Obsession Salon & Spa, Radisson BLU, Birmingham

-SPA CLOSING MARCH 23, 2010

Memorizing massage candle treatments 18 floors up with panoramic views of the city

USP A small day spa with ample treatment choice in a very secluded Birmingham city salon.

AMBIENCE A secluded salon spa 18 floors up is independently run Obsession Salon and Spa.
A compact salon with three treatment rooms including one double treatment suite, a spray tan booth, sauna, 2 changing cubicles a mini gym only big enough for 6 people max and a small reception area.

The salon is decorated in coffee and cream colours, with no relaxation area but 2 chairs beside the reception desk with magazines to browse. The salon was quiet, with just a receptionist and a therapist present, it made for a very intimate and private experience, feel like secluded sanctuary – no one would find me here!

I arranged for my mum-of-two sister to enjoy a Deluxe Manicure (1 hour, £35) after my Lux Shea massage (1 hour, £60), so she went shopping with her 2-year old and turned up once I had finished. The salon was hugely welcoming of her and did not bat an eyelid to a child in a pushchair and shopping bags entering the calmness of the spa.

EXPERIENCE Holly introduced herself as my therapist and gave me an insight into the massage candle treatment before we began. I changed in the room and left my clothes hanging over the chair, and chose ‘Harmony’ from the choice of four candles. With a woody and warm scent, its qualities rebalance emotions using extracts of fig.
As the shea candle is lit the room fills with the fragrance and as the candle melts, the warm oil is applied to the body. Warm and soothing, the massage itself was powerful enough to reach my problem areas and although the room was cold, the warmth of the oil definitely made a difference.

The massage itself was most enjoyable, the room for me though was slightly too cool.
I sat in the same room enjoying a fruit tea whilst my sister enjoyed her manicure. The curtains were drawn back to reveal the panoramic views of the city and the suns warmth speedily heated the room. My sister’s overworked hands were restored, using warm mitts and enriching hand remedy and then French polished, leaving her feeling pampered and her hands looking pristine.

FOOD Because the spa is not part of Radisson BLU, you would be best to head outside and find the eateries nearby. The Mailbox is only 3 minutes walk away and hosts a wide range of bars and restaurants.

IN-CROWD Hotel residents – pop band JLS enjoyed spa treatments the week before me whilst staying in the hotel. Popular with male customers not surprisingly because of its secluded location and especially enjoying the Sports Manicure (£22). But most popular with local office workers.

WALLET WATCH The treatments were very reasonably priced £65 for my massage and £35 for my sister’s manicure. You could push the boat out further with a detoxifying mud treatment (1 hour, £72) and there are a couple of specialist pregnancy treatments (1 hour, £72).

NEED TO KNOW Obsession Salon & Spa, Radisson BLU, Holloway Circus, Queensway, Birmingham B2 2BT (tel: 0121 654 6075) http://www.obsessionsalonspa.co.uk/

London College of Beauty Therapy, W1

As published on Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/good_spa_guide/article7016933.ece


USP

The largest beauty salon in London (by floor space) boasts 14 treatment ‘rooms’ just around the corner from the sights and delights of Oxford Circus.

AMBIENCE

The entrance shows the signs of student life - beauticians in their ‘whites’ milling about outside.
The receptionist was friendly to my sister and I on arrival and directed us swiftly from the modern red and white nail bar reception area (with ten tables ready for action) to the dark waiting area, a throughway to the ground floor treatment room.
What used to be the London College of Music before becoming a private family bank shows some signs of its previous grandeur – with huge chandeliers hanging from the ceilings of its vast spacious rooms.

It is a very busy salon with 28 students working at any one time and capacity to treat 20 clients in an hour. To say it's atmospheric is an understatement. It does not hold the stillness of a typical spa, but it does have a charming energy.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE

My therapist, Charlotte, went through the disclaimer and took a quick health check before my Full Body Massage including Face and Scalp (75 minutes for £25). The lotions used throughout the college salon are LCBT’s own. My desired result to be relaxed and de-stressed was met perfectly, Charlotte used great pressure, massaging evenly and thoroughly and I zoned out almost immediately.
My sister was positively glowing after her Deep Cleansing Facial (60 minutes for £20), a bride-to-be in April she is keen to find somewhere that she can come back to at affordable prices on the run up to her wedding, and she's found it. The dry skin around her mouth and hairline had almost gone post-treatment. The following day she commented on how blemish-free and better balanced the moisture of her skin was and how keen she was to book up again.
You can't choose a therapist when you book an appointment, which is a shame, but you can state whether you would prefer a male or female therapist.

FOOD

It was very tempting to go from salon to West End since you walk out into the heart of it, but we reined ourselves in and sensibly sipped hot chocolates in Starbucks opposite.

IN-CROWD

City professionals and Soho workers in the know fitting in a treatment during their lunch break or after work and the families and friends of the beauty therapy students.

WALLET WATCH

A good variety of face, body, hand and feet treatments to choose from and no matter how hard you try, you cannot spend more than £25 on any treatment.

NEED TO KNOW

London College of Beauty Therapy, 47 Great Marlborough Street, LONDON W1 7JP (0207 7208 1302; http://www.lcbt.co.uk/) email: salon@lcbt.co.uk