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THE SPA AT LUTON HOO
BEDFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
Anyone flying to England via London’s Luton Airport need not forsake indulgence. Just two miles away, a honey-hued 18th-century mansion has become a gracious five-star hotel. Before Elite Hotels spent £60 million on converting Luton Hoo into a luxury hotel, other extravagant owners left their mark. The mansion was built in 1767 for the third Earl of Bute by renowned architect Robert Adam, while celebrated gardener Capability Brown added formal Italianate gardens, a lake, and landscaped the 1,065 acres of parkland. More recently, diamond merchant Sir Julius Wernher wanted an opulent belle époque interior to complement his priceless art collection, so he had the house remodeled by the architects of the Ritz Hotel in London. The extravagant, marble-walled state dining room is today the hotel’s gastronomic Wernher Restaurant. In 1947 the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh spent part of their honeymoon at Luton Hoo, joining a list of illustrious houseguests that includes Winston Churchill. The Queen is still a regular visitor. The hotel has 144 bedrooms and suites, while the spa occupies an historic stable block near the mansion. Once home to champion racehorses, today the stables, grooms’ quarters, and tack room have become treatment rooms, a sauna, a steam room, a gym, and an 18-meter pool stunningly situated in an oak-framed barn. Head Therapist Becky Lewis explained how the spa uses organic Circaroma products specially blended with ingredients taken from Luton Hoo’s beautiful historical gardens. As part of the Five Senses Facial, Lewis used warm aromatic muslin cloths to gently steam my skin, then she prepared a purifying mask to which she added geranium for its nourishing properties; other bespoke ingredients included fennel, chamomile, and rosemary. This was followed by a face and scalp massage using organic rose and bergamot facial serum. Additional amenities fit for a queen include the 18-hole par 73 golf course, tennis courts, and croquet lawn, with archery, falconry, and clay pigeon shooting available by prior arrangement. Deluxe mansion rooms £325 per night, state suites £850 per night, 40 min. Spa Defined Facial £70, signature Five Senses Facial £115. http://www.lutonhoo.com
—Stuart Haggas

GENTLEMEN’S TONIC
LONDON, ENGLAND
The English gentleman is renowned worldwide for his sartorial style. Helping the modern British male to maintain standards set by the likes of James Bond is Gentlemen’s Tonic. Discreetly located in a quiet mews in upscale Mayfair, the exclusive, members club ambience of GT guarantees its appeal among well-groomed executives and wannabe secret agents. Designed by Panudda Foers, the neutral decor, and the combination of wood, leather, and marble is masculine without being too macho. Upstairs is a reception and retail area, stocking the recently launched Gentlemen’s Tonic Babassu & Bergamot skin and hair-care range alongside other premium male grooming lines. Beyond this are four spacious barber stations for haircuts, wet shaves, and beard trims—each complete with personal plasma TVs, and with curtains to provide privacy if required. It’s the discreet treatment rooms in the basement that afford more radical refinement. Far more than a modern barbershop, the GT menu offers facials, massages, reflexology, reiki, manicures, waxing, eyebrow shaping, teeth whitening, and nutrition and image consultations to its male clients. It’s not without a sense of humor, either, as demonstrated by spa packages such as The Hemingway: an aromatherapy facial and massage accompanied by a potent and spicy Bloody Mary (perfect “after a heavy night of drinking and bull fighting”); and The Valentino, a hand and foot treatment, rejuvenating facial, and revitalizing eye mask. For more pressing ailments like jet lag, I was advised to try GT’s signature The Traveller, which is specially designed to alleviate the fatigue and tension associated with flying. The company was launched in 2004, but 2008 sees the opening of two new facilities. A new branch has also opened in Houston, Texas, so ranchers and oil barons can become gentlemen too! Wet shave £32, 30 min. Swedish massage £40, 30 min. Express Facial £40, The Hemingway package £150, The Valentino package £155. http://www.gentlemenstonic.com
—Stuart Haggas

THE SPA AT CHANCERY COURT
LONDON, ENGLAND
The lobby of the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel was featured in the film Wilde, so it’s highly appropriate that the spa there offers indulgence and pampering of which Oscar himself would have been proud. Located underground, the Zen-like interior with bamboo walls and slate floors bears no resemblance to the opulent Edwardian décor of the hotel above. A short walk from Covent Garden, The Spa at Chancery Court offers more than 40 treatments inspired by European and Asian disciplines. With the entire spa all to myself early one morning, after changing into a thick, soft robe, I was invited to unwind in the circular Relaxation Room. Decorated with shimmering gold leaf and teak veneer, candles flickering, it feels like a deluxe wigwam, complete with electronically adjustable lounge chairs. I opted for the signature Back Buster treatment (60 min. £80). My therapist offered me a choice of soothing or invigorating treatments and I opted for the latter, since it was 9:30 A.M. and I had a busy day planned. Once on the heated massage table (a lovely sensation), she placed a steaming bowl of oil- infused water on the floor beneath my face so I could breathe the vapors. She then set to work on my back in a way that I can only describe as a very glamorous car wash. I was rubbed with a soft scrubbing brush, salted, scraped, oiled, pummeled, and finally gently kneaded with hot, round rocks. An intense hour later I was offered a glass of cool water and she suggested I relax in the Amethyst Crystal Steam Room. After that I tried a quick session in the unusually-named Lifestyle Shower with its two settings: Cool Mist, with a fine spray of peppermint infused water and lights that change from blue to purple; and Tropical Rainstorm, where a down-pour of warm water combines with red and orange lights to provide a calming effect. I tried both and found them to be a shock to the system, but some people enjoy that sensation. I settled for a final few minutes in the Relaxation Room before getting dressed to tackle the day. http://www.spachancerycourt.com
—David Orchard

SPA LONDON
LONDON, ENGLAND
London’s East End, historically impoverished and run-down, is now a happening hub of art, fashion, and culture. This area has witnessed many remarkable transformations over the years. One example is York Hall in Bethnal Green. A century ago, most households in this poor and densely populated neighborhood lacked proper washing facilities, so in 1929, grand, neo-Georgian York Hall was converted into a public bathhouse. Its Turkish, Russian, and Scandinavian-style steam baths appealed to hardworking locals, while the social aspect of communal bathing facilitated a discreet gay clientele. A lack of investment ultimately meant that York Hall’s bathing facilities fell into disrepair. Threatened with closure in 2004, Tower Hamlets Council joined forces with Greenwich Leisure Limited, and following a £1.4 million refurbishment, York Hall’s baths have reopened as spa London. Described as the UK’s first public sector spa, its mandate is to make the day spa concept affordable and accessible. After checking in with Spa Manager Pauline Dove, I was presented with a nifty string bag containing a towel, robe, and flip flops. The spa’s focal point is the large Hammam. I was advised to begin there, because reclining on its warm, mosaic-tiled surfaces will acclimatize your body in preparation for rooms with more extreme temperatures. These include a sequence of dry air rooms of increasing heat (warm tepidarium, hotter caldarium, and hottest laconium), designed to relax muscles; a steam room to soften skin and cleanse pores; and a dry sauna where temperatures of up to 100ºC will help you sweat out impurities. Aroma-infused monsoon showers refresh, while a dip in the ice-cold plunge pool stimulates circulation and makes grown men yelp like puppies! There’s also a relaxation lounge where complimentary fruit, herbal tea, and cucumber infused water aid rehydration. In the old days, bathhouse regulars would give each other massages, but today there’s a team of qualified therapists, four candlelit treatment rooms, and a menu of facials and body wraps using Thalgo products. Intended to cleanse and relax the post-workout body, my Gym & Tonic treatment also de-stressed my shoulders, which spend too long hunched over a laptop. As spa London endeavors to be affordable, its décor is simple and functional rather than luxurious. Spa admission £21, 25 min. massage £36, 30 min. Absolute Hydration facial £34, 55 min. Gym & Tonic treatment £47. http://www.spa-london.org
—Stuart Haggas

SPA VALMONT
COURCHEVEL, FRANCE
The French Alps offer scenery that tends to make any traveler forget stressful day-to-day worries, and with the newly expanded spa at Hôtel de Charme Les Airelles, it’s even easier. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the hotel’s Spa Valmont now measures 9,100 square feet, with splendid new touches including an indoor waterfall as well as indoor and outdoor whirlpool baths. For a truly Alpine experience, head into the spa’s new snow cave, a peaceful place lined with fine, pure snow that is meant to serve as a soothing complement between visits to the sauna. Equally innovative is the new, scented jet shower system, which incorporates aromas, sounds, and lights to create a unique cleansing experience. Valmont has also launched a new hair repair treatment system, exclusively available here, which includes shampoos, masks, nourishing oils, and other products to pamper your tired locks. To refuel before, during, or after your treatments, the spa’s new bar serves up a tasty array of fresh fruit juices and herbal teas. The spa isn’t the only part of this elegant property that is showing off new amenities for guests. The recently completed, $31 million renovation also resulted in a new wing with suites graced with Alpine-style décor. There is also a new restaurant, Pierre Gagnaire for Les Airelles, named for its chef. Take a seat at this intimate, 28-seat restaurant, gaze upon the dramatic slopes outside, and enjoy gourmet cuisine after a day at the spa. http://www.airelles.fr
—Mark Chesnut

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