Ayurvedic, Thai, Spanish, Balinese ? spas are trying hard to go beyond the conventional to please your senses. Consider Rollerssage. Now what?s that you may ask. Well, it combines hot stone treatment with massage. And mind you, these stones aren?t the ordinary ones. These are semi-precious stones like Tiger Eye, Quartz. ?They aren?t just kept on the body. The masseur rolls them over. The idea is to tap the healing energy of the stones and combine it with the benefits of massage,? says Melissa Wong, the spa manager at the Westin Sohna resort. Be prepared to part with Rs 5,200 for a 60-minute session and Rs 8,300 for a 90-minute one.
When Starwood Hotels & Resorts decided to open its first Westin property in India, they knew they had to offer something different. So, Rollerssage it was. The property, Westin Sohna Resort & Spa in Gurgaon, has other signature treatments as well ? count in Heavenly massage (massage combined with herbal heat pouches) and Western Workout massage amongst the few. There?s a lot of emphasis on experience too. Apart from its signature music, the signature scent in the spa ensures an instant sensory recall for guests who may have already experienced a Heavenly Spa. Leonia holistic resort in Hyderabad can bet on its innovations as well. Its Leo Juventa spa, scheduled to open in a month?s time, sprawls across one lakh square feet. Nilesh Sharma, the spa manager of the property is busy giving the last minute touches to the 45 treatment rooms spread over six floors. ?Innovation is the keyword,? he says. Conventional is pass?. Only something new and different can now create the buzz. That explains the aqua gym and the Body Capsule. The latter, a 45-minute therapy, seeks to combine hydrotherapy and colour therapy with steam jets!
The Aura, Chennai, awarded the most innovative spa of the year in 2007, bases itself on the navratna theme (with nine therapy rooms on a jewel theme). Its counterpart, Aura, at The Park, Kolkata plans a couple package at the ?Prema suite? in the pre-Valentine season for Rs 1 lakh. Besides being fed aphrodisiacs, along with a bottle of Dom Perignon and a caviar facial, there is also a diamond polish ? a combination of fruit extract, vitamin A and diamond powder, which smoothens and firms the skin while acting as a natural moisturiser! Not to forget the post massage red wine jacuzzi bath.
The wellness industry couldn?t have been healthier. MJ Robertson, director and CEO of Vedic Village in Kolkata, is busy with the blueprint of another spa resort near Delhi. Robertson has seen the Kolkata property grow phenomenally ? ?in the past three years the Vedic village has grown from an 18-room resort to a 200-room one.?
Little surprise then that India Tourism Development Corporation has announced its plans to set up premium spas in Delhi, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Jammu, Kosi and Bhubaneswar. Interstingly, the spas are to be set through public-private partnership.
Goa seeks to take a leaf out of Kerala?s book by stressing on ayurveda, as the refurbished Devaaya Spa offers panchkarma treatment through special techniques such as hrud basti and kundalini (spinal) massage. This picturesque resort brings together Santulan Ayurveda as devised by ayurveda expert Dr Balaji Tambe. ?The stress is on holisitic living, while detoxifying and rejuvenating your body and mind,? says Victor M Albuquerque, CMD, Alcon Victor group, who run the centre.
Spas are also not hesitating to be flexible on timings and facilities. They are also innovating to attract the corporate client. ?We charge Rs 75,000 to Rs 1,50,000 as annual fees, and allow unlimited use of our facilities,? says Dharam Rudra, CEO Rudra Spa, Mumbai, which also remains open till late at night to allow its clients to relax after a hectic day?s work. No surprises then that it won the Asia Spa Award for best marketing in 2007 and has a wait list of about 300. As the sector grows by leaps and bounds, there are also the inevitable shortfalls in adequately trained staff. ?We have started hiring staff from Thailand,? says Ajay Malik of Espace Spa at MBD Radisson, known for its chocolate-based treatments. ?We have recently started the chocolate wrap, which imparts the 300 odd benefits of chocolate,? says Malik. Incidentally, another new treatment getting popular is the ginger and turmeric-centred Balinese body massage, which gives the body the required heat, and is especially suited for winters.
