Spa Review: Heavenly Spa

My welcome drink was a shot of green liquid in a pocket-sized double-wall glass: sweetened lemon-mint. I sipped it as I sat on a table and signed off my suing rights (in case I snapped a rib), and scribbled details on a form that asked for my skincare routine. I was then escorted to the changing room by Kavisara Boontrakarn, my chirpy therapist.
Oh, yay! I thought, bathrobe with a hoodie! This was new to me. I felt like a boxer. And soft bathrobe too, like the sheets on the massage table - must be at least 300 thread count. Two upticks. Three: the spa wasn't massive. And there were no overpowering fragrances in the corridors. I liked the décor, the yellow chrysanthemum stalks, courtesy the flowers-loving manager, Vanessa Grgurin. Basic is good.
The speakers in the hotel weren't working. No music turned out to be a bonus.
Post treatment, in the lounge area, my jasmine tea arrived and here, the double-wall glass did its job. I knocked back a small teapot of the stuff as I read a piece in a magazine lying there on Georgina Chapman, wife of Harvey Weinstein, and - didn't know! - friend of author Neil Gaiman ("Unlike other friends of Chapman's, Gaiman did actually worry about her being married to Weinstein".) Even inside a spa, the real world is never too far away...
Therapy time
I asked Kavisara, or Kavi, what oil she was going to use for my Swedish massage or the 'Heavenly Spa Signature Massage', and if I could first smell it. I received a splatter of white tea oil on my palm. It was a warm, not dense, oil that had no smell. Kavi said the skin soaks it up quickly. To begin, she asked me to pick a stone, and offered me three, each with a word painted on it: Love. Gratitude. Hope. Before she started thumbing my back and shoulders, she cleaned my already clean feet with a warm towel. Bliss! Next, a steaming towel was lowered on my back. Off we went, Kavi's elbow expertly stomping out those knots along my spine.
What we loved...
There was a jar of almonds to snack on post-treatment. This was a relief as I was starving. Besides the toiletries in the shower, thoughtful of the management to keep a deodorant and a hair spray in the locker room. I liked their white tea and aloe conditioner. My hair was all swishy as I walked out.
What we didn't...
Might not be a bad idea to have healthier snacks in the post-treatment area (the dried cranberries were too sugary). My locker probably needed a slightly more comprehensive clean-up drive. Also, Dh500 is fairly expensive for a one-hour treatment.

Heavenly Spa Signature Massage
Heavenly Spa, The Westin Dubai, Mina Siyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Reservations Call: 045117901, ext. 7901
Website: www.heavenlyspadubai.com
Cost: Dh500 for 60minutes
Our rating: 4/5
 
nivriti@khaleejtimes.com