LONDON — Claridge’s, the legendary luxury hotel on London’s Brook Street, is pushing into results-driven wellness by hosting Dr. Barbara Sturm‘s new residency experience in the U.K.
Launching Friday, the residency will bring a dedicated Sturm menu, which is based on her signature anti-inflammatory, science-based protocols, into the André Fu-designed spa with facials targeting specific needs, such as glow, antiaging, tension release, as well as sculpting body massage and targeted buccal or myofascial massage. Beyond treatments, the partnership will also see Dr. Barbara Sturm products in room and suite mini bars.
Sturm said the move folds London into a global network of tightly curated, long-term hospitality alliances for the brand, having previously partnered with The Maybourne Beverly Hills in 2023.
“Our launch with Claridge’s perfectly reflects how we at Dr. Barbara Sturm approach our global partnerships: as true collaborations, built on long-term relationships that both myself and my team have built up over the years,” added the German orthopedic specialist.
“We instinctively know one another’s shared brand values, customers, and how to blend the ever-evolving worlds of luxury longevity with world-class hospitality. Together with Claridge’s, we have created a truly bespoke program that will evolve seasonally, ensuring continued innovation for our guests, focused on anti-inflammatory health,” she continued.
Barbara Sturm with a doorman in front of Claridge’s.
Billie Scheepers/Courtesy
For Thomas Kochs, managing director of Claridge’s, the residency outlined a way of working the hotel has historically kept behind the scenes, opening up its network of experts to a wider audience and tying it directly to the spa’s strategy.
In addition to Dr. Barbara Sturm, the hotel’s spa also hosts resident brands including Teresa Tarmey, Josh Wood, Augustinus Bader, MZ Skin, and wellness experts like acupuncturist Ross J. Barr and brow specialist Hollie Parkes.
“Claridge’s spa has long had a stellar roster of leaders in their respective beauty and wellness fields. When we opened the spa, one of our missions was to also open up our little black beauty book — the gurus we have on speed dial when our guests have been in need — to be available to many more than just staying guests, and in the idyllic environment of our treatment rooms,” Kochs said.
“We love working not just with brands, but the creators behind them. Sturm adores the hotel, and this union has been plotted and planned for some time…She is obsessed with healthy skin, we are obsessed with hospitality, experience and service,” he added.
Kochs also lauded that the residency signals a shift in guest behavior that is informing how Claridge’s — and parent group Maybourne — think about wellness as a business.
“We view travel, at Claridge’s, as an opportunity to support performance and recovery, not disrupt it,” Kochs said. “Gone are the days when guests accept that a holiday or trip automatically equals a pause from health routines. This demand is reflected in how wellness is woven throughout our entire guest journey — sleep quality, nutrition, movement, recovery and mental clarity are all considered. It is our responsibility to create environments that make this possible, without feeling prescriptive. Our partnership with Dr Barbara Sturm fits seamlessly into this ethos.”
Wellness has been a buzzy word dominating the conversation in the London hospitality sector in recent years. The fact that Claridge’s dug deep into the grounds underneath to construct a 7,000-square-foot spa and wellness area showed how invested the hotel is in this topic.
“Claridge’s guests trust us implicitly with the choices we make,” said Kochs. “We’ve chosen this new service to become a crucial part of their skin care journey. So many hotels only offer holistic hands-on treatments for a one-time relaxing experience, whereas Dr Barbara Sturm’s protocols at Claridge’s have been absolutely devised with results in mind, forming a relationship with guests where they return for their skin MOT again and again.”
Barbara Sturm
Billie Scheepers/Courtesy
Behind the scenes, Claridge’s has adapted operations to accommodate Sturm’s more clinical approach, investing in staff training and brand immersion, a process Kochs framed as “well and truly Sturm-ified.”
“The spa team was completely immersed in the brand and Sturm’s commitment to a clean lifestyle, and her technique. Time with her was invaluable. She travels and lives the life of our guests, and the team is empowered to think like her, making each experience completely bespoke to what that guest on their bed needs that day,” he added.
A mark of success for the residency, according to Kochs, would be seeing these treatments booked by guests regularly.
