Peak Health Club & Spa

Ideally positioned on the ninth floor of Jumeirah Carlton Tower, this hotel spa and health club affords glorious views over south London and houses a small but comprehensive gym, a lounge bar, a spa and warm, welcoming staff to boot. If it's the spa you're most interested in, be warned it's not for those with a strict sense of modesty. Dressed only in a robe, our tester was asked to wait for the therapist in the lounge among fully-clad folk, and then led through the gym (dodging weightlifters) to arrive at the boutique-sized spa. Despite the problematic entrance, the essential oil massage – part of the Ytsara range of body treatments – was divine. The idea is to combine Asian aromatherapy with massage to restore harmony to body and mind. In reality, the treatment is a medley of the best bits of Thai, Indian and Chinese rituals and involves light stretching, unusual massage techniques (in this instance, a hot poultice was used over a towel) and a variety of oils. If you're bored by the standard deep tissue, Ytsara makes for a refreshing and unusual experience.