USP A spa was a natural addition to the vast Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street. The store’s mountains of bright, fresh produce and sumptuous salad buffet attract the sort of customer who would probably be happy to squeeze in an hour’s massage or facial before they buy their sesame-crusted tuna or biodynamic salad.

AMBIENCE The spa is in a perfect spot for shoppers, those visiting Hyde Park, or an add-on to the museums at South Kensington, just down the road.

Anyone expecting the spa to match the presentation of the store’s produce will be sorely disappointed. The two treatment rooms take a bit of finding – they’re in the basement, near the toiletries, cosmetics and health supplements section.

They don’t look like they were designed as treatment rooms, with catering-style metal sinks and a token effort at soft lighting and cheap furnishings to give a spa feel. The effort probably reflects the fact they’re only open two days a week, but nevertheless, the ambience should be sybaritic, not clinical.

BACKGROUND

• Acu-Channel, South Kensington, London

• Ark Spa, Wimbledon, London

• Natura Day Spa Mayfair, London

• The Spa at 51, Victoria, London

• Whole Body Centre, Kensington, London

Top five spas for under £100

There's no reason why a recession should stop your pampering. Our expert picks five wellbeing breaks for less than £100 a night

Related Links

• London spas for an overhaul

The music is soothing but would have to be at an unbearable volume to cover the noise from the corridor outside, which appears to lead to the staff canteen and is the source of a constant stream of banter through the thin walls.

The whole experience seems ill thought-through. There’s no toilet on the spa level so clients either have to go up three floors to the customer toilets, or use the staff one next to the canteen.

EXPERIENCE Despite the unrelaxing ambience, I enjoyed both treatments, a Balance Me massage and Ren facial, and both of the therapists were professional and pleasant. However, it was inconvenient to have to dress between them just to walk a couple of metres down the corridor to switch to an equally uninspiring treatment room.

The massage was firm, as I’d requested and I was impressed with the Balance Me products – natural scents that relaxed me and did much to counter the agitation of the noise from outside.

She worked the knots on my shoulders and was happy to chat or remain silent, according to my preference.

The facial, too, used good products – a host of Ren cleansers, masks, serums, sprays and gels. I particularly liked the calendula cleansing milk and omega-3 serum.

The confident therapist treated certain areas of my face with different products and the hard sell at the end was made significantly more palatable when I found out that the cost of the facial, likewise the massage, was redeemable against products bought in store that day.

FOOD With Whole Foods on your doorstep there’s a spread of healthy and indulgent snacks that you can take away or eat in the restaurant on the top floor. It’s like an upmarket food court, with bespoke salads, sushi, burrito bar, Middle Eastern and grill among the options – and the prices are less eye-watering than the salad buffet downstairs.

IN CROWD I didn’t bump into anyone else using the spa, but if the store’s clientele is anything to go by, then 30 and 40-something Kensington residents, expats and well-heeled shoppers would be among the spa’s customers.

WALLET WATCH Its prices, with some coming in under the £1-a-minute London average, aren’t bad for the area. The 40-minute Balance Me Body Release and Balance massage costs £40 and the Ren Five-Phase Bespoke Facial (50 minutes) costs £50 – both are redeemable against products (other Ren and Balance Me treatments are not redeemable).

NEED TO KNOW Whole Body Centre, Whole Foods Market, 63-97 Kensington High St, London, W8 5SE (020 7368 4531; www.wholefoodsmarket.co.uk). Open Friday 1pm-6pm and Saturday 11am-4pm for Ren treatments and Saturday 11am-4pm for Balance Me treatments

Times recommends

• Travel advice: what to do if your flight is disrupted
• Top 10 unmissable events in 2010
• Seven spa breaks for January