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CityPoint Club, Barbican - 5 bubbles
Shy Spy was invited to this City of London spa to sample their impressive range of treatments, and discovered it was just as much a health club as a spa, so you're never short of things to do. She loved the pools and her peat facial. We're looking forward to hearing more about the pole-dancing class.
First impressions?
How did they welcome you?
What happens next?
Which treatments did you have?
What were the treatments like?
How did you feel afterwards?
What happens afterwards?
Long-term effects
Was it worth it?
What else could you have?
Any special features?
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
First impressions?
The CityPoint tower is the third tallest skyscraper in the City of London, so it's pretty hard to miss. It's just around the corner from the Barbican Centre. The huge expanse of this glass-sided building overlooks a paved courtyard area. Office workers go for lunch here at one of the cafés with outdoor seating.
Walking to CityPoint at lunchtime in the corporate heart of London did mean that I was one of the only conspicuously casually dressed pedestrians...
How did they welcome you?
You enter the CityPoint tower at ground level. There is a receptionist to greet you and point you towards the lift. The lift takes you down one level to the CityPoint Club, where another receptionist greets you at another reception desk.
A friendly member of staff gave me my personal treatment schedule, complete with timings, so I wouldn't forget when to get out of the steam room.
The CityPoint Club feels surprisingly spacious for a lower-ground-floor spa. High ceilings and day-bright lighting make you forget that there aren't any windows throughout the whole place.
What happens next?
A member of staff asked me to take a seat in the café. Refreshments on arrival are included for day-package guests, which is a nice touch. There were some tasty smoothies and juices on offer, along with a healthy menu of snacks and lighter meals. The café was quite smart for a health club, with a contemporary bistro feel: neutral walls, pale wood and steel, plus bright red contemporary chairs. The huge glass walls of the pool run along one side, but as the glass is slightly tinted, it isn't too much like a fishbowl.
One of the very pleasant, approachable staff members then gave me a tour of the club. As this is a health club and spa, there is plenty to do. CityPoint's facilities include two squash courts, studios for one of the many classes on offer, and a well-equipped gym with all the latest equipment. The 20-metre pool is set up with lanes for serious swimmers and poolside loungers for us lazy folk.
There is as much pampering space in this spa as there is fitness space. You'll feel perfectly at home wandering around the whole club in your robe, as I noticed many guests were doing.
There are spacious, modern changing rooms with everything you need: plenty of locker space, and changing space, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner (often an oversight in health clubs). You can help yourself to robes hanging up on a rail. There's plenty of spare clean towels.
Near the changing rooms are the separate male and female heat areas. In each, there's a sauna, steam room and plunge pool, along with loungers. You'll find plenty of spare towels in a huge shelf unit on the wall. There's no need to ask if you need a dry one. This heat area is separate to the pool and the treatment rooms, but it doesn't seem odd to wander between them. You only pass staff members or other club members in robes or gym gear.
After having a bit of a steam in the sauna, I waited for my treatments in the spa waiting area. This is yet another reception area, on a slightly raised level in the middle of the club. There are comfy seats, plenty of magazines to thumb through, and tempting spa product displays on room-divider shelving. Behind this seating area are CityPoint's pedicure stations, and the way to the treatment rooms.
I was greeted by my therapist, Nadia, who showed me to my treatment room along a dimly-lit corridor. All the doors had sensible signs asking passers-by to keep the noise level down.
Which treatments did you have?
I had the Tibet (55 minutes, £75), a Gerard's deep massage treatment that uses Himalayan pebbles, Dead Sea salt and sweet almond oil in a full-body ritual. Also the Gerard's Peat Remineralising facial (55 minutes, £56) for oily or combination skin, and a Luxury Paraffin pedicure (55 minutes, £46).
What were the treatments like?
The treatment room was large and spacious with a comfortable, wide bed. There were some pretty finishing touches, such as the delicate lamps with pearly petal-like detailing. My room didn't have a shower, but other rooms for more messy treatments do. Nadia left the room while I changed out of my robe and get comfortable on the bed. She returned to start my treatments.
The Tibet: This was an unusual treatment. It's best described as a combination of hot-stone therapy, massage, a body scrub and moisturisation all-in-one. Nadia used a small fabric bag of tiny pebbles (slightly like driveway gravel) as a multi-purpose tool for massaging and scrubbing. These pebbles were heated and she used them in a similar way to hot stones, pressing them into my muscles to melt away any tension before the massage.
Nadia massaged warmed oil over my body, and she used the pebble bag to rub a salt scrub over my skin. I was warmed, massaged and scrubbed at the same time. The combination of the pebbles and the salt made for quite a rough scrub - not good for delicate types - but I found it really stimulating and refreshing. The warmth of the stones melted away tension in my shoulders, and the combination of the oil and the scrub left my skin silky-soft and smelling wonderful. Nadia cleansed me with warm, damp flannels to remove any traces of the scrub, so I didn't need to wash off the products afterwards.
The Peat Remineralising facial: I was intrigued as to how potting compost might be as good for me as it is for my plants. Peat contains minerals that calm and purify the skin. Apart from the inclusion of potting compost, this facial was relatively gimmick-free. The treatment began with a cleanse, and Nadia used a gentle enzyme peel to exfoliate my pesky skin cells. The last stage was the peat mask, to soak up any oil on my t-zone and to let the peat's antiseptic properties work on my blemishes.
Afterwards, my skin felt fresh and even. My combination skin felt just right: not too sticky from heavy moisturiser, and not too tight from astringent products.
After my facial, Nadia took me back out to the spa seating area, to the "Shiatsu Pedicure Chairs". These are massage chairs with an electronic control, which you can use to change the movement and intensity of the lower back pummelling or shuddering (in my highly technical terminology). I had the chair on quite a gentle setting as I was a bit concerned about poor Nadia having to paint my nails whilst I was being shaken around.
The Luxury Paraffin pedicure: I had the pleasure of Nadia fixing my cuticles, and applying a softening paraffin wax wrap with warmed booties. She finished with a glossy rouge-noir polish.
How did you feel afterwards?
This combination of treatments was fantastic. My face felt fresh and smooth, my muscles no longer ached, and my skin was the softest it's been in months. I had sandals to change into when I left, so I got to show off my perfect tootsies straight afterwards, too.
What happens afterwards?
After my pedicure, Nadia left me to relax and leave in my own time. I finished off the fruit-flavoured water that she had fetched for me and relaxed for a little while so my nails could dry before I left. After changing and collecting my things, I left the club feeling both refreshed and relaxed.
Long-term effects
My skin looked better for a day or so after my facial, and the body treatment worked well on my rough bits, keeping my skin soft for days afterwards. My glossy toenails were pleasingly indestructible, too.
Was it worth it?
Definitely. Despite visiting the club on my own, I had a great day there; I felt really comfortable and relaxed.
I'm so glad I tried the Tibet treatment, with the benefits of a hot-stone massage and body scrub in one fell swoop, and it's always quite exciting trying a treatment that is a bit different. The prices are good for a London location offering a high standard of treatments and facilities.
What else could you have?
CityPoint's treatment menu is split between Gerard's and ESPA treatments, including a wide range of facials, scrubs, wraps, massages, men's treatments and pregnancy therapies. There are Ayurvedic treatments such as Pindasweda and Shirodhara. You can also have Crystal Clear facials, microdermabrasion, thalassotherapy, spray tanning, and beauty treatments. CityPoint offers acupuncture, osteopathy, physiotherapy, nutrition and sports massage, plus Shiatsu and Thai massage. The many classes you can enjoy include yoga, circuit training, Boxercise, core stability and even pole dancing.
Any special features?
The relaxation room with hypnotic fish tank and duvets. The room is dimly lit, with a soothing glow from the tank, and covers to snuggle beneath for the perfect post-treatment rest. There's another fish tank in the hallway, too. While I was staring at the unusual fish in a post-treatment haze, one of the staff kindly thought to check that I hadn't got lost.
Who do you think would like it?
Anyone who works in the City who likes spas and/or health clubs. I can't think of how a club could suit this market better. It's a clever mix of all the right ingredients with equal space devoted to fitness and relaxation.
The CityPoint Club is perfect for office workers wanting to de-stress or energise, plus it is particularly handy if you want a bit of pampering before a night out. Saying that, though, I also think you could quite easily have a fun girls' pampering day here -- after all, it's only a stone's throw from some great shops and Spitalfields Market.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
The CityPoint Club is worthy of a big, shiny 5 bubbles. This is just as much a spa with health-club facilities as it is a health club with spa facilities, so it offers the best of both worlds. It's certainly more functional than feminine, but this is the centre of corporate London, so it is perfectly placed. The CityPoint Club was clean and spacious, the facilities spot-on, the treatments were very good, and wide-ranging, and I was very impressed by the customer service.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
I'd quite happily become a member if I worked nearby, and I really must try the Tibet treatment again.
We visited The CityPoint Club in July 2008
Like the sound of this? You're in luck.
Follow this link to book a special spa offer at CityPoint with our partners lastminute.com
See also:
* Our Spa Spies review ESPA products
* Facials
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