Anne Semonin facial

The five star London Syon Park, a Waldorf Astoria hotel, is nestled among 200 acres of idyllic greenery in the Duke of Northumberland’s Syon House Estate, just a short distance from Richmond and Kew Gardens.

London Syon Park has dual appeal – a country bolthole for Londoners escaping the noise of the city and a more inspiring option to the ‘airport hotels’ for those passing through Heathrow.

Arrival

The exterior of the hotel may not be quite as grand as you might expect, but step inside and you’re immediately transported to a whimsical wonderland of oversized velvet arm armchairs, a cloud-like origami sculpture and a glass butterfly house filled with the world’s most exotic butterflies, in the middle of the lobby.

This is inspired by the butterfly house that was once at Syon Park and the butterfly motif runs throughout the hotel, so look out for clues! There is even an ice cream parlour, Brownies, to make the experience even more fantastical.

London Syon Park has 137 rooms on just two floors with some accessed through an enclosed outdoor walkway featuring twitterings of woodland animal and bird noises.

The Bedroom

The bedrooms can only be described as ‘gothic luxe’ – elegant, dramatic monochrome with sumptuous textures. The dark, mystical design of the bedrooms is a real contrast to the playful lightness of the hotel and its country surroundings.

Our Arboretum Room was spacious and featured a giant LCD HD TV, plenty wardrobe space, a work desk, seating area and glass bottles of complimentary mineral water.

The bed was exceptionally comfy and the sheet were silky-soft and light, so we had an excellent night’s sleep. Sometimes hotels can over-do it with the padding and pillows, leading to much over-heating and an interrupted sleep, but here they have it just right.

Considering that the hotel is so close to Heathrow, with planes flying over at regular intervals, we never heard any air-traffic noise – a testament to the sound-proofed windows.

Most of the bedrooms have balconies, all with different views, and ours had a view over the leafy grounds and the Syon Arboretum. It was delightful to sit and enjoy the sun and views for a while before exploring the rest of the hotel.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is petite but perfectly formed with a deep soak tub complete with TV, a powerful walk-in rain shower and the most plush bathroom products I’ve encountered at a hotel yet – Salvatore Ferragamo Tuscan Soul.

Kallima Spa

Kallima Spa, named after a rare butterfly, is the jewel of London Syon Park and it was hard for me to tear myself away. The pool is a tranquil paradise with irridescent mini mosaics, water overflow and the perfect temperature. We loved the jacuzzi and also tried out the ultra-hot Steam Room and Sauna, complete with TV!

It’s easy to spend a whole afternoon by the pool, sauntering from one well-being facility to the next and relaxing with a chilled glass of water on the pool loungers, before perhaps indulging in an Anne Sémonin spa treatment, which I did the next day.

If you’re a more outdoors type, you can take a long ramble through the acres of greenery that makes up Syon Park, take a bike ride along the Thames or investigate the ‘secret garden’, which can be unlocked with your room key. Or, if you can’t quite leave the city behind, shopping at Westfield is just a short bus or cab ride away.

Dinner at The Capability

In the evening, we dined London Syon Park’s restaurant, The Capability, headed up by executive chef Lee Streeton, formerly of HIX and Brown’s hotel. The Capability is named after Capability Brown, the prolific 18th century landscape architect, who designed the extensive grounds at Syon Park, and is affectionately known as ‘England’s greatest gardener’.

The evening finished with a decadent cocktail in a super-tall crystal glass at the stylish lounge-bar, Peacock Alley.

Breakfast

In the morning, we went down for breakfast at The Capability and ordered Eggs Benedict for the hot menu and had a few bits and pieces from the continental buffet. Our waiter proceeded to tell us the history of Eggs Benedict and its connection to the original Waldorf Astoria, then suggested we have the Eggs Royale instead! It was friendly, but a bit too much for the morning, especially before I’d had my morning coffee.

The Eggs Benedict was excellent and I loved the choice of muffins and pastries in either full or mini size from the continental buffet.

London Syon Park is the perfect place for a relaxing retreat, although surprisingly there are so many things to see and do that you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Kallima Spa is an absolutely heavenly experience and dinner at The Capability is a must for foodies who delight in seasonal dishes made with the freshest ingredients from the hotel’s allotments and herb gardens.

For more info and booking, visit: www.londonsyonpark.com

Chérie City was a guest of London Syon Park.

Anne Semonin is a French skincare and spa brand with a unique approach that incorporates a bespoke mix of products to get the most effective results. The customised, made-to-measure system focuses on mixing drops of trace elements and essential oils for a potent effect.

I’ve always keen curious as to how this regime works and the best way to experience the brand is to go to the source – the Anne Semonin spa. Anne Semonin has spas in select locations across the world, including the flagship spa at Hotel Le Bristol in Paris, and closer to home is the relatively new Anne Semonin spa at Hotel Verta in Battersea.

I arrived at the spa reception and was shown down to the changing area by a warm, friendly fellow North East girl who was to be my therapist for my facial.

I changed into my swimsuit and the provided slipper and large fluffy towel, ready to try out the facilities. After a quick shower, I tried the sauna, which was just at the right heat level, spacious and pristine, as though I was the first to use it.

I then went on to steam room, which was dark and atmospheric with twinkling ceiling lights and calming, spiritual music. I felt like I’d been transported to a humid, twilight garden in Morocco.

Next up was the Sanarium, which was also designed in light wood, but was a combination of the dry sauna heat and the moisture of the steam room. I was told that many visitors find this more pleasant and moderate, however, I found that I prefer the two extremes of heat, either the sauna or steam room.

There are also tropical showers and foot baths to prolong the spa journey, but my main indulgence was the hydrotherapy pool. Completely silver and surrounded by tiny gold mosaics, this was quite possibly the most stylish spa pool I’d ever seen. There were various jacuzzi areas and water jets to massage and sooth the muscles.

I washed and blast dried my hair and changed into the fluffy robe and slippers, so I would be comfortable during the treatment. I relaxed on the heated mosaic beds and waited for my therapist came down to collect me. She took me up to the relaxation area and offered me a pot of fresh peppermint tea while I filled out a consultation form. I lay back on the white leather bed, covered in a blanket while sipping on my tea, flicking through Conde Nast Traveller and waiting for my treatment room to be ready.

I chose the Deep Marine Purifying Facial (£115 for 75 minutes) – ideal for detoxifying and rebalancing combination, oily, congested or problematic skin. Before my treatment, I was asked about the condition of my skin and the frequency and exact type of the blemishes. I was told that this was because certain methods can make the problems flare up and the treatment would be tailor-made for my skin complaints.

My therapist started with a double cleanse using Botanical Milk and Marine Toner. Her hands were incredibly soft and she immediately put me at ease with slow, graceful movements.

The next stage was an exfoliating mask to whisk away the dead skin cells. My therapist then applied a mixture of Balancing Essential Oils + Trace Elements to various pressure points on my face and used a range of massage techniques to stimulate the skin.

The therapist then used a steam machine to open up my pores, followed by light extraction. To draw out further impurities, the therapist applied a spa-exclusive thick, paste-like mask that set quickly. Treatments always feel more decadent and special when the therapists use products that can’t be bought in stores. It makes it difficult to then replicate at home, but I was told that the next best thing is the Mineral Mask.

While my mask was working its magic, my therapist gave me a relaxing hand and arm massage with a light Botanical Body Milk. She found the pressure points and the areas of my hands that are continually stressed due to typing and the effect was just blissful. The arm massage was invigorating and got the blood flowing around my body.

The mask was peeled away in one rubbery layer with deep-rooted impurities and oil particles attached.

To rebalance the moisture levels, my therapist mixed some Marine Emulsion with a few drops of 100% Active Contour Serum and Tissue Serum and massages it into my skin.

She finished with Eye Express Radiance Ice Cubes covered in gauze and gently ran along the contour of my eyes, followed by a few drops of Tissue Serum to brighten, firm and hydrate.

It was then time to go back to reality, albeit after another revitalising pot of peppermint tea in the Relaxation Lounge.

After my treatment, I felt rejuvenated, supple and ready to face the world. The soaking and steaming in the spa prior to the facial really helped me to relax and opened my pores enough to get the most out of the treatment.

Immediately after and for the following days, my skin felt plump, smoother and more even and best of all, the blemishes dried out quickly and diminished.

Anne Semonin treatments are a high end investment, but the results are significant. The Deep Marine Purifying Facial immediately tamed my angry, inflamed blemishes and in the longer term, gave my skin a full detox.

The couture approach appealed to my skin and the combination of different products makes it easier to gauge what works best for your skin and unlike a uniform skincare cream, adapt it accordingly. Even as a one-off treat, I encourage you to indulge!

For more info, products and treatments, visit: www.annesemonin.com

Chérie City was a guest of Anne Semonin Spa

London Syon Park Waldorf Astoria