Here’s how I came to compile this list: I was chatting to the Standard’s Lifestyle Director, Suzannah Ramsdale, about pampering treatments and she said, “where do you recommend for massages in London? Whenever people ask me it’s actually quite a hard one to answer.” I realised she’s absolutely correct: so many massage places, so few solid recommendations. Even places touting themselves as massage experts can be hit or miss unless you know precisely what you’re booking – but how do you know who’ll be magic and who’ll be meh? And so on and so forth. Suzannah is right: minefield.
I decided to spend my weekends and evenings tackling the admittedly enviable task of seeking out the city’s best, so I could pull together a list of the places and people to call when you need to sort out the stiff shoulders and frazzled nerves that seem to accompany us Londoners around. That said, there is of course an element of individual taste here. You might like to be slathered gently with oils while I love a seriously remedial and intensely strong massage. Where rhythmic, undulating strokes might appeal to you, someone bedding their hands into the stiff bits and making them buttery soft does it for me.
That in mind, the below includes massages for all preferences, with a mix of places I trust and individuals who offer something a little different. I’d go to all of them to achieve zen while in town.
Cloud Twelve
The Gaia Bespoke Massage here blends Swedish, deep tissue, and aromatherapy techniques to whisk you away to a place where your muscles and mind are afforded a pause. Afterwards, visit the thermal suite (where there’s a steam room, sauna, and salt room) to eke out the experience. Be prepared for mews house envy — it’s tucked into one of those picturesque Notting Hill alcoves that conjures up the fantasy that life might be considerably different if played out within those hallowed walls.
Where: 2-5 Colville Mews, W11 2DA
Price: 60 mins, £145; 90 mins, £200
Chi Yu
You want to ask for something called Integrated Therapy at Chi Yu, which means you’ll get a treatment that’s completely tailored to your needs. Usually for me, this includes some acupressure and then a more flowing massage, but you are quite literally in very good hands whatever they do to your form at Chi Yu. I have sent countless people through their door, all of whom have thanked me profusely for the recommendation.
Where: 36 George Street, W1U 7DR
Price: 60 minutes, £90; 120 minutes, £175
Sarah Watson
I’m afraid I can’t say who precisely her celebrity clients are — but know that they are many and illustrious and it isn’t surprising in the slightest. The SJW Signature Treatment isn’t cheap, but it’s worth it to experience Sarah’s sublime massage. After a chat on what’s ailing you and how you would like to feel, Sarah intuitively blends massage styles. It would be an understatement to say I left feeling renewed; I grinned dozily all the way home on the Tube, not caring in the slightest about garnering odd looks.
Price: 90 minutes, £450
Urban Massage
Overall, a reliable service, offering up a good variety of styles across London. I’d like to focus your attention on the clothed Thai yoga massage, which involves being stretched and pushed and pulled while wearing comfy clothes (this doesn’t make it sound anywhere near as good as it is, so trust me on this one — it’s the good stuff).
Where: at home
Price: 60 minutes, £69
Beata Aleksandrowicz
I’ll start with the bad news: Beata has a 3-6 month waiting list. Put yourself on it now if you like the sound of a massage that puts you in a trance-like state, the idea being to centre, calm, and encourage the body to properly unfurl. In my experience, that meant falling asleep and possibly (probably) a few happy snores as I drifted.
Where: Notting Hill
Price: 60 mins, £185; 90 mins, £350 (first sessions must be 90 minutes)
ESPA Life at Corinthia
This is deservedly often touted as many a Londoner’s favourite hotel spa, thanks to the ample, but never overwhelming, relaxation areas and spots to recline. Palatial though it is, I’d happily have their resilience massage wherever it was served up. Think soothing strokes that ease stress and rendered my muscles putty.
Where: Whitehall Pl, SW1A 2BDPrice: 60 minutes, £275
Jimmy Jarnet at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
It’s not every day that a masseuse makes you feel like your body is dancing through their hands, but this is one such masseuse. Unsurprisingly, he’s won awards for his extraordinary massages, and you can expect to emerge feeling free of aches but also unburdened and potentially a little weepy and/or euphoric as Jimmy intuits where emotions are stored and gently encourages them to release through his hands.
Where: 66 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7LAPrice: 60 minutes, £400
Kama Ayurveda
This much-loved Ayurveda brand offers a very intense head and hair massage with oils that can (and does, when I have it) alleviate headaches and tension from the neck up. That said, I wasn’t joking when I said it was intense — if you prefer light touch, this isn’t for you.
Where: 207 Westbourne Grove, W11 2SEPrice: 30 minutes, £55; 60 minutes, £110
Theragun at Akasha Spa London
If you’re someone who isn’t the biggest fan of a massage consisting of gliding hands and would prefer the remedial pulse of a Theragun going to work on tense areas, this will be the one for you. Housed in the subterranean spa of the Hotel Cafe Royal just off Regent’s Street, you will emerge with buttery soft muscles.
Where: Hotel Café Royal, 50 Regent St., London W1B 5ASPrice: 90 minutes, £239
The Serenity Body Treatment at Maison Sisley
The newly-opened Maison Sisley is something of a Tardis; initially it looks like a very fancy (of course; it’s Sisley) shop, but the more you explore, the more it reveals, from a plush sitting room to an area devoted to their hair rituals to many a treatment room. I went for the massage, where they blended classic muscle-melting moves with a deeper focus on my tense shoulders.
Where: 61 South Audley Street, W1K 2QP
Price: 60 minutes, £220; 90 minutes, £330. sisley-paris.com
