BLISS LONDON
60 Sloane Avenue, London, SW3 3DD (020 7584 3888; www.blisslondon.co.uk) open Monday-Friday 9.30am-8pm (one Wednesday a month open at 12.30pm); Sat 9.30am-6.30pm; Sunday 12pm-6pm.

USP When bliss opened its London day spa in 2001, the hype surrounding the arrival of the coveted bliss triple oxygen facial led to long waiting lists for the treatment. Since then the hype has receded but the spa remains modish and busy – to secure an out-of-office hours appointment that suited my schedule took two weeks. The spa’s location on the border of Chelsea and Belgravia puts it on the lady-who-lunches-and-shops trail, and with plenty of salubrious brasseries, cafes and boutiques nearby, spa visitors can easily make an indulgent day of it.

Wallet watch The 85-minute triple oxygen facial costs £145 and includes cleansing, exfoliating, a fruit acid wash, wrap, extractions, face mask, face pack and oxygen spray, as well as some gentle massage during the wraps, peel and masks.

BLOWW
4 Regent Pace, London W18 5EA (020 7292 0300; www.bloww.com) Email: info@bloww.com

USP A sexy salon that combines hairdressing with wellbeing and boasts a range of classy treatments. The interior of Bloww is inventive and inspiring and the salon definitely has an exclusive feel to it without actually being exclusive. A perfect salon to visit if you can’t decide whether to have a facial, a manicure or a hair-do at affordable prices.

Wallet watch The prices aren’t bad at all – they start at £60 for a ladies cut and finish, and £40 for gents. The Kurland Cucurbita Pumpkin Body Wrap will cost you £80 and a 45-minute massage £85. There are also cosmetic treatments on offer – manicures at £28 and waxing ranging from £15 to £50.

KI MANTRA URBAN LIFE SPA
5 Camden Passage, London N1 8EU (020 7226 8860; www.kimantra.com). Open Monday 12-8pm; Tuesday-Sat 10-8pm; Sunday 10-6pm

USP Its athletic director and "body worker" Kingsley Ogedengbe. The house speciality is yogic massage, a combination of massage and yoga type stretches. "Ki" (pronounced key) originates from the Japanese word for energy, and "Mantra" refers to the word meaning "repetition" in Hindu.

Wallet watch Reasonable prices from £9 for an eyebrow shape to £80 for a 90-minute ki mantra yogic massage (it costs extra with Kingsley - £147.50). Chavutti-Thai “ the deepest massage experience ever performed with oil, foot, and rope” costs £190.

PACIFICA DAY SPA
1 Courtnell Street, Notting Hill, London, W2 5BU (020 7243 1718; www.pacificadayspa.co.uk)

USP An intimate Asian inspired spa in trendy Notting Hill that prides itself on highly qualified staff.

Wallet watch Lymphatic drainage massage £65; Yoga Pedicure £75 (the sandals can be bought separately for £25); an hour and 45 minutes Yummy Mummies package costs £150 and includes plenty of anti-ageing treats. The spa is also availabe for private pampering parties.

SPA LONDON
York Hall Leisure Centre, Old Ford Road, London E2 9JP (020 8709 5845; www.spa-london.org) email: spa-london@gll.org;

USP Luxury-lite. The UK's first public sector day spa, Spa London is the result of a £1.4 million restoration of the 860 square metre Turkish Baths at York Hall, Bethnal Green.

Wallet watch A visit to the Spa, without treatments, is £20 for non-Tower Hamlets residents, this drops to £17 for each visit if you buy a Spa London card for £3. Residents with cards gain admission for £15 a session, and senior citizens, those on benefits and full-time students get access for £7, or £6 for residents, but can only use the spa on Mondays -Thursdays until 4.30pm, and on Friday - Sundays until 2.30pm. Treatment prices remain firmly in the West End stratosphere. A 75-minute hot- stone full body massage costs £60, a 50-minute traditional Swedish massage £50 and day packages range from £80 for an "MOT for Him" which includes a back, neck and shoulder massage and a facial treatment, to £150 for a "Day Detox", which includes a salt scrub, a body treatment and a prescription facial.

For more than 40 other reviews of spas in London visit Times Online's Good Spa Guide

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