The Guerlain Spa and Pillar Wellbeing at Raffles London at The Old War Office takes fitness to a whole new level
The hottest new opening in London has a storied history as home to some of Britain’s most infamous World War Two spies – including some unsung female heroines. The likes of Krystyna Skarbek (aka Christine Glanville, the former Polish aristocrat who became Churchill’s favourite spy) would be thrilled that her former Old War Office headquarters in Whitehall where Churchill once stomped the halls is now the lavish new UK outpost of Raffles after a rumoured £1.5billion facelift.
The elegant landmark 1906 building features the huge luxury Pillar Wellbeing and Guerlain Spa sprawling over four floors, the first in the UK dedicated to the high-end French heritage brand, one of the oldest skincare houses in the world. As you’d expect, the vibe is understated opulence.
Pillar Wellbeing’s launch at the Guerlain Spa at Raffles London also marks the brand’s first ever physical health club, offering a state-of-the-art gym, movement studio, a sumptuous swimming pool, sauna, steam room and a dedicated health restaurant.
Raffles London
Raffles London
Raffles London
Concentrating on the three core “pillars” of movement, nourishment and recovery, Pillar services include personal performance and psychological fitness coaching, individually-tailored private yoga and pilates, and swim coaching using the Shaw method. Physiotherapy, sports massage and personalised nutritional strategies are also on offer.
But the stunningly beautiful spa is OWO’s pièce de résistance. Treatments to try include the spa’s signature Spirit Of London massage, enhanced by LED light therapy, to bring harmony to mind, body and spirit and iron out all tension, or else plump for the Royal Glow Tech Facial, which combines microdermabrasion and photobiomodulation light therapy with Guerlain’s exceptional facial techniques to smooth, plump and gets you, er, glowing up.
What to take: Brand new PE Nation garb for Pillar Wellbeing, the latest Marysia swimsuit for the swim, sauna and steam.
Switch off and read . . . The Spy Who Loved by Clare Mulley. You guessed it – it’s all about the incredible life of Krystyna Skarbek.
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