London day spas: treatments, pools and access prices

Choose the kind of spa visit first: a circuit of baths, a treatment with pool time, or a club used repeatedly during a longer stay. AIRE near Covent Garden and the Mayfair hotel spas offer different versions.

AIRE Ancient Baths, off the Strand

AIRE occupies J.M. Barrie’s former house on Robert Street, near Covent Garden and Embankment. Baths at different temperatures form the circuit, with massage and paired bookings among the options.

The listed AIRE hours are 8am–10pm Monday to Thursday, 9am–11pm Friday and 8am–11pm at weekends. Swimwear is needed. A late appointment can fit around dinner, while weekend sessions require advance planning.

The hotel spas in Mayfair and Knightsbridge

The Connaught’s Aman Spa has five treatment rooms, a pool, steam room, lounge and private gym. Non-residents enter through a treatment booking. The supplied menu lists a 75-minute facial at £275 with two hours’ prior spa access, and a 90-minute Gong Fu Cha tea ceremony at £320 per person for at least two guests.

Claridge’s Spa has seven treatment rooms, an André Fu-designed relaxation pool, steam rooms and saunas. Its listed daily hours are 8am–9pm, with family swimming during the first two hours. Teresa Tarmey, Josh Wood and Augustinus Bader appear among its specialists and brands. Ask the spa about bookings for non-residents.

Surrenne Belgravia occupies four floors of The Berkeley in Knightsbridge. Its facilities include a 22-metre pool, seven treatment rooms, a Tracy Anderson studio, steam rooms and a hyperbaric chamber. Hotel guests have membership access; other visitors need the club’s membership or day-access terms.

Porchester Spa, and booking well

Porchester Spa in Bayswater offers historic Turkish baths and heat-and-plunge facilities following refurbishment. Its women-only, men-only and mixed sessions run on different schedules, which should determine the visit you book.

A Mayfair address may put Claridge’s or The Connaught within walking distance. For AIRE, Embankment is described as two minutes away and serves the Bakerloo, Circle, District and Northern lines.

Allow two to four weeks when planning ahead, particularly for Saturdays. Before paying, settle the questions below about access, facilities and what the appointment includes.

• Does the treatment include the pool, steam room and sauna, and for how long before and after
• Are non-residents welcome, and is there a minimum spend
• Is there a family swimming window when children use the pool
• What the cancellation notice is (often 24 to 48 hours)
• Whether robes, slippers and swimwear are provided