Paris
SIX SENSES AT WESTIN PARIS-VENDOME
What makes the Westin stand out is the fun the designers had creating a sense of light in this, France's first Six Senses eco-chic spa. A living garden of tropical flora hangs down steps to the underground spa. Inside, treatment pods are created from strips of hand-bent oak, slippers are made from eucalyptus fabric, and a facial uses honey harvested from the city's rooftops. Real-time images of the Parisian skyline are projected onto one wall and below massage table face holes. The speedy jet-lag facial works miracles in minutes; but beauty is more than skin deep here. The hotel holds a Green Key award for its environmental management initiatives. thewestinparis.com
London
EAST RIVER SPA, RADISSON EDWARDIAN NEW PROVIDENCE WHARF
This is a clever choice if you're looking for opulence within a stone's throw of City Airport. Book early if you're visiting nearby ExCel because the place gets packed. If you're really pushed for time, the spa offers a full range of in-room treatments and, if you've bagged a room right on the Thames, you might be content to stay put. But a quick trot around the spa's six experience showers is a treatment in itself, especially if you combine this with a lie down on a heated bed in the relaxation room with views of the O2 across the river. Its 15-minute treatments include waxes and manicures. radissonedwardian.co.uk
Prague
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
The spa here is, perhaps not surprisingly, the only one in
the world to be located in a Renaissance chapel. The hotel itself is a former 14th-century monastery, and there is something of the monastic about the spa's calm and hush. At Mandarin Oriental spas, guests can choose to book a slot of time rather than a treatment. This can come in handy if you want, for example, a 'mini pedi, eyebrow tidy, quick go at the shoulders and super-hydrating facial', a combination unlikely to feature on most treatment menus. Helpfully for business visitors, the spa is open until 8pm. mandarinoriental.com/prague
Berlin
HYATTPURE CLUB OLYMPUS FITNESS CENTRE & SPA, GRAND HYATT BERLIN
This gym-and-spa is located on the top floors of a multiple award-winning hotel. So, even if you only have a half hour to workout, you'll still feel as though you've had a glimpse of Berlin, albeit only over the rooftops of the Mitte district. Treatments blend Teutonic efficiency with renowned Far Eastern therapies to provide maximum relaxation even if you're racing between meetings. New to the spa is Tulayoga, and it's perfect for the time-poor. A mix of massage, yoga and acrobatics in a 90-minute package, it makes short shrift of tense shoulders while guaranteeing a strenuous workout. A 30-minute Instant Beauty Facial, and a Ginger Express Body Peeling guarantee to give that holiday glow. http://berlin.grand.hyatt.com
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