At COMO Shambhala spa, the aromatherapy session begins before you even enter a treatment room: on arrival in the reception area, their signature scent ‘Invigorate’ greets you. The décor is contemporary cool, with warm tones throughout, setting the stage for relaxation. Part of the global COMO Hotels group, the spa is tucked away on the 2nd floor of the Metropolitan on Park Lane near Hyde Park, and the spa experience is central to the hotel.
Owner Christian Ong created COMO Shambhala out of her passion for a holistic lifestyle. In addition to the hotel spas, there are also retreats in Parrot Cay (Turks and Caicos) and Bali which run throughout the year. To continue the experience at home, the spa has its own line of products, ranging from massage oils to hair care.
On my recent visit, I had the COMO Shambhala Massage (£90 for 60 minutes). Before the massage started I was given a choice of aromas to smell and choose which one I liked, each with its own list of benefits. I opted for the energizing scent—I could always use a bit more get-up-and-go.
My therapist gave me a great deep-tissue massage with added stretching and pulling of my arms and legs. This is a technique that I rarely experience, but I realised it’s quite nice to be stretched out as I spend so much time hunched up! After the massage I was given a bowl of delicious-smelling body scrub and taken to a private steam room with a shower—a lovely way to end the massage and prolong the relaxation.
The spa also has gym facilities, yoga/pilates classes, personal trainers, beauty treatments (waxing and facials) and wellness programmes or ‘paths’—including some decadent mum-to-be packages, with antenatal massage, manis and pedis.
The only regret I have is not booking a room to stay the night and pretend I was on holiday; instead it was back out to the bustle of west London. Next time.
Address: Metropolitan by COMO, Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB
