I am going to go out on a pretty safe limb and make a sweeping generalisation about womankind; we love being spoiled. Spoiling ourselves, being spoiled by a husband, lover or best-friend, we’ll take them all. Not all the time, of course. Just enough. It’s the indulgence that gets us. The decadence. The delicious, quite innocent, naughtiness. Nowhere is this better encapsulated than at The Dorchester’s Spa and Spatisserie.
I’ve been to country house hotels which boast spa facilities that turn out to be little more than a Scholl foot-spa; to full-on spa retreats complete with menus coded into food groups by colour, no alcohol and a calorific breakdown of the air (okay, not really that last one but they would if they could). Not much spoiling going on at either of those. They may share the name ‘spa’ with The Dorchester but they have as much in common as Georges Formby, Osborne and Clooney.
The Dorchester Spa opened in May 2009 having had £3.2m spent on making it fabulous. The result is modern, glamorous and with more than a nod to the hotel’s Art Deco roots. Its white and pearl décor throughout gives it a celestial vibe which succeeds in immediately transporting you far away from the hullabaloo of Park Lane above. Whilst it may look and feel heavenly, the purity it exudes is one of pure indulgence. There’ll be no reproaching for the lifestyle sins of the real world. What the treatments on offer will do is soothe away those excesses and stresses.
Such as the Rose Cocoon (£110 for 55 minutes), a body treatment that promises to ‘renew the skin whilst soothing the emotions and lifting the spirits’. A bold claim achieved by having your body exfoliated with gentle olive grain and then enveloped in layers of warmed rose gel, oil and cream. This rose cocoon is left to work its magic whilst you enjoy a soothing scalp massage. Even just writing about it makes me feel a little better.
Just when all the white threatened to be a tad overwhelming, the mani-pedi suite at the centre of the spa provides a welcome shot of colour. Its two glass walls house 1,760 (that’s one thousand seven hundred and sixty) bottles of Essie nail polish. With caviar manicures and pedicures on offer, the indulgence level is being ramped up ever higher.
So let’s imagine that you have decided to give The Dorchester Spa a try, or maybe you’ve been treated to it by somebody very clever. You’ve had a few hours of spoiling yourself rotten. You’ve enjoyed a treatment or three, let the steam room relieve you of your anxieties, turned the shower setting to ‘waterfall’ and are now curled up in one of the winged armchairs of the relaxation room with the kind of fashion magazine you never have the time to read normally. Some light refreshment is probably in order, don’t you think?
Then thank the heavens for Spatisserie, probably the most indulgent, spoil-yourself part of The Dorchester Spa experience. This beautiful, intimate salon is the perfect place for a pot of tea, a light bite or a glass of champagne. Their cakes are to die for. Yes, cakes. In a spa.
As I said, it’s indulgent, decadent and deliciously naughty. The Dorchester Spa’s motto is ‘a little of what you love is good for you’. Wise words indeed.
Girl Thursday is an events and concierge guru, responsible for some of the most luxurious, bespoke and exclusive parties, shows and private soirées in London. Discover more at her website.
For reservations at The Dorchester Spa and Spatisserie, and for further information, please contact The Dorchester on +44 20 7319 7109, email spa@thedorchester.com or visit their website. A treatment menu and prices are available online.
