Review: One Aldwych
It’s time to get ready for the party season, and although it’s what’s on the inside that really counts, the way your skin looks really does say a lot about your lifestyle. So even if you’re haggard from late nights in front of the computer (me) or a few too many gins (er, also me), then cheat a little this Christmas and book in for a facial at super hotel One Aldwych, in central London. The results will fool anyone into thinking that you lead a life of leisure with lots of lie-ins and hours of pampering.
The smooth clean lines of the subterranean spa invite you into an oasis of cool and calm, while upstairs in the lobby bar the party crowd are sipping bespoke cocktails, their laughter echoing around the airyinteriors of this grand, rather lovely hotel.
Down at the spa, there is a warm welcome, with offers of water (three different infusions), a fluffy bathrobe, slippers and a generous white towel.
After a tour of the facilities (there is shampoo and conditioner, of course, and facial cleanser and moisturiser too), I am ushered into a rather simple, but inviting treatment room, where my therapist, Carleen, talks me through the steps of the Oxygen Essential facial.
But first, there is the matter of the body oil I have to choose – there are four, infused with ginger, rose, sandalwood and lavender and the one you choose informs the nature of your experience, whether you have a calming, soothing or a revitalising scent floating around you for the next hour.
All the facials at this spa use Spanish brand Natura Bissé, whose products are designed to introduce oxygen into your skin. The products contain hydrogen peroxide (it’s not bleach) and once the molecules penetrate the epidermis, they’re transformed into water and oxygen, supplying moisture and vitality.
Once my face was cleansed, Carleen applied a glyco-peal, which sounds alarming, but was actually very gentle on the skin (and comes in three different strengths) and removed the accumulated dead cells nicely. While the peel was on, she massaged my arms and head with the ginger-infused oil I had chosen earlier – bliss!
Once the peel was off, she carried out a lymphatic massage by pressing down on my chin and neck (not at all unpleasant), and indeed, my face seemed more toned and slimmer in the next couple of days.
After the treatment, I took a quick dip in the chlorine-free 18-metre pool and an hour later emerged feeling and looking divine, and ready to take on the party season.
One Aldwych’s Health Club is on the lower ground floor at One Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ. For treatment selections and reservations, call 020 7300 0600 or visit www.onealdwych.com/health-club.aspx Facials cost from £50.
The smooth clean lines of the subterranean spa invite you into an oasis of cool and calm, while upstairs in the lobby bar the party crowd are sipping bespoke cocktails, their laughter echoing around the airyinteriors of this grand, rather lovely hotel.
Down at the spa, there is a warm welcome, with offers of water (three different infusions), a fluffy bathrobe, slippers and a generous white towel.
After a tour of the facilities (there is shampoo and conditioner, of course, and facial cleanser and moisturiser too), I am ushered into a rather simple, but inviting treatment room, where my therapist, Carleen, talks me through the steps of the Oxygen Essential facial.
But first, there is the matter of the body oil I have to choose – there are four, infused with ginger, rose, sandalwood and lavender and the one you choose informs the nature of your experience, whether you have a calming, soothing or a revitalising scent floating around you for the next hour.
All the facials at this spa use Spanish brand Natura Bissé, whose products are designed to introduce oxygen into your skin. The products contain hydrogen peroxide (it’s not bleach) and once the molecules penetrate the epidermis, they’re transformed into water and oxygen, supplying moisture and vitality.
Once my face was cleansed, Carleen applied a glyco-peal, which sounds alarming, but was actually very gentle on the skin (and comes in three different strengths) and removed the accumulated dead cells nicely. While the peel was on, she massaged my arms and head with the ginger-infused oil I had chosen earlier – bliss!
Once the peel was off, she carried out a lymphatic massage by pressing down on my chin and neck (not at all unpleasant), and indeed, my face seemed more toned and slimmer in the next couple of days.
After the treatment, I took a quick dip in the chlorine-free 18-metre pool and an hour later emerged feeling and looking divine, and ready to take on the party season.
One Aldwych’s Health Club is on the lower ground floor at One Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ. For treatment selections and reservations, call 020 7300 0600 or visit www.onealdwych.com/health-club.aspx Facials cost from £50.