Spaficionados

Archive for the ‘Spa Bliss’ Category

Meeting with the UK’s favourite spa authority, Jo Foley, tomorrow!  Listen to her last word on the wonders of spa holidays in South Africa.

Devoted to pleasure at the new Shanti Maurice

God knows, we all love a good party, but the atmosphere at last night’s Mason Rose Summer Client Event was electric, a perfect evening mixer for sipping champers and sharing news. Joanna and I caught up with MR’s Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications, Maria Pajares, who introduced us to Debora Berardi of Inaria Design, the creative geniuses behind Shanti Maurice’s recent relaunch under the Nira Hotels & Resorts portfolio.  Inaria was appointed to create the resort’s brand strategy, brand identity, sales & marketing collateral, website and art direct the resort’s new photography.

According to Debora, the new Shanti Maurice is ’devoted to pleasure’ , offering its guests endless opportunities  to absorb the local culture and experience the indigenous delights of this stunning seaside paradise.   The new Nira Spa boasts the largest spa facilities on the island and now offers Africology massage  and healing treatments, combining the best of ancient African traditions and ingredients with modern techniques for energy-balancing and body and soul resusitation. 

It sounded so seductive, I’d have been on a plane if the boss didn’t need a ride back to the office ;).  So many luxury spa holidays, so little time…

My husband, Mensun, and I were in Paris recently and decided to sneak a peek at one of Six Senses’ urban escapes.    Six Senses at Rue De Castiglione, Paris is a sea of tranquility in the midst of Parisian bustle.  As you drift down the stairs into the urban sanctuary, you are greeted by a tropical garden on your left and four ‘cocoons’ carefully crafted out of oak – where you can shut away the rigours of city life.  As you lie back and relax, you gaze at the real-time image of the Paris skyline projected the full length of the cocoon. The spa is situated in the heart of Paris by the Jardin des Tuileries and beautifully designed by award winning French architect Pierre David – everything integrating light, wood, stone and earth.  It feels amazing to be in the heart of the city but right away from it all at the same time!  A huge range of spa treatments are available –  from rejuvenating Asian-inspired massages and holistic journeys to a Honey Facial that actually uses honey harvested from city bee hives from the roof tops of Paris, perfect for protecting the skin!    We were both tempted by the hot stone treatment to wear away the strain and pains ….and the detoxifying journey using organic seaweed to expel the body’s toxins.  Such a shame that we didn’t have time to actually indulge ourselves…but I know where I’m headed the next time I’m in Paris, with or without Mensun!

Last week, I had the opportunity to wander around the spectacularly opulent ballroom of the London Mandarin Oriental listening to the dolcet tones of violins in the background, regaled by the individual beauties of the Mandarin Oriental hotels worldwide.  All the while, I couldn’t stop thinking of all the different spa holiday types  that must be out there!   While stuffing myself with culinery delights such as duck profiteroles and tiger prawns, I secretly imagined my own perfect spa holiday… the  ’Spa and Feast’ or ‘Spa and Pig Out’ .   Ok, it’s not the usual theme you might want for a spa holiday, but when I was plied with perfections by extremely polite waiters and offered exotic cocktails such as passion fruit and rum, the last thing on my mind was de-toxing …

However, while talking with several of the managers of Mandarin hotels  all over the globe, I was struck by how brilliantly this group has brought together a fabulous range of state-of-the-art spas to add a sparkle to their hotel offering.  Having been lucky enough a couple of years ago to experience the serene and exclusive pampering of the London Mandarin Oriental’s Spa,  I remembered how my afternoon escape, which included a  Shiatsu-inspired ginger ritual consisting of a finger pressure technique to the body’s shiatsu points,  not only allowed me to re-emerge on to the grey London streets fully energized, but also made me feeling like I had snuck in  a full-blown spa holiday I was so re-invigorated by it all.

If you’re looking for a real treat for Mum, Nan, or anyone who takes care of you as lovingly as they did, I couldn’t recommend a more wonderful place to send them  — in fact, I might just forward this to my own children and their dad!  We all deserve to feel this special!