T e spa menu includes the usual range of à la carte treatments and day spa packages, but the main off ering includes locally-infl uenced treatments such as hydrotherapy, body wraps and amber stone massages
era when it was used as a training base for professional athletes and as a reward for top-performing citizens. “We decided to draw on this heritage, deliv-
ering treatments that this area has long been famous for – mud cures, sulphur water bath- ing and so on – but with a modern feel and in a more luxurious environment,” explains Alla, who is now general manager.
Holistic approach With an overall investment of €6m (us$7.5m, £4.9m), Amber Spa boutique hotel is cer- tainly that. T e 21-room property, designed by Zakman Design Studios, adopts a gentle, amber-infl uenced décor throughout. Mean- while the spa – originally built in 2005 and refurbished in early 2009 – off ers 15 attrac- tive treatment rooms, a consultation room, a relaxation area, a pedicure/manicure area, sunbeds and a hair salon. Grouped together, the spa, banya, fi tness facility and a swim- ming pool form the Balans Club. T e treatment menu includes the usual
range of à la carte treatments and day spa packages available. However, the main pur- pose of the spa is to complement the rest of the Balans International Wellness Centre off ering, with locally-infl uenced treatments such as hydrotherapy, body wraps and amber
SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010
A DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH
INITIAL CONSULTATIONS AT THE BALANS INTERNATIONAL WELLNESS CENTRE CONSIST OF SIX TESTS:
■ Applied Kinesiology: uses manual muscle testing to examine how a person’s
body is functioning. ■ Prime Test: blood tests for food intolerances, ensures the patient doesn’t choose food that will harm their white blood cells. ■ Rhythm Express: simi- lar to a cardiogram, this
monitors the body’s energy reserves, using heart pat- terns to assess levels of stress/environmental infl u- ences on a person’s nervous system and organs. ■ Bach analysis: kinesi- ology tests carried out on muscles are used to fi nd the right essence to bal- ance the emotions.
stone massages integrated into the centre’s broader wellness programmes. “Spa is too narrow a word and doesn’t really refl ect what we do here,” says Alla.
“What we’re about is a wellness lifestyle.” It’s in this area that all the pieces of the
jigsaw start to come together, in a holis- tic approach to wellness and vitality that encompasses fi tness (in the Balans Club gym), nutrition (including personalised menus in the MyLife restaurant, which opened in June 2008) and relaxation (in the spa and Russian banya).
■ Musculoskeletal assess- ment: T e Paul Chek method assesses areas of strength, weakness and imbalance in the body. ■ F-Scan: uses resonating frequencies to detect the presence of diff erent bacteria, viruses and para- sites, then zaps them at a precise frequency.
All Balans wellness programmes begin
with a consultation with a doctor and a personal trainer, comprising six diagnostic tests (see information box, above). From there, a bespoke six-week ‘vitality’ pro- gramme of fi tness, nutrition and relaxation is put together for each client, working with the expert in-house team – including GPs, acupuncturists, kinesiologists, physiothera- pists and nutritionists. T e fi rst week consists of the diagnostics
and a chance to practise the recommenda- tions under expert supervision, with at least
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