The Corinthia Hotel

Within 10 minutes of settling in, we were greeted by The Corinthia room service staff who warmly asked us how everything was and whether we required anything else for the cot. I have to say, what made our stay at The Corinthia so noteworthy were the service level and the staff. More than the hotel itself, one realises that it’s always the staff that impacts a guest’s stay – it’s the reason for returning, the reason you would recommend it to friends or family. The Corinthia makes you feel utterly welcome in its deserved 5-star establishment.

On this occasion, we uncovered one of Corinthia’s unique packages for our Sybarite members, called the ‘Brain Power Residential Package’, which, as you might have guessed, is all about wellbeing. It is rather distinctive to the hotel and also highly attractive for those wanting a serious dose of nourishing downtime but still wanting to remain in the city of London. We found that this package is just the thing, ticking all of the boxes if what you are looking for is a nourishing escape in a luxurious yet discreet atmosphere.

 The room for this package is the Executive King Room, which for us was located on the 4th floor.  Measuring 45m², the room itself is very spacious, with its own walk-in closet and divine marble clad bathroom complete with bathtub and built-in TV, double sinks, separate tropical rain shower and of course, toilet. Aside from the room, however, the Brainpower package is all about getting a healthy dose of a good night’s sleep. The package aims to deliver it by adding several elements in order to achieve such a state. The room is essential as it is your night’s resting place, therefore the room’s features include the said marble bathroom with heated flooring which as The Corinthia states, “encourage barefoot walking as this is grounding and helps neutralise the effects of electromagnetic interference on the brain-body system".

Other features include luxurious fluffy towels, which promotes that sense of being hugged which in turn increases oxytocin levels. The highlight of the room is indeed the mattress and pillows and although we didn’t require a change of bedding, the hotel’s pillow menu provides an ample selection from the Mühldorfer range, be it soft or firm. With a 300-thread-count and made from 100% cotton, it is needless to say, that we slept like a baby.

Adding to the nourishing features of the Brain Power Package was another highlight, the Mindful Massage & Yoga Nidra which can be given in the guest room or the hotel’s ESPA spa, but we highly recommend having it in the Spa, which is located over 4 floors of The Corinthia and has it’s own lift access. It is an architectural delight that should not be missed.

The treatment has been created in cooperation with the hotel’s Neuroscientist in Residence, Dr. Tara Swart, and is about “creating the optimum conditions for peak performance in the brain depends on stimulating the brain through the five senses, all of which are in abundance in the hotel spa.”

What we came to experience during the treatment was mindfulness through meditation and breath work, incorporating deep inhalation and exhalation. Besides the light massage which envelopes the senses, Yoga Nidra is performed at the end, where your therapist guides you into a state of carelessness. For almost half an hour, the aim is to get you to a meditative state whilst still being aware of your surroundings and of yourself. It was challenging albeit an experience that we find most hotels do not offer. It is one of those experiences to come and try out, and should you not wish to stay overnight, The Corinthia Hotel also offers this package for the day, which includes a two-hour Brain Power Ritual (slightly different from the Brain Power Package as the massage is done using bamboo sticks) and a nutritious lunch. 

Topping the package off is the brain food provided during your stay, which includes dinner and breakfast. The menu offered is based around neuronutrition and has been carefully created by Dr. Tara Swart and The Corinthia Hotel's Executive Chef, Adriano Cavagnini. We tried everything on the menu, and the Walnut-Crusted Baked Mackerel with Avocado and Monkfish was a delight, including the Green Tea Veal Fillet Paillard. What we noticed was how full the meal made us, perhaps due to the fresh tasting Chia Seed Mango Pudding and Avocado Chiffon Cake with Manjari Chocolate Mousse. As if we weren’t full enough, the end to this meal and the bidding of a goodnight’s sleep is a special concoction of Melatonic – almost like a magic potion, this drink takes 15 minutes to prepare and simply contains warm milk (your choice of full fat or almond milk), manuka honey and ground turmeric. The menu tells you to drink it half an hour before bed and to sip slowly.

We do applaud The Corinthia Hotel and Dr. Tara Swart for managing to hit every touch point and being able to combine the hotel’s aspects and features to envelope the senses in order to create downtime for ones brain. This is an especially great package if you are the type of person who is not used to practising wellness. It provides a good introduction to what wellness can do for yourself and your brain. And let’s face it, living in London can be stressful and we should not feel guilty for spending a night to at least try and nourish our minds and enjoy a bit of luxury whilst we’re at it. 

It’s the little things that count (what we liked): 

• Stellar staff

• Marble-clad bathroom with flat screen TV

• ESPA spa – a must visit

• Baby amenities 

• Welcome/complimentary water and juices

• Complimentary Nespresso and teas 

• Plush bedding and temperature controlled room