USP Tailor-made, masterfully executed treatments incorporating Western and Asian techniques in an opulent, but tasteful boutique setting. There’s also a gym with personal training on request, steam room, Jacuzzi, yoga sessions and a hair and make-up artist. Treatments in your room on request. Recently awarded AA Hotel of the Year in 2006 the hotel is especially mindful of single female travellers offering an automatic upgrade on availability, private check in at your room, free room service, a bouquet of flowers on arrival, a Laura Elos beauty gift box and use of the hotel’s chauffeur driven Maserati Quattropporte to take you shopping.

AMBIENCE Classic five-star luxury meets contemporary elegance. The spa is small – just four rooms – but a dizzying array of signature treatments based on Oriental, Ayurvedic and European therapies is on offer all devised by celebrity wrinkle expert Dr Mario Luca Russo who runs the Rejuvenation Clinic in Harley Street.

EXPERIENCE First I had a body brush to kick-start my circulation, followed by a full body exfoliation using Invigorating Salt Scrub, a blend of menthol, grapefruit and lime that would help to increase blood and lymphatic circulation. Then my face was exfoliated with Refining Skin Polish, a cream rich in plankton, a natural source of vitamins, minerals and proteins. Joanne left me to shower off the exfoliators and returned armed with beautiful oils. Balancing Face Treatment Oil with extracts of frankincense, neroli and macadamia that would help fight signs of premature ageing was applied to my face and Fitness Body Oil, a blend of rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus and clove bud, to my body. True to form, these ingredients eased muscular tension, soothed stiff, tired joints and left the skin feeling soft and nourished. My two-hour treatment was rounded off with an acupressure scalp massage leaving me feeling quite delirious.

FOOD The Brunello restaurant, named in Tatler’s ‘Best Newcomer’ in 2005, has black and white pictures of famous Italian film goddesses on its walls, huge black Venetian glass chandeliers and a waterfall in homage to Italy’s “piazze” cascading on to large gold lilies. Gold velvet padded walls hide behind black drapes and large comfy armchairs consume guests at the American style cocktail bar before their palate is spoilt by a delicious Italian dinner of duck confit with red chicory and creamed lentils, home made scallops ravioli with ginger sauce and fillet of beef with truffled mashed potatoes.

IN CROWD Milan’s beautiful people needing a home from home. Famous people wining and dining other famous people or hiding from the tabloids. Fellini would have been proud. Axel Rose partied in the underground nightclub, Boutique 60, recently and Michelle Pfeiffer likes the Baglioni because the paparazzi forget to stalk it.

WALLET WATCH Salt and Oil Body Scrub £45; Full body massage including face and scalp £95; Executive Park View Junior Suite from £429 - £525 per night. The Presidential Suite is £1,900.00 per night.

NEED TO KNOW Baglioni Hotel London, 60 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington, London SW7 5BB (020 7368 5700; www.baglionihotels.com)

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