Sanctuary Spa London (Covent Garden)

My sisters and I have been going to the Sanctuary for our birthdays and we usually go on a Sunday from 10am and spend the day there. It's a great way to relax and it's not that crowded on a Sunday. We have our champagne breakfast, chill out in our robes, have a 50 min massage, use the pool and sauna, relax by the carp lounge and chat, order from the bar, visit the Sanctuary shop where we can try their products before we purchase them, and relax in the lounge for some late lunch. Warm and friendly, we always come out feeling refreshed. I would recommend this spa to my friends.

by sheilamothee, 06 Jan 2009

I have just returned from a wonderful day at the Sanctuary in Covent Garden. My last visit to the spa was 4 years ago and there have been so many changes. It was so relaxing and a complete escape. The staff are warm and friendly and not pretentious like they are in some spas. The food was a surprise also - lovely! A great experience and I was totally de-stressed when my day was finished. Would certainly recommend this spa to all my friends.

by Syl21, 14 Dec 2008

Horrible experience. Never, never again! My therapist, Katrina, rushed through the whole treatment yesterday - she exfoliated in 10 mins, shower, slapped cream on and left me to 'relax' on my own for 30 mins. I paid £90 for this Nourishing Kyphi treatment. I could scream!

The food is overpriced, takes about 40 mins to arrive and has no flavour. In the Sleep Chamber it would have been better to have had some nice soft relaxing music as opposed to some lady telling you to "Leave your worries and troubles and relax"!! As for the gift shop, the staff were more interested in getting you to buy the products than letting you just try them out and indulge.

by KiranK (2 reviews), 23 Oct 2008

Firstly, if you are going on your own and in need of a really good chill-out DO NOT go on a Friday or Saturday. It is not only overcrowded but full of groups who want a good chinwag all day long. I have been several times over the past 4 years and it is getting more and more expensive whilst at the same time you seem to get less for your money. If you don't mind stairs it is OK, but if you do... then oh dear. The koi carp lounge can get very noisy and the sleep chamber above therefore isn't very restful. The worst thing is the food - it's overpriced and not all that nice. Steer clear of buying stuff in the shop, as you can get it all in Boots and save your shoulders on the way home.

by hipchick1971, 02 Jul 2008

Horrible place. You will go out more stressed than when you came in. It's completely crowded and they don't have any idea about customer care. They just want to maximise profit. I wouldn't recommended this spa to anyone.

by nessi_, 29 May 2008

I had a perfect day at the Sanctuary. Wide range of facilities to use throughout the day. Even though the spa was busy, I never felt crowded. Had a wonderful massage. The only thing I wouldn't recommend was the pedicure (correction: I wouldn't recommend the therapist I had - the one working next to us seemed much better), but even that couldn't spoil the perfect day. My lunch as a part of the package was very good, service very helpful and friendly.

by urban_stroller, 22 Mar 2008

I had a wonderful day at the Sanctuary. I found the atmosphere extremely relaxed and peaceful. I never once felt rushed during the experience. I spent the whole day in the spa and enjoyed a hands-on tester session at the end of the day, where you get to try the spa's range of products. This is the perfect setting for a girly day with friends or a 'me day' by yourself. You never feel pressured to leave the spa, you are made to feel welcome to spend the day there... and, in my opinion, a day just isn't long enough! It's a gorgeous place.

by beauty therapist, 09 Jan 2008

Dreadful experience indeed... I received a gift certificate of £100 to visit Sanctuary. When I called to book, it became clear that I had to pay £45 just to get in (not fully clear from the certificate). I agreed, and booked a manicure and a pedicure, with total bill of £135.

Unfortunately, 3 days before the booking my childcare arrangements fell through and I called to reschedule. Apparently I missed the small print again. I was told this was not possible, as 7-day notice was required and, as such, I either had to keep my appointment or pay for it fully in any case. To make matters worse the whole bill (£135) would be charged to my credit card since I would not be there to hand in my certifcate, meaning I would effectively be paying a total of £235 for a manicure and a pedicure I did not even have! Outrageous, as I had provided the barcode number of the gift certificate which they could have used to invalidate it. I won't give them a chance to fool me twice!

by Londoner 07, 14 Dec 2007

Went to the Sanctuary with a couple of friends. Reception were pretty friendly with us all, even though they were a little abrupt when asking us to change quickly.

We all agreed that the therapist who gave the best treatments was Francesca. She is absolutely amazing! My friend had the 'Kiphy Signature' and I had the 'Thai Ritual Massage' (85 mins).

The Sanctuary has recently been going downhill, with shorter and more expensive treatments. But an excellent, professional and highly skilled practitioner like Francesca still makes the experience a great one. I will go back there again, but only for a treatment with her!

by Tiffanysmt, 01 Nov 2007

After having booked my appointment prior to reading the reviews, I was horrified when I read them yesterday. However, I must say that my trip to The Sanctuary was fantastic! There was so much to do besides just taking in a treatment - using the many pools, chilling out in the sleep chamber, relaxing while eating a tasty snack in the lounge and gazing at the koi carp pond. On top of that, my treatment was wonderful. Katie gets top marks from me!

by mcsiobhan, 28 Oct 2007

It hasn't kept pace with the competition. The place is so tired, the staff going through the motions, desperately trying to get you to buy crap product. With the choice now in London no one really should have to suffer this!

by jschmidt, 24 Sep 2007

I went on a day spa package on a Tuesday. It was busy but not overcrowded and the staff were attentive enough without being in your face. I had two express treatments and found the whole experience great from start to finish. I was a bit worried having read some of the reviews on here, but I was more than pleasantly surprised.

by zakiakatya (2 reviews), 28 Aug 2007

I first went to the Sanctuary 6 years ago and it was fantastic. There were platters of free fruit handed round by attentive staff, chocolates in the lounge and water to drink served with slices of lemon and lime. When I went back recently I discovered the standards have plummeted, with their mean penny pinching. All of the the above gone! Not even doors on the showers, crowded and dirty facilities. I won't go back.

by charliec, 21 Aug 2007

I was really looking forward to my day of relaxation - the Sanctuary had come highly recommended, so I thought it would be the perfect place. Unfortunately this was the worst place to escape to. It was noisy and far too busy. The registration queue was the worst way to start a 'relaxing' day, and my first two treatments - a manicure and pedicure - were conducted close to the reception. Result: an hour of hustle and bustle, with me wishing I was somewhere else!

Two of the therapists were great, but overall I am glad this was a gift, as I would have hated to have parted with my own money for the experience.

by MaryC, 18 Aug 2007

My mum was in absolute agony, as she is disabled and we were not aware of the layout. We were told that the details will be changed on the website to save other people the aggrevation and discomfort, but this has not happened (it has been over a year). We had travelled by train and paid to stay overnight, just to visit the Sanctuary. Not one member of staff ackowledged my mum had a walking stick or offered assistance, nor did the reception team make us aware of all the stairs. Whatever your star rating, you can see when someone needs assistance. Very disappointing.

by magpie, 06 Aug 2007

It's an excellent opportunity to relax and unwind. The setting makes you forget the miserable weather outside!

by asma, 17 Jul 2007

The Sanctuary is definitely past its sell-by-date. It is very old and very run down. Their priority is not customer care, it's seeing how many people they can possibly squeeze in the place. They need to start spending some of the money they get (and, believe me, it's a lot) on turning the place around.

The therapists and workers are so lovely but you can see that they are run down due to the overcrowding. The treatments are always cut short due to them having one after another with no time in between.

I would not pay to go there and would not even want to receive a gift voucher - there's much nicer ways I could be spending my days.

by kay202, 03 Apr 2007

What a fantastic spa! I enjoyed a wonderful day here with my daughter. After a very warm welcome, we were treated to a delicious lunch in the main restaurant. We then spent a lovely hour catching up in the idyllic Koi Carp Lounge. In the late afternoon I had an Advanced Collagen Boosting Facial which was very relaxing and the therapist was very informative. All in all, a super day out!

by BetW, 29 Jan 2007

Absolutely fabulous spa. I have been to many spas in London and in other countries but the Sanctuary definitely stands out as one of the best for me. The masseuse I had was brilliant - I felt relaxed for days after. Highly recommended.

by Mi., 13 Jan 2007

I had a great evening at the spa recently with a group of friends. We are a rather fussy bunch, but the revamped spa managed to make us all happy, relaxed and wanting to stay longer. My massage was fabulous - right pressure, quiet masseuse and tranquil surrounds. We could all hang out in the Koi Carp lounge together and enjoy a glass of champagne, then go our own ways and make the most of the steam room, sauna, pool, relaxation area etc. I'd highly recommend it to groups of friends, or even as a relaxing day or evening out on your own.

by KateB, 12 Nov 2006

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