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Spear's Spa Selection: Chuan Spa at Langham

Langham Languor

Oriental splendour comes to the heart of London at the Langham Hotel’s Chuan Spa

What

A former Barclays Bank branch has been reborn as the Chuan Spa in the grand 19th-century Langham, London. Now that the money men have gone, the spa has settled prettily in a brilliant spot on Portland Place — directly opposite Broadcasting House, the iconic home of the BBC, and just a few Louboutin-shod steps from Bond Street and even more exclusive Mount Street. Frankly you should need a visa to step off the street through the Moon Gate and into the spa, so delightfully Chinese is it in philosophy, music, teas and décor.

Who

City slickers, over-stretched businessmen, American ladies relaxing between shopping sprees and locals who think small is beautiful. (There are only six treatment rooms.)

When

Any time. It rains much of the year, and when the sun shines Londoners grumble that it’s too hot. But it’s perfect year-round in the spa and the only rain is in the showers, where it’s tropical.

Have

At Chuan Spa (pronounced Shoe-arn, and meaning ‘flowing water’, in the sense that this is the spring from which wellness flows), they know the cure for stress is found not on pharmacy shelves but deep within ourselves. They focus on a holistic approach and an alluring philosophy in which creating the optimal balance of the five Wu Xing elements — fire, water, earth, metal and wood — is believed to empower us mentally and physically.

The therapists are versed in traditional Chinese medicine, big on Yin and Yang, and work with energy and the basic elemental forces. Go for the signature Harmony massage, which starts with a questionnaire to identify your prevailing element, moves on to a breathing ritual designed to exhale negativity (‘Sit with your right hand on your kidney and exhale to the chant of Yu...’), and ends with a massage that focuses on acupressure points, ‘harmonising the body and soul’. You finish with a little more zip in your Jing (life force), Qi (vital energy) and Shen (mind and spirit) than when you arrived. So you might enjoy a few lengths in the frequently empty 52-foot pool — it’s not often that you get to splash alone in London.

The dalk, calming colours of the Langham's Chuan Spa help to encourage the inner tranquility that traditional Chinese therapies seek

Do

Nip into the hotel upstairs for a sublime (silver service) meal at Roux at the Landau, making sure you take in the Wine Corridor, a theatrical display of world-class wines; hit nearby Bruton Street for art and Bentleys; or walk up the road to sniff the delights of the Rose Garden in Regent’s Park. Follow in the footsteps of the famous (and your guide) with a tour around Broadcasting House and have a go at making your own radio drama.

Best

It’s one of the loveliest of London hotels to offer day spa packages for non-residents. Plus it has the only salt sauna in London — far more elegant than a natural salt cave — which is particularly healing for respiratory and skin conditions. It’s also a spa that transports you into a different, serene, world miles away from the buzzing city outside its door.