SPAS
Sense of place
Susan Harmsworth, CEO, ESPA International
“ESPA and Mandarin Oriental have been working together for many years and share an understanding of fi ve-star standards and a passion for excellence. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is a true extension of the elegant design found throughout the rest of the hotel. Each well-appointed treatment suite offers the perfect surroundings to receive experiences such as the ESPA- designed Relaxing Orange Ritual or the Barcelona Spring. “The Relaxing Orange Ritual was
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created using ingredients from the orange family, for which Spain is renowned. The treatment begins with a welcome foot ritual followed by a gentle, full-body exfoliation. A specifi c blend of ESPA Restorative Oil and Nourishing Body Cream is then worked deeply into the skin with warmed poultices using local herbs, ensuring full penetration of the product and a truly relaxing experience, leaving the skin nourished and regenerated. “The Barcelona Spring is a totally luxurious and uplifting journey using indigenous Spanish ingredients to leave the body wonderfully balanced. A welcoming foot ritual using fresh, local mint and sage is followed by a Spanish olive oil, wild mint and salt scrub. A full-body ESPA Aromatherapy Massage, using hot stones and essential oils infused with local mint, culminates in a relaxing head massage to dispel any remaining tension and promote a feeling of calm and wellbeing.”
our spa guests when they arrive and then again when they come out of treatments. That’s the real measure of our performance.”
Going with the fl ow Operationally everything fl ows well, and the minimalist usage of black granite contrasted with warm wood and accents in malachite green create an elegant and serene backdrop. The sexy lighting design throughout is by Isometrix and really does make a difference, enhancing wow features like the black chain curtains and green malachite wall of the poolside hammam. Highlights include the beautifully tranquil, black, 12m ozone pool, the superbly equipped changing rooms and simple yet deluxe fi nishes throughout. “Our spa may well raise eyebrows, just as Gaudi did when he produced his architecture around Barcelona,” adds Gibson. “It is very contemporary in style yet combines the elements of fi re, water and metal in the structure to complement the wood- and earth-based treatments and materials in the treatment rooms. The facility also strengthens the unique and creative design elements around the hotel. Patricia Urquiola designed the hotel and the spa, adding distinctive features such as the poolside hammam’s glass walls and lounger seating.”
Effective and authentic Barcelona’s spa menu has been carefully designed by the Mandarin team, with the help of trusted product partners Aromatherapy Associates and
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ESPA International, to offer “simple, effective spa experiences which can be extended to one’s home”. It offers a comprehensive range of facials, body treatments and spa journeys including aromatherapy, Swedish, Thai and hot stone massage, specialist face work and lymphatic stimulation, pregnancy and male grooming services. Highlights include signature spa therapies newly devised to “address guests’ increasing desire for simple, effective and authentic spa experiences”. Developed in consultation with specialists in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and master aromatherapists at Aromatherapy Associates, each signature therapy consists of a relaxing body ritual that combines the powerful effects of Oriental ‘meridian’ massage with the therapeutic benefi ts of custom-blended essential oils, created exclusively for Mandarin Oriental. Last but not least, the fi rst year has seen Lara introduce the services of celebrated French podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez, following the opening of ‘Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio at The Spa’. “People fl y across oceans to get manicured and pedicured at one of Bastien’s salons in France,” comments Gibson, “so our new Pedi:Mani:Cure in Barcelona has got off to a terrifi c start.”
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