Where the City borders the West End lies a hotel with a subterranean spa comprising a treatment list designed to impress even the most accomplished of spa visitors. Its name? The One Aldwych Hotel.
I was there recently for their Natura Bisse La Alternativa Smooth facial, which is, strictly speaking, designed for older skins than mine, but if you book in for a facial and the therapists here think it won’t suit your skin type, they will cater your treatment accordingly.
I had a sample of the wrinkle-busting element of the treatment and found it both innovative and also a little comical. It required a slathering of Inhibit 3D concentrate, followed by pressure applied with a tuning fork which needed a bang every minute or so to keep the vibrations going. To keep giggles at bay, I kept reminding myself that my impulse to snigger was the very reason I had the expression lines around my mouth that required vibration.
After a massage, a cool algae mask was layered on top of the creams on my skin. While the coolness was soothing, my eyes were covered, which made me feel a little entombed. Odd elements of entombment and vibrations aside, this is a relaxing and remedial facial which really delivers – my skin looked and felt softer and free of furrows on emerging.
Once out the spa, I went for a swim in the chlorine-free pool where on dipping underwater I was amazed that the claims of underwater music were no fallacy – opera streamed into my ears along with water.
This is another reason to go to this place – use of the gym, pool and steam/sauna are all included in the price of the treatment, so if you’ve got a wallet to stretch to a treatment a week, this could make for a rather fabulous Friday night routine…