Why The Super Salon Will Be the Biggest Beauty Destination of 2022

This year, beauty came back. After over a year (on and off) of not being able to visit our favourite salons, spas and clinics for our usual beauty pick-me-ups, their return was welcomed with open arms. Because sure, while learning how to do our nailshair and waxing at home was fun for a little while, the truth is, going to the salon for a beauty treatment is an experience you just can’t recreate at home.

Having said that, since beauty has opened back up, it’s safe to say that the way in which we want to spend our time has changed. Pre-pandemic, many of us wouldn’t have batted an eyelid at the prospect of running around town, hopping from salon to salon to tick off our beauty chores. Nowadays, however, we want convenience. Not only do we want to minimise the amount of indoor public spaces we enter, but we’re also demanding a slower, more enjoyable approach.

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(Image credit: @AIMEESONG)

And so, we have witnessed the birth of the super salon in London. Like a department store for beauty treatments, super salons offer a plethora of treatments all under one roof. Whether you want a laid-back salon vibe to spend the day, get some work done and grab so lunch while getting your treatments done, or would rather a tech-free spa experience, London’s super salons have you covered. 

And with more and more salons adopting this one-stop-shop mentality in the capital, we’re pretty convinced that the super salon is paving the way for the future of beauty destinations. If you want a day of ultimate beauty spoiling, keep scrolling to discover London’s best beauty super salons—there’s something to everyone’s taste.

The Retreat at The Londoner

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF THE LONDONER)

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(Image credit: @SHANNONLAWLOR)

A new hotel in the heart of London’s Leicester Square, The Londoner isn’t just one of the most wonderfully relaxed and luxurious hotels we’ve ever stayed at, but it’s also an architectural feat. With a total of 16 storeys, a number of the communal spaces of the hotel are underground.

An entire floor dedicated to wellness, The Retreat feels like a million miles away from the bustling west end and comprises a stunning tranquility pool, pool-side cabanas (which you can opt to have your treatments on), a gym, a Hiro Miyoshi Hair & Beauty salon, an AMA nail salon, a Joe Vipond Gentleman’s Grooming salon, treatment rooms, and Refuel, a café-come-clinic specialising in superfood and drinks. It’s impossible to not want to spend the entire day (or week) tucked away at The Retreat.

Hershesons Belgravia

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF HERSHESONS)

Co-founded by celebrity hairstylist Luke Hersheson and his father Daniel, Hershesons has really paved the way for super salons. Housing cafés, hair treatments, facials, nails and more all under one roof, Hershesons has been the beauty escape of choice for Londoners for the past couple of years. However, the new Belgravia salon is a truly welcome addition to its others. With a Farm Girl Café on the ground floor along with the main hair salon, downstairs you can book in for Sarah Bradden acupuncture, a Brows By Suman brow treatment and/or a DryBy Nails mani-pedi. It’s all of London’s greatest beauty destinations in one convenient spot.

Urban Retreat

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF URBAN RETREAT)

When it comes to variety of choice, Urban Retreat comes out on top. This literal retreat offers high-tech facials, nails, lashes, brows, hair removal, body treatments, an Angelo Seminara hair salon, osteopathy, a gut clinic, a tattoo and piercing studio and a plant-based restaurant. If you’re visiting London, you could easy spend a whole day at Urban Retreat and still not experience everything it has to offer.

Cloud Twelve

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF CLOUD TWELVE)

Cloud Twelve is best known in Notting Hill for being an exceptional members club. However, its salon and spa facilities can be booked by non-members, too. With body rituals and massages on offer, both relaxing and intensive facial treatments and a hair salon, it’s a great place to wind down for a few hours.

Harrods Hair & Beauty Salon

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF HARRODS)

An absolute must-visit if you’re popping into Harrods for a bit of retail therapy, the department store’s new Hair and Beauty Salon takes up an entire floor. Not only is it an Instagrammer’s dream thanks to its luxe pink and gold aesthetic, it also houses an impressive collection of beauty salon services. 

There’s London’s nail art favourites Townhouse on hand (pardon the pun) for your manicure needs, a Backwash Room, Conditioning Bar, Hairdressing Rotunda, Eye Zone and even a Hair Extension Library. Whether you’re after a blow-dry, trichology treatment, laser hair removal, facial, waxing, massage, Anastasia Beverly Hills brow treatment or Dr Dennis Gross LED treatment, Harrods Hair & Beauty Salon has you covered. Plus, you can shop all of the best that beauty has to offer while you unwind.

Gielly Green

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF GIELLY GREEN)

Gielly Green isn’t one of London’s most Insta-famous salons, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best. Its Marylebone flagship was designed to provide a ‘haven of indulgence under one roof’. Specialising in hair treatments, from cuts and colour to extensions and Brazilian straightening, you can also book in for makeup services, a mani/pedi, waxing, brow shaping and facials. Its classic, old-school charm just makes it even more enjoyable.

ESPA Life at Corinthia

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF ESPA)

We might be cheating a little bit here, because ESPA Life at Corinthia is a very, very luxurious spa. However, we can’t help but feel as though it deserves a place on this list thanks to the number of other treatments on offer. Plus, it really is the place for beauty buffs to visit in London. Because while the spa is without a doubt one of the best in London in terms of the calibre and quality of the treatments on offer (seriously, the ESPA massages are second to none), there is also a Daniel Galvin hair salon, a nail studio, a gym and The Elixir Clinic (which specialises in intravenous wellness therapy). The treatments are, of course, on the pricier side of things, but if you want to invest in yourself, this is the place to do it.

SALON64

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF SALON64)

SALON64 might not offer the same amount of treatments as some of the other super salons on this list, and it certain doesn’t offer the same square footage either, but it embodies a different form of escapism. It’s small and intimate, offering hair services with a difference. There’s a bar and seats to relax in, which makes the salon feel more like a social hub as opposed to a typical hairdressers. Plus, in the evening it turns into a private members club to help you escape the hustle and bustle of Soho.

Kalon Parlour

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(Image credit: COURTESY OF KALON PARLOUR)

If you’re a fan on natural beauty treatments, this one is for you. Kalon Parlour’s dreamy interiors will have you reaching for your phone to snap every corner for interiors inspo. The treatments, which are all vegan-friendly and cruelty-free range from nails and brows to lashes and waxing. There is also a medi-spa that offers facials and massages. And as for the bar? It’s the perfect place to enjoy a post-treatment tipple.

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Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous.

Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics.

While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best.

When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.