Watsu pool is perhaps the standout area for treatments at Akasha. You dip into the pool with a trainer, who gently cradles you in the temperate, chest-high water. They then move, stretch and massage you through the water, leading you to drift off into a deep relaxation. No goggles provided, unfortunately. Those are our favourite London wellness centres. Perhaps you have some favourites of your own. In that case, let us know in the comments below. And if you've *insert plausible excuse for not doing exercise here*, have an ice cream instead.