Guerlain Spa at Raffles London

First impressions

Raffles opened in October 2023 in one of London’s most iconic buildings, the Old War Office. It’s as white and historic as it is jaw-dropping – we nearly got run over by a Black cab trying to get the perfect exterior shot.

Inside, marble staircases, huge chandeliers and grand pianos ensure the jaw remains open. Rooms and suites are Edwardian yet contemporary in style, with all the suites named after famous British spies. Nine restaurants (yep), three bars (including a Spy bar in the basement with a real Aston Martin behind the bar) take care of dining; several meeting rooms serve business guests.

The Guerlain Spa (pronounced ger-lan) is the first of its kind in the UK from Parisian perfume brand (established in 1828); it occupies three glorious floors of the basement.

What’s on offer?

Push B1 on the glass lift to glide down - you will know you’ve reached the spa when you see a huge backlit ‘Guerlain’ sign bathed in gold coaxing you in (arriving at the Pearly Gates can’t be much more ceremonial).

Spa reception is impressive with parquet flooring, oval gold mirrors, cream leather chairs and a back-lit wall holding 16 bottles of Guerlain perfumes to test. Check in at the marble-topped, bronze-fronted desk and take a seat.

Our charming spa host replaced our shoes with fluffy spa sliders, poured us a cup of herbal tea and asked us to complete consultation forms on iPads with gold covers.

On this floor you’ll find a long corridor of treatment rooms – of which there are nine – a relaxation room with six beds, block candles, reading lights, snacks to help yourself to, and the changing rooms which are tiny but beautiful (you’ll find larger changing rooms beside the pool). Use a four-digit code of choice to open any of the 10 wooden lockers; inside you’ll find white fluffy robes, a large white towel and the most akin-to-knickers disposable pants we’ve come across in all our years as a Spa Spy.

There’s a vanity bar at either end with gold GHD hairdryers and straighteners (sensing the theme?), hair fixing spray, and drawers filled with little white packets of cotton wool, brushes, shower caps and sanitary bags. The biggest shower we have ever seen in located a changing room is on the opposite side, with shampoo, conditioner and bodywash from brand 1906. Next door you’ll find one solo loo in a room so spacious it could easily house three.

If a swim or workout is on the agenda, you’ll need to head back into the lift, push B3 and glide down to the gym floor which has its own reception desk, a motion studio for Yoga and Pilates and a fully-equipped gym overlooking the pool.

The 20-metre pool is long by London standards and ideal for length swimming, with no bubbly nonsense to interrupt strokes - simply glide down one of the three metal steps and swim towards the flickering ribbon fire at the end.

The designers have made good use of the building’s natural arches, creating cosy nooks for couples with pushed-together day beds separated by small tables and lamps. Help yourself to lemon-and cucumber-infused water; spa hosts will fetch dry robes, cups of herbal tea and more towels on request – nothing is too much trouble.

You’ll find a vitality pool at the opposite end of the fire with two sunken round chairs and two long stations at either end – push the buttons for timed bubbly-ness. The thermal area opposite has a round flickering fire at its entrance (hello) with a cream-tiled steam room behind, seating 10 – grab one of two silver hoses to direct cold water onto specific bodily hot spots. The larger-than-average sauna to the left has wall buttons to push to pause the heat. Cool off under one of two experience showers.

Whilst not officially part of the spa, Atelier on the ground floor is worthy of note - a stunning space for beauty treatments, make-up, blow dries and perfume testing. We loved the bold use of blue on the ceiling, the open fireplace and the huge windows affording London views.

Tell us about your treatment

We tried the Royal Spa Suite Journey (180 minutes, £620).

Our therapists, Cassie and Aneta, led us to one of the Royal Spa Suites, a colossal space with a roll top bath behind wooden sliding doors and an incredible hand-made 3D nature scene on the ceiling above the bed.

The three-hour spa journey began with a 30-minute bath, which was pre-filled with bubbles and rose petals. A knock on the door indicated that it was time to dry off and get comfortable on the treatment bed, lying face up.

Cassie and Aenta then talked us through our options for the highly personalised next two hours. My spa partner chose a full body massage plus some time spent on his hands and feet; I opted for a full body massage followed by a facial. Cassie asked about my concerns (dehydrated skin, sagging jawline, and wrinkles around my eyes) before devising a personalised facial to work on these areas and brighten the skin.

With my spa partner on the treatment bed next to me, our two therapists worked in harmony, beginning with a hands-on ‘relax to touch’ procedure – an effective way to begin. A scent test came next: I easily chose the Rose Cherie Guerlain and was surprised when I heard my spa partner select the same.

The massage began with a warm cloth on my feet (guaranteed to relax) followed by a shoulder massage. I then turned over so that Cassie could work on my back, legs and arms – at this point I almost fell asleep (my spa partner certainly did).

The facial that followed showcased the Abeille Royal Guerlain range, designed for lifting, firming and wrinkle minimising (yes please). Cassie cleansed and exfoliated my skin before moving onto a lifting massage along the jawline and above the eyes. This was briefly quite painful (Cassie certainly knows her muscle structure) but was cooled with a Gua sha stone afterwards. The facial ended with some serum and moisturiser.

Cassie and Aneta finished the treatments simultaneously (not an easy feat). The facial element was super impressive: my eyes were more open, my jawline much firmer (which takes years off) and my skin much brighter - not many facials yield such obvious results. Book me in again…

After, we both settled down on the beds while Cassie and Aneta brought us glasses of Champagne and a fruit plate.

Guerlain Spa at Raffles London offers a range of high tech, anti-ageing facials (microdermabrasion, LED); and massages (four-handed, deep muscular), as well as tailor-made treatments, perfume testing, make-up, cuts and blow dries, beauty treatments and metabolic analysis.

Food facts

Spa guests will need to dress and head to the ground floor to enjoy lunch at Pillar Kitchen, a healthy all-day dining concept serving juices, smoothies, coffees and light bites.

We chose Chalk farm sea trout Sashimi - the freshest of fish thinly sliced and served raw - this was delightfully fresh tasty and served with a crunchy Waldorf salad.

Our spa partner chose the Pillar Parmesan Meatballs which were made with a mix of turkey and pork making them nicely filling. Having enjoyed a very healthy first course, we couldn’t resist the Beetroot Muffin with Walnut Icing, as well as the very chocolatey Chocolate Brownie.

For dinner we ate at Saison, a Mediterranean restaurant under a restored Edwardian glass ceiling surrounded by plants and natural light. The chef uses UK-based seasonal ingredients to create dishes such as oysters, salads, West Country Lamb, Hereford Beef Fillet and Catch of the Day.

We shared a fresh crab salad with a split sauce, and some fresh-from-the oven Focaccia bread. Our spa partner followed this with a generously sized Hampshire pork chop with Riviera chips garnished with saffron and garlic mayonnaise; we chose the Lamb Navarin served seasonal veg and a side of purple sprouting broccoli. The sommelier encouraged us to taste a couple of red wines before we settled on a glass of Medoc to complete a delicious meal.

We loved/we didn’t love

We loved

The elegance: from the curved white leather seating in the main changing rooms to the huge wooden spiral staircase, to the hints of gold everywhere, the spa is a beauty.

The results: once you reach a certain age treatments that make a visible difference are well worth the cost.

The sense of being well looked after: proactive service from all staff allows you to relax and enjoy the experience of being somewhere special.

We didn’t love

The tiny changing rooms on the treatment floor: opt for the spacious changing rooms by the pool instead.

Having to change for lunch: time your stay so that you can eat before you head to the spa.

Who do you think would like it?

Anyone after sheer luxury: this is a super special hotel and spa; everything is highly personalised and staff take great care of all guests. The Guerlain perfumes waft around the spa so you feel enveloped in luxury.

Treatment junkies: the luxury products and highly trained therapists mean treatments here are intensive and very effective.

History buffs: book in for the tour of the Old War Rooms where you can sit at the table where they planned battles and stand at the Balcony where Churchill addressed his staff each morning.

What Bubble Rating did you award this spa?

Without hesitation, we awarded Guerlain Spa at Raffles London a Good Spa Guide Bubble Rating of Five Bubble Luxury for its regal design, attentive staff, cutting-edge treatments, longer-than-average pool and perfume nods.