SPAs World of
World of Spas editor Jo Foley casts an eye over the latest news and views on offer for perfect pampering
EDITOR’S LETTER
Sometimes it’s the peripherals that make a spa visit so special – not what is really on offer. I always remember the people – the
Thai master in Bangkok who prayed before he began my massage, or the teacher at the Banyan Tree spa in Phuket, who taught me to dance once she had finished my treatment, so I could learn the correct movements to help my posture and lower back. Often it is the location. Recently, I’ve experienced two fantastic ones, like the new spa at the top of the FOUR SEASONS HOTEL in London, with some of the best views of the capital, from the Albert Hall to Hyde Park through to the city and the Gherkin.
I can’t wait for autumn when the leaves begin to turn golden and red all through the parks.
And then I was staying at the EUROPE
HOTEL in Killarney, where the views of the lake and the mountains would soothe any fevered mind. And, when the sun came out, it was just heavenly. The massage and wrap at the in-house Espa Spa were bonuses. And I’ve always thought the peace of the bush or the sound of the sea is there to provide a therapy for the mind.
TEMPLE THERAPY…
Take an exquisitely renovated river rice barge, add an Anantara Spa and set off on a river cruise along the temple-lined Chao Phraya river, from Bangkok into the heart of Thailand.
Spend three days and two nights on one of the most serene journeys, sailing past the Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun, and on through floating markets and past royal palaces as you enjoy the hustle and bustle of this great city and its environs from a gentle perspective. And, should you need to relax further, a therapist is always on hand to soothe and massage.
More info:
www.anantara.com PERFUME AND PAMPER
Le Mas de Candille is one of the prettiest places to stay in Mougins, just a short drive from the hype of the Cote d’Azur, but nestling in the gentle countryside. It has lovely gardens, great views, a Michelin star restaurant but, best of all, a Shiseido Spa. This bases its treatments around Qi, the Japanese method of balancing your energies. In a separate building set in its own garden, all is tranquil and peaceful. This autumn, the hotel is offering a special girl’s getaway of spa and perfume, where guests can visit nearby Grasse, the perfume capital of France and where most of the great smells are made. Here you can participate in a fragrance workshop and make your own scent. Afterwards, return to the spa for the Ultimate Candille Zen treatment – a lavender and white-clay body scrub followed by a massage with jade stones. Spoiling or what? More info:
www.lemascandille.com
MAYAN AND MODERN
Barcelona’s newest spa is in one of its oldest, grandest buildings, the El Palace Hotel Gran Lujo. Recently extensively renovated to the tune of more than €20million, it now houses an Anne Semonin spa. It offers a mixture of ancient Mayan rituals, such as the Tuukul, a full- body holistic massage with botanical oils and serums, but also some of the most modern treatments available, like the Cryotherapy luxury facial, where Anne Semonin ice cubes are used to firm and smooth the skin. More info:
www.hotelpalacebarcelona.com
Autumn 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING 45
...AND CITY CHIC
Enjoy another aspect of Anantara Spas in the vibrant city of Shanghai at the Puli Hotel. This ultra-modern boutique hotel is hidden by a garden of bamboo and sculpture, while its Spa not only offers a selection of massages, facials and wraps known to Anantara aficionados but also a specially devised menu of treatments based on the therapeutic effects of tea. They have chosen four types on which to base the treatments – Green Tea to detoxify, white tea for balance, chrysanthemum tea for its health-giving benefits and Rose tea for beautifying. And, when you have been wrapped, exfoliated, massaged and beautified, you get to sip the stuff as well.
More info:
www.anantara.com
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