Winter is coming. Autumn leaves are disappearing from the trees, the sun is setting painfully early, and the weather is rapidly approaching freezing. Sitting in my icy flat do you have to pay council tax on an igloo? If only there was a way to escape the winter without leaving London. And then I discover that there is…. The hotel borders Hyde Park in luxurious Mayfair , and is in good company with the Four Seasons on one side and The Dorchester on the other. I arrive at the hotel and make my way to the second floor, where a warm welcome awaits.
The room is toasty, and the spa manager greets me with a calm smile and a cup of hot ginger tea. I extract myself from the 81 layers of scarves, coats, hats, and gloves that envelop my shivering frame, wrap my fingers-cum-icicles around the cup, and start to breathe. It starts to feel a lot like paradise. Defrosted, I head into the small changing room and swap my sweater and boots for a robe and slippers.
And speaking of hands, for the next hour, she works her magic on my back, shoulders, arms, legs, and neck with hands that are well practiced in relieving stress, tension, and seemingly everything else that ails me. The treatment itself is a signature Como Shambhala massage that uses long strokes from shoulder to ankle as well as elements like hot cloths to get the ever-tightening knots out of my shoulders.
I take a hot shower to prolong my winter warmth, then emerge back into the waiting area to be greeted by another cup of ginger tea and some dried fruit. I wrap my 81 layers back around my body, say my good-byes, and walk into the cold. Maybe I need to make this a regular thing. New here?
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