Cloud Twelve spa – A longevity escape in the heart of London

From Bryan Johnson, who takes more than a hundred supplements a day in his quest to outsmart ageing, to wellness guru Kayla Barnes, who consumes an intimidating variety of vegetables, seeds and powders and polishes off her last meal of the day by 4pm – longevity is having a moment.

At the heart of this fascination is “biohacking” – the science (and sometimes art) of optimising one’s biology for better health, performance and vitality. It ranges from small lifestyle tweaks to cutting-edge technological interventions.

So when I was invited to Cloud Twelve’s Longevity Lounge in Notting Hill to biohack my way through a series of treatments, I was curious to see how this approach translates into a London spa setting. Like many living in a blur of deadlines, emails and a busy calendar, adding “ozonate oil on the tongue” or “VO2 max training” to the mix can be a little daunting. But Cloud Twelve offers biology-shaping treatments key to the routines of Johnson and Barnes – and all that’s required is to show up. So off I went to step into the (long-standing) boots of one of these gurus for an afternoon.

The urban oasis

Describing itself as an urban oasis, Cloud Twelve sits on a discreet residential backroad in Notting Hill. As it’s also a private members’ club for families, there’s a murmur of children playing as I enter reception – but this is long forgotten upstairs. Here, any fast-paced city action soon dissipates, replaced by the gentle trickle of water and soft ambient music.

Taking a breather from modern-day life is clearly important to Founder and CEO Jenya Di Pierro, who left a demanding role in finance to pursue her passion for holistic wellness. After witnessing her father’s illness, she became an advocate for prevention and the restorative power of plants – and designed Cloud Twelve with the bridging of science and nature in mind.

The experience

Before my treatments, I spent time in the thermal suite, which features a Himalayan salt room, a cold plunge pool and a sauna. After a dip in the icy plunge, I enveloped myself in the warmth of the sauna – and then alternated between the two to work up some hot-and-cold therapy magic. Whether I managed to find this temperature sweet spot or not, this was a vital ritual – as plonking yourself in the therapist’s chair straight off the tube would unlikely yield the same sense of calm.

My first treatment was the oxygen facial. Using pressurised oxygen to deliver low-weight hyaluronic acid deep into the skin, it’s designed to intensely hydrate and plump fine lines. Having had my fair share of facials, I can confidently say I was abnormally radiant and lifted – with no redness or downtime.

Next came the infrared laser blanket, a cocoon of warmth that, through emitting small wavelengths, supports skin healing, boosts collagen and reduces inflammation. While it’s the sort of treatment that rewards consistency, it was strangely relaxing lying under a laser blanket for 45 minutes. I left feeling grounded and restored.

The longevity touch

I just scratched the surface of Cloud Twelve’s Longevity Lounge lengthy list, with treatments including hyperbaric oxygen therapy – known to enhance oxygen delivery at a cellular level – lymphatic drainage, where a massage stimulates the lymphatic system to remove toxins and harmful substances from the body – and cryotherapy for energy and inflammation reduction. Each element is rooted in the principles of cellular optimisation, yet the environment feels anything but clinical.

The verdict

Longevity may sound like the domain of Silicon Valley biohackers, but Cloud Twelve offers a more human, holistic interpretation – one where ancient wisdom meets modern science, and the experience is nurturing rather than experimental.

Despite having once less hour of sleep in October, we usually can’t turn back the clock – but Cloud Twelve is there to help us feel as if we might be. It’s a city hideaway where you can test out the future of wellness, or even just gain a few hours of stillness that leave you with a glow.