Who doesn’t love a spa day? My mum and I headed for a girls day out in London last week which started at the Thai Square Spa on Northumberland Avenue and finished at Maitre Choux (who if you don’t know, do amazing eclairs!).
As soon as we walked into the spa, we were greeted with smiling faces and attentive receptionists – a great starting point. Nothing makes your experience better than having friendly and helpful staff, of which the spa has plenty. After filling out some forms we were lead to a striking changing room, complete with sparkly red tiles, and given our robes and slippers. I’ve never been to a spa in the heart of London, but this one’s decor really stood out for me. From my experience spa’s have always been decorated quite calmly, for obvious reasons, and the colour of the changing rooms was definitely a bold move – but one that I think paid off. Who want’s to feel relaxed in the changing room anyway? It’s the treatments and relaxation area that matters! Plus I think this particular choice made the changing rooms feel more modern in keeping with the individuality of the spa which boasts an eclectic mix of Thai, Roman, and Turkish décor.
Once changed, we were lead downstairs to wait for our therapists. I always wondered how spas in central London capitalised on space, and the secret is in the basement! We waited in an area lit by candlelight – albeit this made it a little hard to read the magazines – and were offered traditional Thai tea whilst we were waiting. The kitchen was right beside one of the relaxation areas, which meant when people were using the sink etc it was a little noisy, but we soon realised there was another more private relaxation area around the corner, which we would have sat in instead had we realised.
I chose to have a Himalayan Ritual Massage, which boasted of combining a variety of Oriental massage techniques with essential oils in a room filled with Salt. I chose this massage because I wanted to try something different, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, which meant I entered the treatment with a completely open mind. Thai Square Spa is designed to be a haven of tranquillity, and this massage definitely helped me unwind.
My mum chose a Traditional Thai Facial and couldn’t have raved about it more. She said the therapist was attentive, well trained and the products of exceptional quality. They steamed, preened and massaged her face with hot mittens and the facial left her skin feeling soft, nourished and thoroughly cleansed. The therapist washed her feet in a rose petal bath to begin with, and she said she didn’t want the whole experience to end. Luckily we both had our treatments at the same time, so we could enjoy the spa together afterwards.
Once we’d finished off our treatments we set about looking for the Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam Room – because what better way to continue your relaxation that with a dip in a steaming hot pool – and steaming hot it was. In all honesty, I have never been in a jacuzzi so hot – and for me personally, this wasn’t a bad thing. There’s nothing worse than getting used to the temperature in a jacuzzi after just a few minutes and it suddenly feel cold – there was no danger of that here, and if it did get too much, we simply sat on the side and dangled our legs in. The perfect balance. The only slight confusion was that the therapists didn’t seem to know where the jacuzzi was, or rather kept directing us to different places before we realised it was locked. It turns out this is because it is an extra charge to use these particular facilities, and we were eventually given keys to swipe in and out for one hour. One hour was actually the perfect amount of time to spend in this part of the spa and we happily meandered from jacuzzi, to steam room to sauna.
The space itself was beautifully decorated and as expected quite small, which was in no way a hinderance as there was only the two of us in there and it actually made it better. I’m not sure if your experience would be slightly different if there were more people using the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room at the same time but you do have to book a slot, so hopefully they keep guests to a minimum. I would definitely come back to use these facilities and would recommend the use for couples, too, as the space is refreshingly intimate.
It was definitely a unique experience and I’m so glad my mum and I got to enjoy a day out together. I would definitely return and would love to try a facial next time. See below a few images of the spa – I’d love to hear about your own spa experiences!
