London
Spa hotels in London: six places where the pool is reason enough to stay in
Rain is falling on Knightsbridge. Below one of its hotels, a 25-metre pool lies still under soft light. These are the London hotels where the spa is part of the reason to go.
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London wears you out. A day of museums and Tube stairs leaves you wanting heat and water. The best hotels have dug into their basements and climbed onto their roofs to make room for both.
Plenty of hotels have a small gym and a sauna in a corner. The six below are different. Their spas are big enough to fill half a day, and several have pools you can actually swim lengths in.
In short: London's spa hotels
Bulgari Hotel London in Knightsbridge has the longest pool on our list at 25 metres. Corinthia near Trafalgar Square has a spa spread over four floors. If you want a view while you unwind, the spa at Four Seasons Park Lane sits on the tenth floor, overlooking Hyde Park.
Our first choice: Bulgari Hotel London, for the pool and the calm of Knightsbridge.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Bulgari Hotel London
Top picks
For proper lengths: Bulgari Hotel London
For a full spa day: Corinthia London
Spa with a view: Four Seasons Park Lane
Next to Hyde Park: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
East of the centre: Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square
Knightsbridge and Hyde Park
Bulgari Hotel London
A 25-metre pool is rare in a central London hotel, and this one comes with a gold-tiled vitality pool and wooden cabanas alongside. The hotel has only 85 rooms and suites. Book it if you want a real swim before breakfast and the shops of Knightsbridge after. Prices sit at the very top of the London market.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Bulgari Hotel London
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Hyde Park is the hotel's next-door neighbour, and the fitness centre has a 17-metre, two-lane pool. The spa includes a dedicated treatment suite and a studio for hand and foot care. Treatments of two hours or more come with use of the heat and water facilities. Good for a morning run in the park followed by a long treatment.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
The Berkeley
The Bamford Haybarn Spa sits on the top floor next to a rooftop pool. For years The Berkeley was the only London hotel with a pool on its roof. In winter the terrace becomes a pine forest with film screenings. Harrods and Hyde Park are both a short walk away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Berkeley
Corinthia London near Whitehall
The lobby at Corinthia London. The hotel's spa fills four floors. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Mayfair and Westminster
Four Seasons Park Lane
The spa is on the tenth floor, walled in glass, with views over Hyde Park and Westminster. There are nine treatment rooms, most with a relaxation pod, and two skylit vitality pools. Even the saunas have windows. There is no swimming pool, so look elsewhere if lengths matter to you.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Four Seasons Park Lane
Corinthia London
The spa fills four floors of the hotel near Whitehall. It has a nine-metre, steel-lined thermal pool, an amphitheatre sauna and a mosaic steam room. Seventeen treatment rooms and private sleep pods mean you can stay for hours. Trafalgar Square and the West End are a few minutes' walk from the spa door.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Corinthia London
Tower Hill
Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square
The hotel occupies a listed Beaux-Arts building by Sir Edwin Cooper, next to the Tower of London. Its spa is below ground, with a 14-metre pool you walk into down a central staircase. Around it are a sauna and plunge pools, and you can book time in a Moroccan hammam. Choose it if you want to be close to Tower Bridge and the City.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square
Before you book
Check what your room includes: Some hotels give guests free use of the pool and sauna. Others ask you to book a treatment to reach the heat area.
Book treatments early: Weekends fill first, especially in December and around Valentine's Day.
Pack swimwear: Robes and slippers are provided, swimwear is not.
Go midweek: Spas are quietest from Sunday to Thursday, and early mornings can feel like a private pool.
Editor's pick
Bulgari Hotel London
Bulgari Hotel London sits in Knightsbridge, a short walk from Hyde Park. What sets it apart is the 25-metre pool, long enough for a proper swim before you head into the city. With 85 rooms and suites, the hotel is small enough that the spa rarely feels busy. It suits a couple celebrating something, or a long weekend where calm matters as much as the city.
Frequently asked questions about spa hotels in London
Which London hotel has the best spa?
Bulgari Hotel London in Knightsbridge is our first choice, with a 25-metre pool and a gold-tiled vitality pool. Corinthia London has the largest spa by floors, over four levels, while Four Seasons Park Lane has a rooftop spa overlooking Hyde Park. The best one for you depends on whether you want to swim, rest or look at the view.
Which London hotels have a swimming pool?
Bulgari Hotel London has a 25-metre pool and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has a 17-metre pool. Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square has a 14-metre pool below ground, and The Berkeley has a pool on its roof. Corinthia's nine-metre thermal pool is better for relaxing than for swimming lengths.
Can you use a London hotel spa without staying there?
Yes, most London hotel spas welcome day guests who book a treatment in advance. At Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, treatments of two hours or more include access to the heat and water facilities. Rules change, so check with the hotel before you go. Hotel guests usually get easier access.
When should I book a spa hotel in London?
Book early for December, the run-up to Christmas and the week of Valentine's Day, when rooms and treatments sell out first. Midweek is quieter and often cheaper than the weekend. Reserve your treatments when you book the room, so you are not caught out on arrival.
Which area of London is best for spa hotels?
Knightsbridge and Hyde Park have the most spa hotels within walking distance of each other, including Bulgari, Mandarin Oriental and The Berkeley. Corinthia is the best choice near the theatres and Trafalgar Square. Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square suits travellers who want to stay near the Tower of London and the City.