AIRE’s candlelit baths are viral on Instagram – but are they really really worth it? (Picture: Supplied) In a new series So, Is It Worth It? our travel experts put experiences to the test to see if they’re really worth your money. This week, we check out one of London’s coolest spas: an underground bathhouse in a historic building near the River Thames. Generally speaking, spas go one of two ways. Ultra-scientific and clinical, with high-tech treatments threatening to restore and revive every cell in your body, or soothing, candlelit oases that switch out the jargon for indulgence and skin-nourishing rituals.  AIRE Ancient Baths fall firmly into the latter category. Part of a wellness empire with outposts in Copenhagen, NYC and Barcelona, their London spa in opened in 2022 in an 18th-century building tucked down a nondescript side road behind the Strand. This grand Georgian townhouse carries its own history of escapism – it was once the home of JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan, and a first-edition copy is on display at the check-in desk.  In a city famed for luxury hotels and equally luxurious spas, earning the title of one of London’s most expensive spas is no small feat. It cost a whopping £11.5 million to build, and a 90-minute ‘Nightfall’ session starts from £115 per person. Instagram reels of ethereal candlelit pools have made it a viral sensation. But is it really worth it? The building once belonged to Peter Pan author JM Barrie (Picture: Sophie Laughton) I head to AIRE on a hot July day in the hope of luxurious respite that will have the same transformative effect as Tinkerbell’s fairy dust – and that a good massage will sort out my persistent tech neck. The relaxation starts as soon as you check in. After we’re handed wristbands (tokens to confirm your treatment) and guided down the staircase to the entrance to the baths, reception staff assure us ‘everything will be explained as you go along, and you won’t have to remember anything’. Spa music to my ears.  Brain firmly switched off, it’s time to begin. Staff are softly-spoken, reassuring and thorough, explaining everything from how to set the code to your personal locker to wearing your compulsory water shoes. The spa area is designed along the lines of a traditional Greco-Roman bathhouse – a subterranean Roman grotto with arched chambers of exposed brick and giant amphoras illuminated by flickering lamplight. The effect is otherworldly, almost temple-like – phones are banned, hushed conversations are drowned out by the gentle sounds of rushing water, and the only sense of time passing is a gong rung on the hour.  Every session includes 90 minutes in the baths; make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes before your slot starts, so you have time to change (Picture: Supplied) You have around 90 minutes to enjoy the baths as you wish. I start with the Tepidarium, a shallow pool that forms a narrow swimming corridor and is heated to a balmy 36 degrees, then cycle through hot (46 degrees) and cold (14-16 degrees) pools, with breaks in the jet pool (Balneum ), salt pool (Flotarium) and steam room. My favourite by far is the Flotarium. It’s so salty, it’s impossible not to lie back and bob around in utter bliss, transfixed by the vaulted wooden ceiling above and the lilting music playing underwater. The steam room is another sensory retreat – so foggy you can barely make out the shapes of other people in the room. If the heat and steam get a bit intense, you can navigate through the mist to plunge into the cold pool in the corner. All you really need to bring is your swimming costume, plus anything you might need to get dressed after (Picture: Supplied) When it’s time for your treatment, the staff whisk you away by elevator to the treatment area. I was treated to the Hydrating Honey ritual – a 45-minute body massage with jojoba oil and a honey hair mask. After my scalp is slathered in honey, the massage ends with my water shoes and swimwear returned fresh from the heater. Turns out there are few things more relaxing than having your feet encased in hot neoprene. I return to the baths in a slippery, sweet-smelling haze, feeling like Cleopatra after one of her infamous milk and honey sessions. There’s a small relaxation room to rehydrate with water or herbal tea. Or, if you’ve booked one of their more indulgent experiences (they offer romantic packages for couples or solo pampering rituals), sparkling wine and chocolates. For the ultimate in Roman luxury, you can book the Signature Wine Experience – a 45-minute session wallowing in a wooden tub filled with wine, followed by a cheese and wine tasting. This is best saved for serious vinophiles, as the whole shebang costs £552pp.  AIRE is a wondrous escape, but there is one area that feels lacking in luxury. You certainly come out with a post-spa glow (Picture: Sophie Laughton) The communal changing area is quite small, with only one private dressing room, and becomes crowded by the end of our session with guests leaning over one another to slather on body lotion or dry their hair. Still, it’s well stocked with amenities including a selection of toiletries and haircare products (including styling products for curly or coily hair), and there are several dressing table stations with GHD hairdryers, straighteners and light-up make-up mirrors. They even have one of those machines that spin dries your swimsuit. Re-emerging above ground two hours later, freshly blow-dried and with no soggy bags in sight, it’s almost as if I’d never been to the spa. Almost. My skin is glowing, my hair is impossibly soft and fragrant enough that a woman on the train home asks what perfume I’m wearing. Best of all, my shoulders have finally abandoned their usual hunch. Talk about fairy dust. Tickets, accessibility and booking You can book the baths online or over the phone. Try to do so at least a week in advance, especially if you want a weekend slot. They fill up fast. There are several packages to choose from, but if you don’t want a massage or other extras, book the ‘Ancient Baths’ experience. Aire Ancient Baths London has disabled access, with a lift and pool hoist. Deaf visitors are provided for with written information on tablets. Sophie Laughton was a guest of Aire Ancient Baths, but don’t expect us to sugarcoat anything — our reviews are 100% independent. Baths entry from £115pp, experiences from £140pp.