Looking for your next city break? In desperate need of some proper <a href="https://lumeamara.online/?p=5221" title="Growing Demand For Health And Wellness Products Fuels New Business Opportunities”>wellness TLC in London? Travelling with kids? You can’t go wrong with a short stay at the Landmark London in Marylebone, says Stylist’s wellness editor Miranda Larbi.
One of life’s highest pleasures has to be lying back in a darkened room as someone else massages and tenderises your skin. Now imagine that it’s the first time in 15 months that you’ve had more than 30 minutes to lie down alone – nowhere to be, nowhere to rush back to, no one trying to suckle – as a year of pollution, stress, lack of sleep and general detritus is chipped off your face. Pure ecstasy. That was me last week, enjoying the Timeless Facial at The Landmark London’s newly refurbished spa.
Since having my baby last May, I’ve managed to get back into a pretty good regime of work, play and fitness. The one element of my previous life that has totally fallen by the wayside is the calmer side of self-care. I go the gym but never find the time to do any yoga. I double-cleanse in the shower but haven’t used a face mask since my third trimester. I sleep quite well but fall asleep every evening on the sofa. That’s probably how most parents operate for the first 18 years of their children’s lives. But as a wellness editor, I really do believe that when you have the opportunity to enjoy a yin moment, you’ve got to grab it (‘a stitch in time’, etc: invest in rest now, and you’ll avoid a total meltdown later).
And so it was that I ended up at the grandest hotel in Marylebone, central London, my baby speed-crawling down plush corridors while my husband lugged a bag of pencils, Baby Einstein toys and books.
We’d were off the back of a three-hour train ride from Dorset when we pulled up to reception. Hot, sweaty and tired, we were not your typical Landmark guests. Add a fractious infant intent on touching everything and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d turned up to the wrong hotel. But the staff could not have been kinder, friendlier or more human. The receptionist immediately engaged the baby and within seconds, he was won over.
That set the tone for the next 24 hours. I’ve stayed in plenty of luxury hotels in my time – and a few since becoming a mum – and The Landmark London is the most family-friendly by a country mile. It’s also the most luxurious
Our suite had everything you’d want from a five-star hotel in zone one: a huge bed, deep bath and shower, a big travel cot and two TVs (we had Mr Tumble on both at various points). Oh, and incredibly responsive air con – important in London in a heatwave.
The staff couldn’t have been kinder or more human
Now, The Landmark London is in an incredible location. You’re 10-minute walk from Marylebone High Street, five minutes from Baker Street and 15 minutes from Regent’s Park. If you’re a runner, you’d be bonkers not to jog up to the park’s Outer Circle and enjoy one of the country’s finest running spots. However, if – like me – you only run and normally do anything to avoid strength training in your free time, then the hotel gym is a must-visit. My husband went down for an early workout while I was still asleep, but I headed there post-espresso at about 8am and found it to be near-empty and full of brand-new, state-of-the-art equipment. Forget the cardio machines (of which there are plenty); soft spot lighting and big mirrors make this the perfect place for a free weights workout, even if it’s not usually your thing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with the kettlebells and dumbbells on the cleanest communal mat I’ve ever used (the week before, I’d worked out in a five-star gym in New York City and that mat had definitely seen some things).
But really, I was at the Landmark to check out the spa. It’s a hive of corridors and quiet rooms in the basement, all softly lit and temperate. My therapist was a lovely guy called Alex, who had a very firm handshake and an incredibly soft touch. The Timeless Facial is 90 minutes and involves a short buccal massage (much needed), plus lots of lymphatic drainage, various layers of algae and mud, a thorough cleanse, more massage, moisturising and finally 10 minutes under an LED mask. I went in puffy and dull; I left with genuinely glowing skin and no under-eye pillows. And that glow lasted well into the next day when I was getting ready for a hen do.
I realised that my face shouldn’t hurt: to alle migraines, I’d been tapping on my temples and along my cheekbones for a few days prior, and my skin had felt super sensitive. After my facial, that sensitivity went
The point of a spa, especially in London, is to provide a total escape from real life. You want to be cossetted, far away from traffic, light, noise. And that’s exactly what this spa does. The gym might be on the same floor but you can’t hear a thing. On Saturday morning, we all headed to the vitality pool, complete with hydrotherapy jets. While one of us splashed around with the baby (the pool has specific hours for children, including 9-11am), the other hopped from Swedish sauna to steam room to ice fountain. I loved the fact that children were welcome to enjoy such a lovely space, safe in the knowledge that anyone who didn’t want to swim with toddlers could do so at any other point in the day.
As for food, we dined at the hotel’s Winter Garden Restaurant, a magnificent, palm tree-lined space at the very heart of the hotel. Ever since the Jan Leeming debate kicked off earlier this year (ICYMI – the former BBC newsreader said “children in high chairs shouldn’t be allowed in restaurants”, especially “upmarket” ones), I’ve been apprehensive about dining with baby anywhere fancy. But at the Landmark, it kind of felt like the baby was the main guest. His highchair awaited his arrival; he had his own menu; every waiter came to ask his name, age and to tell us about their kids.
The baby made eyes at every woman in the place and by the end, we’d exchanged pleasantries with diners at all the tables near us. It also helped that he loved my hazelnut soup starter and chomped his way through endless bits of bread and butter and poached peach. My husband hasn’t stopped talking about the roast lamb, or “the best lamb I’ve ever eaten” (meat-eaters, that’s your cue to book). We returned to the Winter Garden for breakfast and noticed a few other children around, all incredibly well behaved and tucking into the excellent buffet.
Every waiter came to ask the baby’s name
Twenty-four hours at The Landmark London isn’t really enough; it’s the perfect city hotel. Need a wellness escape? The spa is elite and the rooms are heavenly. Visiting London and want to stay in the thick of things? The hotel is in the most chic and connected part of the city. Need a family-friendly setting? You genuinely can’t find more baby-friendly, patient staff. A must-visit.
Rooms at The Landmark London start at £432 per night
Images: The Landmark London/Miranda Larbi
