Living in London, it can be difficult to find tranquil outdoor space. All too often there's no room to stretch out, your picnic has overheated or you've sat in something horrible.
One place where you can get a perfect little slice of the outdoors is on top of The Berkeley in Knightsbridge. A grande dame of the London hotel scene: The Berkeley is discreet and calming, sitting unostentatiously down a little side street away from the noise of Hyde Park and the packs of tourists.
The spa, located on the seventh floor is like stepping into an alternate London where there's barely any noise and everyone wears bathrobes. Green & Spring (the gorgeously packaged English spa brand created at Cowley Manor) have set up a pop-up treatment room on the roof: think birdsong piped through speakers, an abundance of flowers and miniature birds dotted everywhere.
One of the spa's standard treatment rooms has been taken over by this quintessentially, beautifully packaged, English brand. The room is dimly lit, which is a blessing for tired eyes that have been focused on a computer screen, and smells divine. The whole effect is extremely calming and it's nice to be away from the rest of the spa in a private room.
My mini facial lasted 30 minutes and I came out feeling refreshed, relaxed and with glowing skin. This isn't a facial for those who like their face to get a workout, it's a soothing and skin-clarifying experience designed to let your pores breathe. My therapist even noticed my (depressingly) rather bad posture and recommended a way to correct it.
Sadly, I was on a tight schedule but a quick dip in the roof top pool (brimming with gorgeous people) was very tempting. It's a blue oasis under a glass conservatory style roof with open sides which look onto the garden. The small but perfectly formed garden (decked out with flowers by McQueen's florist) looked beautiful in the early evening sun and I spotted two fashionista sun worshippers making the most of the dying rays. It's strung with beautiful flower garlands and fake grass so you really feel like you could be in the countryside rather than seven floors above hot London pavements. You can even order a picnic out there and enjoy homemade lemon iced-tea and wild strawberries and cream if you're feeling peckish.
The spa was busy when I went on a Friday evening and has a steady flow of clients from the hotel guests. The evenings and weekends are even busier and it's filled with socialites getting a manicure or frazzled professionals looking for a way to relax.
Green & Spring are only there until the end of September, so book fast to enjoy one of London's best roof gardens.
For reservations please contact The Berkeley Health Club & Spa on +44 (0)20 7201 1699. Green & Spring treatments start from £50. Access to pool, health club and garden is included for Green & Spring Indulgence. Half-day access to the facilities is priced at £45.
