With its low lighting and oriental furnishings that look as if they came from souk in Marrakech, it’s much easier to relax at The Spa at Dolphin Square than most clinical, brightly lit spas. Its flagship treatment is the Moroccan Majorelle – which after a difficult few weeks full of stressful meetings, I was more than ready for. The treatment first starts in the spa’s famous Hammam – an ancient cleansing ritual and a staple of Moroccan culture. Lying down in the dark womb-like space on a tiled bed being doused with warm water felt incredibly indulgent but incredibly nice at the same time. My puffy limbs were thoroughly buffed with an exfoliating glove by the cheerful Tellak (therapist trained in Hammam rituals) using a traditional cleansing soap made from crushed olives and olive oil, infused with Eucalyptus. 

After the Hammam, I was left to languish in the spa’s softly lit relaxation area, munching on mouth-watering dates and sipping herbal tea. I was rather reluctant to leave, but after twenty minutes I was led out into a therapy room for the last part of the treatment. Lying on the treatment bed a honey mask was applied to my face with cleansing rhassoul lava clay layered onto the hair and scalp. A blissful back massage completed the treatment, and once I’d showered everything off, was left feeling serene from top to toe. 

£110 for 85 minutes at the Spa at Dolphin Square, Dolphin Square, Chichester Street, London, SW1V 3LX.
For appointments call +44 20 7834 3800

Once you’ve negotiated the many dual carriageways and underpasses of Hyde Park Corner and descended into the basement of The Dorchester, its spa is definitely worth the trip. With its beautiful all white décor there’s definitely something old-school Hollywood about the Dorchester Spa, a centre piece of while lilies and a chandelier suspended overhead in the Reception area, you half expect Ginger Rodgers in floating chiffon to come waltzing in through one of the doors. The plush Art-Deco inspired relaxation room with its shiny surfaces and velvet chaise longues is another bonus and spending too much time here I was in danger of fancying myself quite the prima donna. One of the spa’s latest treatments is Carol Joy’s new Diamond Facial with Oxygen, designed to tone and plump the skin in three steps. The first is microdermabrasion with special diamond-headed tool, an essential in any luxury facial to exfoliate and refine the skin’s texture in a way no manual scrub can.

Next up was the thorough massage – another essential component of any facial  – to lift and tone the muscles, followed by a collagen mask to plump and firm the skin. Lastly the special Oxyjet system delivered pure oxygen into my skin, to giving a radiant finish that I noticed was still visible several weeks afterwards. All in all, it’s a true heavy-duty facial, delivered in heavenly surroundings. 

£170 for 90 minutes at The Dorchester Spa, The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA.
For appointments call +44 207 319 7109

Amid the hubbub of Urban Retreat’s busy reception area cum beauty boutique, spiritual healer Katie Winterbourne guides me through the salon, past the buzzing hairdryers and general chatter coming from the upstairs nail bar to a quiet treatment room at the far side of the salon. Having had counselling in the past, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. All I knew was that Katie was an established intuitive healer with clients from around the globe not to mention a celebrity following. She works by “reading” the client’s unique energy signature - and friends I knew had visited her had only positive things to say.

She and I sit in silence for a few minutes while she “reads” my energy, and then to my surprise, tells me that I seem to have things figured out, I just need to put it all into practice. I was a bit bemused and felt slightly short-changed, thinking she was going to uncover some great tragedy in my past that was the root of all my problems. But as she went on, it became clear that I was not always “in the present” – which I immediately connected with my habitual tendency to daydream. Leaving the session it felt as if a great deal of emotional weight had been lifted. 

£150 for one hour at Urban Retreat, 5th Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL.
For appointments call +44 20 7730 1234