Spa & Wellness
The 6 Best Day Spas in London
Six London day spas worth clearing an afternoon for, from a candlelit thermal bath off the Strand to a Belgravia banya. Where to book a proper half or full day.
In short: our top picks are AIRE Ancient Baths London, Ironmonger Row Baths and The Bath House Banya London. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
A day spa is a different proposition to a treatment squeezed in before dinner. You want somewhere that expects you to stay, that has a pool or a thermal circuit to drift between, and staff who do not start glancing at the clock the moment your massage ends. London does this better than its reputation suggests, though the good rooms book up weeks ahead. We have kept this to places that genuinely sell day access rather than ushering non-residents in as an afterthought. Two are inside hotels but run as destinations in their own right. The rest are standalone, from a 1931 Turkish bath in Islington to a candlelit Roman-style bathhouse near Charing Cross. Bring nothing, book the thermal time, and let the afternoon go slack.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| AIRE Ancient Baths London | Covent Garden | £££ |
| Ironmonger Row Baths | Islington | ££ |
| The Bath House Banya London | Belgravia | £££ |
| The Skin Co Spa | Spitalfields | £££ |
| Akasha at Hotel Cafe Royal | Soho | ££££ |
| The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park | Knightsbridge | ££££ |
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Editor’s choice
AIRE Ancient Baths London
Why we pick itSet in the former house of J.M. Barrie, this is a circuit of warm, hot and ice-cold pools lit almost entirely by candle, three minutes from Charing Cross. Every experience includes the thermal tour, and you can add a massage or a salt-water flotation in the dark.
Candlelit thermal bathhouse
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Ironmonger Row Baths
Why we pick itA genuine 1931 Turkish bath, carefully restored, with a tepidarium, caldarium and laconium plus ice fountains and a plunge pool. Two-hour thermal sessions start at £44, which makes it the most honest value on this list. Note the single-sex Turkish bath days.
Restored Turkish baths and spa
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The Bath House Banya London
Why we pick itAn oak-lined banya opposite Buckingham Palace, built around the parenie ritual where you are gently thrashed with bundles of oak leaves before a cold plunge. Three-hour sessions come with one or two treatments, and there is proper Eastern European food to eat afterwards.
Eastern European banya
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The Skin Co Spa
Why we pick itA 300-year-old townhouse on one of the East End's prettiest streets, opened in 2023, with four treatment rooms and a private hot tub. Smaller and quieter than the big circuits, it suits a half day of facials and a glass of fizz rather than a thermal marathon.
Georgian townhouse day spa
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Akasha at Hotel Cafe Royal
Why we pick itNamed Time Out's best hotel spa in London for 2025, with an 18-metre lap pool, a Carrara marble hammam and a jacuzzi tucked beneath Regent Street. Day packages range from a treatment-and-pool weekday escape to a full day with a three-course lunch.
Pool, hammam and treatment spa
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The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Why we pick itThirteen treatment rooms, a 17-metre pool and a thermal area, with therapies drawing on Chinese medicine and Aromatherapy Associates. Non-residents are welcome when treatments are booked ahead, and a day package buys you the run of the facilities either side of your treatment.
Destination hotel spa
Before you book
Book treatments well ahead, particularly for weekends. Most venues want you 15 to 30 minutes early to change and settle. Thermal sessions run roughly two to three hours; full days fold in lunch and several hours of facilities. Expect £44 for a basic thermal session up to several hundred for a full day with treatments and food. Bring swimwear, and check single-sex bathing days at Ironmonger Row.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
AIRE Ancient Baths London is our editor's choice: Set in the former house of J.M. Barrie, this is a circuit of warm, hot and ice-cold pools lit almost entirely by candle, three minutes from Charing Cross. Every experience includes the thermal tour, and you can add a massage or a salt-water flotation in the dark. AIRE Ancient Baths London, Ironmonger Row Baths and The Bath House Banya London lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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