Luxury in Style

Going with the flow at Bangkok’s new riverside spas

It’s all happening spa-wise along Bangkok’s River of Kings. Three new spa openings/renovations, writes Jane Teeling, and they’re all well worth visiting for a rub down – or holistic wellness session.

Ayurvedic Penthouse, Oriental Hotel Bangkok
Recently, The Oriental’s  General Manager Kurt Wachtweitl relinquished his superb riverside penthouse apartment above the famed Oriental Spa. Not only did the act warrant centuries of good karma; it also freed space to accommodate Bangkok’s first Ayurvedic Centre. Today, these bright, airy quarters with river views and mature landscaping are graced with Indian antiques and elaborate wall hangings.

But beauty is more than skin deep here: each of the four very large suites contains an authentic Ayurvedic set-up. There is the wooden Ayurvedic bed carved from a single plank (in other words, no rickety joints) taken from a tree at least one hundred years old. There is the fabulous wooden steam cabinet for post-oil massage treatment, which keeps the head cool while steaming the essential oils further into the skin. And there is the spacious shower for a therapist-administered snana (scrub-down) of ground beans, and the copper (i.e., bacteria-resistant) bathtub for a clean soak.

That the facilities here are gorgeous is no surprise; The Oriental has always been a master of the refined, bygone aesthetic. But there’s more going on here than just fine décor, as anyone who knows about Ayurveda will expect. The Ayurvedic Penthouse offers one-off or sequential treatments that serve individual lifestyles. A brief questionnaire tells you which one of these you are; then therapists or the Ayurvedic doctor selects treatment(s) and mixes oils that aim to balance your dosha’s tendencies.

This is where the conventional spa menu becomes superfluous; after all, how would the layperson ever know how to balance a dosha? Above and beyond the one-off treatments are three- to four-day long-stay programmes (or repeat visits, for the local Bangkok set) encompassing spa treatments, consultancy sessions with the Ayurvedic doctor and yoga trainer – an entire lifestyle overhaul, if you wish to go that far. And as for how well this uniquely Indian lifestyle choice and holistic system exports, Spa Consultant Christina Watson has this to say: “Ayurveda is a healing tradition. It belongs to the world.”

The Spa, Millennium Hilton Bangkok
Those tickled by Millennium Hilton’s celebration of sophisticated fun will appreciate The Spa, a sleek, sexy and not-too-serious bamboo-fringed compound next to the main building. Less medical or philosophical than its riverside neighbours, The Spa promotes the ‘four Rs’ – Refresh, Relax, Rejuvenate and Rebalance – through a menu based on four elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth. After informing you how the menu ‘works’, the therapist gives you a consultation to determine which treatment suits you best, and then customises it accordingly.

This is not unusual practice in a spa, but quite necessary here: some of the treatments sound complex, delicious and unusual all at once, and a helping hand is appreciated. It also makes use of the well-trained therapists who, it was proved to me later, can alleviate inner turmoil (read: sour stomach) with their knowledge of medical-based Thai massage techniques.

In terms of ingredients, The Spa spares no expense, offering a menu bolstered by brand-name spa products Thalgo (France) and Pevonia (USA). Expect to see some science-defying treatments, such as Luminier Face by Pevonia, which uses light therapy to regenerate cells – very Ray Bradbury. Natural, indigenous ingredients also make an appearance in a few East-meets-West treatments, and here The Spa does a fantastic job at seamlessly blending two or more traditions.
By Jane Teeling

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Courtesy of lifestyleandtravel.com