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May Fair Spa at the Radisson Edwardian May Fair - 4 bubbles
We were invited to the May Fair Spa at the Radisson Edwardian May Fair hotel in the heart of classy London (Mayfair, obviously) to sample the subterranean treatment rooms at this five-star hotel. Treatments are excellent, if a little pricy, so make the most of the heat facilities to really relax and enjoy.
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?
Was it worth it?
What else could you have?
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
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 May Fair hotel is very swish; modern (and Reception has a rather grand chandelier) but has old-fashioned customer-service values: We'd only been in the place a minute when a doorman had opened the door for us, someone had asked me if I needed any help, and showed us the way to the spa. The spa is in the basement. You push your way through some rather stylish doors decorated with the silver motif of a handprint, and into a small Reception area, dominated by a relief of a red, smiling Buddha. Very friendly.
How did they welcome you?
The spa staff welcomed us politely and offered us iced water. There's a small waiting area by the Reception desk where you can fill in your consultation form. While we were waiting, we went into the gym for a sneak peek. The gym is also on the small side but offers plenty of Technogym machines, free weights and a Power Plate for those who have busy schedules.
What happens next?
We went through down the corridor into the spa area proper. The corridor is stylishly done with a water feature built into the wall -- being mended on our visit, but the rippling water has a very "spa" effect on you.
The changing rooms are fairly small, and you wouldn't like to be here during a rush. There is one bench to put things on, and two showers, but these do have conditioner as well as shampoo. The slate floors are a nice touch, but there was a bit of a musty smell, to be honest, which the zingy essential oil in the ceramic burner couldn't quite mask. In your wooden locker are some lovely soft white towels, a white robe and some traditional spa slippers. We had brought our own flip-flops.
The sauna and steam room: These are through another door, to keep the noise down and away from the corridor where the treatment rooms are. You go into a central area where you can divest yourself of your robe and hang it on a hook, then through another door into the separate herbal sauna and aromatic steam room.
The steam room is a great size -- unusual for central London -- and we could have stayed in there for ages. It was nicely hot, as was the sauna. Traditionalists can soothe their hot brows afterwards with a bucket of cold water, or some experience showers, that are perhaps a little kinder. There's no pool at the May Fair; you'll be disappointed if you need one to spa.
The treatment rooms: Our therapists, both male, came to find me and led us through to the treatment rooms. The room was all dim and minimalist, but warm -- always essential in a spa.
Which treatments did you have?
We had the May Fair Hot Stone Massage (£135, 75 minutes), which uses heated black basalt stones "to literally melt tension". We were both looking forward to having our tension melted.
What were the treatments like?
Very good! My therapist asked questions to find out where my areas of tension were, and if there were any areas of discomfort that he should avoid. Then he left me to take off my robe and as much of my underwear as I felt comfortable abandoning and hop up onto the treatment table, face down, under a towel.
My massage was excellent. My therapist had a good touch, moving my shoulders this way and that to unwind my shoulders. The hot stones, beneath my neck, against my shoulders, made me feel warm and relaxed, and I could feel stress oozing away. My therapist paid a lot of attention to my neck, but, by the end, I felt that every muscle had been given due care and attention. I could have happily let the treatment go on for another hour.
How did you feel afterwards?
Awake but ready to relax.
What happens afterwards?
My therapist waited outside the door for me to put my robe and flip-flops back on, then led me to the end of the corridor and into the dim relaxation room. Here there are six ceramic loungers, heated, and more comfortable than they look. There was also tea and water, and a magazine rack cunningly hidden in the fireplace.
What the spa literature described as "a platter of fresh fruit" turned out to be some green apples. I met up with my fellow Spy, and we relaxed with some mint tea, and a delicious icy sorbet each.
Was it worth it?
The May Fair Spa is on the pricy side for mere mortals. A one-hour facial will set you back around £99, though the spa manager has set the facials on offer at the same price so that people can feel free to choose the treatment that's right for their skin, rather than weighing up cost options.
What else could you have?
You can have Dr Murad and Pevonia facials, as well as age-fighters such as micro-dermabrasion, oxygen therapy, and the CACI "non surgical face lift". The Moroccan steam cleansing ritual involves muds, scrubs, and your own private Rasul chamber, and there's a wide array of wraps.
There are some imaginative packages, too: The Jasmine Ritual of Relaxation, or the Frangipani and Lotus Flower Ceremony, all with varying elements to suit your needs, plus there's a comprehensive Jetlag Reviver, which will please travellers. The May Fair Spa also offers a good range of treatments for men, including the Mucho Macho package, with a massage, back cleanse and reviver facial.
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
Arrive early. The spa encourages you to arrive up to one hour before your treatment time, as most treatments include use of the herbal sauna, aromatic steam room and relaxation room. If you follow the warming-up and cooling-down sequence once or twice, you'll be relaxed and in a spa mood before your treatment starts.
You also need to know that if you're a hotel guest, you get free use of the 24-hour gym, but you have to pay an extra charge to use the sauna, steam room, and relaxation room.
Any special features?
In the hammam room, you can enjoy your body wraps and scrubs on the traditional heated table.
Who do you think would like it?
Hotel guests with jetlag. Ladies fighting Time. Executives who are not mere mortals.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave The May Fair Spa 4 bubbles because it offers a good professional treatments -- both of our massages were excellent. However, given the spa's position in the luxury market, the whole experience was let down by one or two small touches. The changing area is compact (there's little they can do about that) but the area could be cleaner and sweeter-smelling. Not everyone will be comfortable with a male therapist; it would have been wise to signal this in advance.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
Yes, I would, especially if I was staying in the hotel or worked nearby. I enjoyed the heat areas and the massage.
We visited the May Fair Spa in December 2009
Like the sound of this? You're in luck.
Follow this link to book a special spa offer at The May Fair spa with our partners lastminute.com
See also:
* Contact details for The May Fair Spa
* Our Spa Spies review Pevonia Botanica products
* Will I have to undress completely during treatments?
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