“I remained in a state of chilled out bliss for the rest of the evening. My complexion was incredibly clear and bright, and on returning home friends commented on how healthy I looked, which after a trip to London is unusual to say the least.” he newly opened Hotel 82 is just spitting distance from Madame Tussauds in central London, something that the famous waxworks within those walls will never be able to sample. Situated on the road parallel to Sherlock Holmes’s Baker Street, the hotel is perfectly placed for tourists looking to explore London, with Oxford Street and Hyde Park a short walk away. The minimalist bedrooms are decorated in various shades of white and have elegant bathrooms, reflecting the simple and modern decoration throughout the rest of the hotel. Bravery is not something I am blessed with. Even the thought of having my eyebrows plucked can make me feel faint. So it was with some trepidation that I walked down to Spa Le La Le Lei in the basement for my first treatment, the Russian Bath Besom (£60, one hour). I knew that twigs were scheduled to make an appearance (besom means broom made from twigs) and had decided to find out what it was like on the day rather than in advance, for fear of scaring myself. After filling out the usual forms I was led to the small changing room where I had a shower and put on a dressing gown over the ever-attractive paper knickers. I then went into the largest of the three treatment rooms, which contains the sauna and Jacuzzi. Like everything else in this spa, it is small but perfectly formed, and this adds to the comfortable atmosphere – this is one of the most relaxed and friendly spas I’ve visited. Eugene, my therapist, was waiting for me, wearing a remarkably silly felt hat which I briefly laughed at before one was plonked unceremoniously on to my head, with the explanation that it would protect my hair from the heat of the sauna. I was then led into the sauna and told to lie down on the towel, and Eugene started to apply the body scrub he’d made of honey, salt and lemon juice.  A word of warning: don’t shave your legs the morning of your treatment unless you enjoy the sting of lemon juice on raw bits of leg, and yes, I realize I need to improve my shaving technique. Eugene then dipped a bundle of eucalyptus leaves in water, and I pressed these to my face to save it from the heat while I breathing in the fresh scent. He then took two more bunches of twigs, birch and oak, dipped them in water, heated them up by shaking them over the coals and then tapped me with them to remove the scrub. This was repeated over the whole of my body until after five minutes he said as a newcomer to the treatment I had had enough. He led me out of the sauna and sat me down to a bowl of fruit. Wrapped up in a towel, I alternately drank clear honey and a cup of herbal tea. Eugene explained that this treatment helps the body to detox, leaves the skin soft and is great for getting rid of cellulite. It also helps with weight loss, although as this is mainly due to the water sweated off, it is temporary only, but perhaps useful in an emergency dress fitting situation. While I was relaxing with the tea, Eugene massaged my feet, using a lemon to eliminate the rough skin. I was then taken back into the sauna for a repeat of scrubbing and twig-hitting, followed by relaxing, a process that happened three times in all, with a moisturizing scrub used at one point. As the name suggests, this treatment originated from the old Soviet Union and, according to Eugene, is particularly popular with Russian businessmen. He explained that he had been having the treatment since he was two or three while growing up in Latvia and so was able to withstand far more than the paltry three visits I managed. Also popular is a plunge into an icy lake after the treatment, and so after a quick shower to remove the stray leaves that had stuck to me I went into the cold waters of the Jacuzzi while Eugene gave me a head massage. This was followed by a short trip to the sauna to warm up again, where the hot twigs were pressed into my back, before I went with my extremely soft and clean skin into the relaxation room. This room, available for use by any of the hotel guests, has a sofa and floor cushions, with soft lighting and a beautiful rug, ideal for sitting, sipping tea and eating grapes, so that is what I did. Spa manager Nital then arrived to take me for my aromatherapy facial (£60, one hour), using Absolute Aromas products. Lying on the heated couch with the calm white walls with a triptych of flowers, I felt myself relax. Because I had been in the sauna for so long Nital did a light facial with the most amazing massage on my shoulders, head and face. She told me afterwards that she had used acupressure, which removed all the tension from my shoulders and neck immediately and I drifted happily off. I remained in a state of chilled out bliss for the rest of the evening. My complexion was incredibly clear and bright, and on returning home friends commented on how healthy I looked, which after a trip to London is unusual to say the least. After having found a cozy pub complete with a real log fire nearby in which to spend the last few hours of the day (which quite possibly ruined all the detoxifying effects of the Besom treatment) I floated happily to the extremely comfortable bed for a great night’s sleep. VIP Packages for two are £350, including accommodation, use of spa facilities, Russian Bath Besom, facial, manicure, pedicure, massage, champagne and canapés. Express Woman, £100 for 75 minutes, includes an eyebrow tidy, eyelash tint, waxing, file and polish for either feet or hands and an express facial. The Detoxing Wrap, £75 for 90 minutes, involves exfoliation with sea salts followed by a seaweed wrap, Indian head massage and full body lymphatic drainage massage. The rooms start at £95 for a single room and include a very basic breakfast of bread, cheese, cold meat and fruit. Hotel 82 82 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 6HN, England Tel: +44 (0) 20 7486 3679 www.hotel82london.com