They say prevention is better than cure and if, like me, you’re currently staring down the barrel of a festive season positively overflowing with work events, family get-togethers, cocktail parties and, for the first time, even a winter wedding, a chance for some peace and quiet before the chaos ensues is extremely tempting.

If I sound ungrateful, I don’t mean to be. I love champagne, I love canapés, I love Christmas. But, as any Brit who has rolled their eyes wearily at the sight of the local M&S decked in holly and twinkly lights in mid-October will know, it’s a marathon not a sprint. And you wouldn’t attempt to run 26 miles without a little preparation, would you?

So, to The Marylebone, the luxurious Doyle Collection hotel which has teamed up with cutting-edge wellness centre, Rebase, to create an overnight retreat designed to leave you feeling your very best, whether you’re recovering from a particularly intense physical feat or (and I’m trademarking this) ‘pre-covering’ for the party season ahead.

We check in on a drizzly Friday night in late October just as this pretty corner of Marylebone Village is coming alive with the glow of festive fairy lights and are shown to our lavish corner suite. Our dog, exhausted from insisting on personally greeting every single traveller on the Elizabeth Line, instantly scouts out her plush bed, curls up and falls asleep. My husband, meanwhile, is delighted at the discovery of a widescreen television masquerading as a mirror, while I admire the lush velvet mid-century furnishings and vast marble bathroom, replete with Malin + Goetz toiletries.

The hotel has kindly left a bottle of champagne and intricate Halloween-inspired pastries in our suite but, mindful that we are here to be mindful, we (temporarily) resist temptation and decide to squeeze in a workout before dinner. Guests at The Marylebone are granted complimentary access to the neighbouring Third Space health club, including its pool, steam room, sauna, yoga studio and multi-level gym, via a dedicated lift and, at 6pm on Friday, it’s bustling with bright young things staving off the excesses of the weekend ahead (pre-covering; it’s a thing). Despite this, we are pleasantly surprised to find more than enough spare treadmills, functional training machines and free weights for our purposes.

Back upstairs, and having washed up in a shower big enough to host a small team meeting, it’s time for dinner. Supper at the hotel’s in-house 108 Brasserie isn’t included in the package but, having dined here before, I’m in no two minds that it’s worth the extra cost. We momentarily debate taking the dog with us – four-legged friends are welcome at the restaurant’s al fresco terrace – but given the drizzle is threatening to develop into a torrential downpour, and she’s so comfy she hasn’t moved a muscle since we arrived, we leave her to snooze while we tuck in.

I opt for lighter dishes of tuna ceviche and miso black cod, while my husband goes full throttle with tempura tiger prawns and a fillet steak (high in protein and, therefore, in keeping with experience, he argues). We watch smugly from our cosy window table as Friday night drinkers scuttle from pub to pub in an attempt to avoid the rain and, feeling the buzz from a pre-dinner cocktail, retire to our room for champagne and dessert. Everything, as they say, in moderation.

The next morning we awake to nourishing juices – an energy-inducing blend of spinach, pear and mint – before taking a sunny stroll round the corner to Rebase. Somehow still something of a hidden gem on the capital’s wellness scene, this high-tech health centre blends traditional massage, yoga, and breathwork therapies with modern remedies such as cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, vitamin infusions and thermal contrast classes to create a rounded approach to not only physical fitness, but also mental, emotional and full body health. If that sounds scary, it needn’t; with its soothing natural palette and team of softly-spoken specialists, the vibe is cocooning rather than intimidating.

We’re shown to our private contrast suite, equipped with an infrared sauna and two ice baths; one cooled to 10°C and the other to 3°C. We will, we’re told, be left to our own devices but the general idea is to spend around 10 minutes in the sauna before immediately dipping into one of the ice baths – ideally the coldest we can handle for 90 seconds – before repeating the process as many times as our 45 minute session will allow. This all sounds very manageable until my husband points out that the ‘freezing’ pool on our recent holiday to Greece was likely somewhere around 25°C. One step ahead, he beats me to the warmer pool and there’s nothing for it but to take the plunge. The experience is not so much refreshing as intensely painful but, having survived my 90 seconds, I dive back into the sauna and am instantly rewarded with the euphoria wild swimmers are so keen to extol the virtues of. I feel lighter, brighter, energetic and more cheerful for days after.

We return to the hotel for a well-earned breakfast of warming coffee and smoked salmon bagels and find one final surprise waiting for us: a box of recovery goodies from Rebase. Packed with calming ashwaganda supplements, energising electrolytes, health promoting liquid vitamin C, and a Skincycles face mask, alongside other wellness treats, it proved an effective way to keep the feeling of rest and rejuvenation going that little bit longer.

So, keep a close eye on those TikTok feeds because I’m calling it: 2026 is going to be the year of ‘pre-covery’. I’m ready, rested and revitalised; bring on party season.

The Suite Health at The Marylebone package starts from £1,215 per night, including an overnight stay, a la carte breakfast and Rebase treatments for two. Visit doylecollection.com.

Read more: London hotels with Michelin-starred restaurants