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Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.
Why go here?
Taking sanctuary in a spa that prizes peace and absolute serenity always feels like such a luxury when you’re in the middle of a city as big and busy as London. Newly opened and every bit as breathtaking as it had been billed during renovation, the Guerlain Spa in the five-star OWO hotel is 27,000 square feet and four floors of sheer beauty heaven. Whether you’re looking for a special treat, or simply want to while away a languid and luxurious Friday night, this is the place to do it.
What’s the vibe?
Timeless Parisian elegance meets the best in modern beauty treatments, with a showstopping 20-meter pool thrown in for good measure. Although there’s no doubt this is the sharp end of luxury, with all the spa facilities and amenities you could imagine (including experience showers and a movement studio), it manages to maintain an understated vibe, so nothing feels too showy, and no poolside lounger feels out of bounds. The treatment suites themselves (of which there are nine) are spacious yet cozy and feel like miniature apartments, featuring the sort of furniture and finishes you’d find in a lavish city pied-à-terre.
The history?
Billing itself as a “cathedral of relaxation” is no small boast, but if any London spa can lay claim to it, it’s this one. Occupying four floors of the Grade II-listed Edwardian Baroque building in Whitehall, central London, the pool area is the perfect place to start your tour. Its double-height ceiling, architectural arches, and spiral stone staircase are a fitting centerpiece for the spa space.
What should you try?
Given it’s the first treatment space in the UK, it would be remiss not to try one of the signature Guerlain treatments. Both face and body offerings are available, but I plumped for the Royal Glow Tech facial and its promise of born-again skin. Developed especially for Raffles London, this 90-minute treatment combines microdermabrasion with intensive light therapy to encourage a luminous glow and healthy, fresh skin. You should also make sure you wander around L’Atelier Guerlain, a beauty and fragrance emporium that offers express treatments and a specially curated selection of products to buy. If you fancy something special to remember your trip by, you can even book in for a consultation with Guerlain’s master perfumer to create a bespoke fragrance.
How environmentally friendly is it?
Sustainability is woven throughout the fabric of Guerlain the brand, and so it follows that the products used in the treatments and available to buy in the Guerlain boutique follow suit. In 2021, Guerlain became one of the first luxury houses to become a member of the Union for Ethical BioTrade, meaning it has to verify each of its 50 emblematic natural ingredient chains, such as honeys and orchids.
What else do we need to know?
As well as an emphasis on beauty, longevity is very much the focus here, as evidenced by the inclusion of a dedicated wellness space from Harry Jameson’s Pillar Wellbeing. Working synergistically with the Guerlain spa to provide guests with an inside-out approach to beauty and wellbeing, the offering includes the Pillar Kitchen (sample the High Energy Brownies if you try nothing else), nutrition coaching, and a physiotherapy treatment space.
Who can go?
Anyone lucky enough to book a treatment, stay at the hotel, or reside in one of its 85 private residences can use the spa facilities, but do make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to do so. Between the Atelier, the vitality pool, the thermal spa suite, and everything else on offer, a quick jaunt just won’t do it justice. Tiered memberships are available for Pillar Wellbeing for those who want to access top-of-the-range facilities day in, day out.
Booking details for Guerlain Spa
Address: 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX, United Kingdom
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.