Best for: couples who want to splash out
The place for total, utter and complete indulgence, Knightsbridge’s Ushvani should be on every spa-lover’s bucket list. Founded by Usha Arumugam with the aim of bringing an authentic Malaysian-style spa to London, Ushvani offers weary city dwellers an exotic retreat.
Hidden just off Sloane Square and behind a hefty wooden door, Ushvani is decked out with luxurious swirling marble and dark wood furnishings. Upon arrival your shoes are quickly removed, your bags whisked away and you’re presented with a soothing hot towel before you’ve even had a chance to turn your phone to silent. At Ushvani, you have no choice other than to chill the hell out – and boy, will you be thankful for that.
Like the décor, the treatment menu here is Asian-inspired and features a nutmeg flower bath, kaffir lime scrub, coconut milk wrap plus the divine Malay massage. In London's coldest months, the Warming Herbal Ritual is a warming highlight, which combines Thai and Shiatsu massage with reflexology. You’ll be prodded, pommelled, rubbed, stroked and, at times, stretched into yoga-like poses, but after 90 minutes of this you’ll feel like you’re levitating.
The ultimate luxury at Ushavni is a session in the Asmara suite, where you and your significant other/mother/lucky mate can enjoy three hours of extreme pampering in your own private room, which is kitted out with twin massage beds, an enormous marble bath, shower and day loungers for, erm, lounging.
Aside from the divine therapies on offer, facilities include a girls-only hydrotherapy pool, steam room and hibiscus tea lounge. Visiting males have access to a private relaxation room upstairs.
A true urban oasis, a trip to Ushvani doesn’t come cheap – treatments start at £130 – but if you are keen to splash the cash, you will get a whole lot of relaxation for your money.