Review: Happiness in the City at the St James's Hotel, Mayfair

In an age that stresses importance on our wellness, the St James's Hotel and Club, situated in the heart of Mayfair, offers a relief package that focuses on mental health- an aspect we often neglect.

The School of Life, servicing classes and workshops around the globe on how to master every issue in relationships, work, leisure and culture, has partnered with the hotel to offer classes to suit your needs to help you achieve a fulfilled life and sense of self. The St James's Hotel and Club, aimed at those seeking peace and luxury in the heart of the bustling city, provides a sanctuary of outstanding traditional-meets-contemporary suites and Michelin-starred restaurant offerings.

The class

At 70 Marchmount Street, a stone’s throw from Russel Square, I attended The School of Life’s 5-star on How to be Confident. The class promised to equip you ‘with a range of confidence-inducing ideas to allow us to escape the shackles of excessive hesitancy and compliance’. Over the two hour session, priced at £55, the class sat through a range of examples of confidence in history, brain science behind why we doubt ourselves, tips, tricks and exercises to exude confidence, and evoked important conversation in an intimate setting which concluded with the idea that we aren’t all as confident as we appear.

Accompanied by refreshments, it was great way to gain insight into the how and why we doubt ourselves as humans and restore some confidence in our mental wellness. Other classes include the likes of ‘how to make love last’, ‘how to identify your career potential’, ‘how to develop self-knowledge’ and even ‘the meaning of lifea 

The stay

Opening in 1859, The St James's Hotel and Club was once a club for diplomats, and joining is still possible for an £840 subscription alongside an annual fee. Now owned by a German hotel group, the Victorian townhouse’s prime function serves as a luxury, 5 star boutique hotel, attracting the likes of celebrities like Roger Moore and Michael Caine.

The cosy hotel features contemporary-meets-traditional interiors, with 60 rooms and 10 suites available furnished with black lacquered furniture, fruit bowls, state of the art televisions, stone bathrooms and Penhaligon’s toiletries.

I was put up in the Superior Room for the evening (starting from £260), featuring a plush queen sized bed, minibar, free WiFi, an iPhone docking station and everything in between. Service at the hotel is unmatched- staff are friendly, accommodating and eager to help. If you don’t wish to dine at the Michelin-Starred Seven Park Place restaurant headed by chef William Drabble, room service is available until 10pm, of which I took full advantage- I dined on a gourmet steak, salad and fries with a gorgeous deconstructed cheesecake to finish. Cosy opulence at its finest.

The hotel also prides itself on its partnership with Perfect Ten Black Label mobile beauty service, offering a host of in-room treatments such as facials, spray tans, nails, blow dries and body treatments. I indulged in an hour-long deep tissue massage before jetting back to the hustle and bustle of Picadilly. I can safely say the Happiness in the City package is one that left my mind- and body- replenished.

Browse rooms and book at www.stjameshotelandclub.com