My honest review of Maria Alexander, London’s newest spa boat

The DLR rumbles in the distance as my husband and I lie side by side, receiving massages on a private boat from another couple. 

My first thought when we were invited onto Maria Alexander was that it sounded like a code name for swingers. My second was that spending an afternoon alone with the crew of two might feel awkward.

But the massage sets the tone for a perfectly relaxing afternoon on London’s newest spa boat.

The faint industrial noises of the city and the coots on Regent’s Canal only add to the backing track of soothing spa music.

After 30 blissful minutes we’re both tempted to nap, but this is not an opportunity we want to sleep through.

Owned by couple Corvin Roman and Ingrid Eriksson, Maria Alexander is a floating widebeam canal boat currently moored at London’s Limehouse Basin.

The sleek white vessel opens like a Tardis, revealing a treatment room, hot tub and wood-fired sauna within.

Though floating treatment rooms and saunas have popped up on London’s waterways in recent years, this is the first to offer a full spa experience to rival the city’s high-end hotels.

The price is surprisingly reasonable though, at £175 for two people for two hours, including a 30-minute treatment each.

Our afternoon starts with a warm foot soak and herbal tea, before those dreamy massages.

Then we’re left alone to enjoy the boat, and given a bell to ring if we need Corvin and Ingrid’s assistance. Aside from delivering drinks, they stay hidden away, eradicating my fears of clumsy small talk.

The couple came up with the idea of opening a spa boat on a whim, after realising they’d struggle to afford a business rental on land and spotting a boat for sale.

Ingrid has an impressive CV working in some of London’s most exclusive spas and private members’ clubs, but long dreamed of running her own.

Corvin, meanwhile, works in insurance, though he completed a massage course to enable him to provide some of the treatments on board.

Both are currently managing bookings on Maria Alexander alongside other jobs. As boatie novices, it’s been a baptism of fire.

Building the boat itself was a huge undertaking. The couple purchased an empty vessel in Liverpool, then got it transferred to London. Working with interior designers and an architect, they came up with a chic Japandi design mixing Japanese simplicity with Scandinavian warmth.

They then hired the Tottenham-based Boat Fit Company to bring the vision to life.

Negotiating with local landlords has also been unexpectedly difficult.

Corvin has ambitious plans to run a trio of wellbeing boats side by side in the bustling marina by Canary Wharf, but mooring leases are expensive and in high demand.

Maria Alexander has previously moored in Paddington and Little Venice, but the couple say they were forced to move on when landlords pressured them to sign a 10-year lease.

Their current location in residential Limehouse is peaceful, but leaves them without footfall from curious customers. 

‘Even moving the boat is challenging in central London, just because of the size of it,’ Corvin tells me, as I pop up to the bow to find out more about the business. 

‘There’s constant attention needed too. If you’re not on board for a week, you come and then you find something that’s not working and needs fixing.’

As a guest, you’d never guess these challenges behind the scenes. An afternoon on Maria Alexander is almost meditative, and we happily repeat the hot tub-sauna cycle until our fingers and toes are wrinkly. 

Corvin tells me 80% of the bookings so far have been couples, though you can fit up to four adults in the hot tub.

Something the owners didn’t anticipate was how popular it would be with religious clients who aren’t able to enjoy more public spas. Upon request, Maria Alexander can have all-female staff. 

Currently, the only food on board is dried fruit, so you’ll want to have a big breakfast.

The owners have recently acquired a food licence and are in talks with caterers to offer extended packages in the near future.

One thing that’s clear is that creating this floating spa has been a labour of love for Corvin and Ingrid, who are an instantly likeable pair.

The project has been three years in the making alongside other jobs, and though they soft-launched with a few bookings among family and friends, the boat only began operating as a proper commercial vessel this spring. 

We leave feeling relaxed but energised by an afternoon of doing something completely different. I’d genuinely recommend the experience for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. 

Knowing you’re supporting a small local business in the process is the icing on the cake.

Rachel Moss was a guest of Maria Alexander, but don’t expect us to sugarcoat anything — our reviews are 100% independent.

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