I am a self confessed, self proclaimed spa junkie. And in these days of political correctness, diplomacy and democratization, I am not ashamed to say that I enjoy moments of unadulterated pleasure and luxury. Food is my passion, my life and my career and I proclaim there is nothing a glass of champagne won’t cure, relieve or delay. However I have to say, as I grow older and have to bear the burden of travel and airports, there is nothing that quite hits the spot like a great spa. I also like the “oneness”. A spa treatment for me is an experience I don’t like to share. It’s for me alone to enjoy, indulge, dream. It’s “me time” …as much of it as I want. No phones, no conversation, precious time and pampering. At the end of most flights, I always look for a spa. Now, there is a big difference between a spa and a simple massage. I’m not talking about some large woman with smelly armpits coming to your room and pummeling around leaving you half satisfied and very oily. No no. A spa is a whole different ball game. Its plush robes, the scent of juniper, lavender and grapefruit, the sound of water, warm massage beds which incline and gentle therapists. It’s a wet area afterwards where you can steam, shower and relax in a Jacuzzi and another area where you can enjoy a herbal tea or a glass of juice and a magazine. Like great meals, there are some experiences which are truly memorable and a cut above the rest. Let me share some of mine.
The Oyster Box is a hotel on the sea near Durban in South Africa. We arrived after terrible delayed flights from India, missed connections, rude and unsympathetic airline staff and subsequently a long boring wait in a domestic airport. A spa treatment was just what I needed. My therapist was a “pro”. She gently rubbed some anti water retention cooling gel all over my swollen ankles and I was treated to a massage in the hamam with lemons. Yes lemons. Quite sexy. I had heard of hot stones and warm jade, aromatherapy oils and heated poultices but never warm lemons. It leaves your body smelling of springtime.
Spa at St.Regis Singapore
Then there was St Regis Singapore where water is the central theme. There is the Ice Fountain, the only one of its kind in Singapore, for instance where smooth ice chips are dispensed from the ice fountain outside the steam chambers and the Finnish sauna to refresh and cool the skin after the steam process. There’s a warm marble massage slab and heated wave loungers…oh yes. If this isn’t shameless enough…..a range of showers which imitate a tropical rainforest to British springtime. There’s Vichy water treatments…all quite special. But what’s really top of the pops here is the Bastien Gonzalez pedicures – It’s the king of pedicure treatments developed by a darned good looking French chap called Bastien Gonzalez who is now probably the most famous and most sought after name in pedicures in the world. His trained podiatrists buff and scrape and prod ever so gently which leaves you with perfect feet for 6 weeks or more.
The Westin Langkawi Resort Spa- Heavenly Spa
Then there was the Westin Langkawi. What a location…an amazing space right on the beach. I don’t remember the treatment as much as I recall the sound of the waves, the swim in the warm ocean and dinner in the spa in my white bath robe. Bliss!
Oberoi Mauritius. Yes I do remember the treatment there. Various stages of coconut – an invigorating scrub with coconut husk, a gentle exfoliation with grated coconut flesh and a fabulous massage with extra virgin coconut oil. 2 hours of painstaking pleasure, which leaves your skin like a baby’s.
The ITC hotels have some of the best spas in this country. They are now rebranded as Kaya Kalp. But before all that, the spa at Sonar Bangla in Kolkata was the nearest thing to perfection I had experienced. The sound of running water in the relaxing lounge area and the most amazing massage preceded by a sugar, sea salt and olive oil scrub. Divine. The new Kaya Kalps in all the ITC luxury hotels are fabulous large spaces with warm massage beds and soft soft robes and towels and exceedingly good treatments but I can’t erase the memory and the feel of that sugar salt treatment.
Then there was Ananda, the spa in the foothills of the Himalayas which was for many years voted the Best Spa in the World. And rightly so. The expansive spa spread across 25000 sq. ft. with its 24 treatment rooms, state of the art gymnasium, outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pool and luxurious hydrotherapy facilities is the centre of attention at Ananda. The spa featuring more than 80 body and beauty experiences integrates Ayurveda and Yoga with the best international ones. Whereas other spas are usually in luxury hotels, everything and everyone at Ananda revolves around well being… including Vedanta lectures, healthy organic cuisine and International visiting masters. They then opened a spa in their business hotel Ista in Pune. Equally good treatments but on a much much smaller scale. Ista was given/leased to Hyatt to manage or whatever. I’m not sure of the business angle. I was devastated and thought “my local bit of heaven” was gone forever. The Ista spa had become my haven of tranquility in this city whenever I was stressed or travel fatigued. And it was a mere half an hour across town from home and the office. So off I went a few weeks ago to experience my spa in its new avatar. The treatments have of course changed in name and the Hyatt professionalism has crept in. I have to report however that what I received was one of the most fabulous massages I have ever had. A combination of aromatherapy, deep tissue and Swedish with hot basalt stones which completely relieved my aching muscles and computer shoulder. And you can use the heated swimming pool after you’ve washed all that oil off. Nice to know that change can sometimes evolve into something better than you expected.
Spa at The Hyatt Pune