The Indulging Spa Concept of Anantara
30/11/2007
Anantara Spa derives its name from Sanskrit and when translated means "borderless". Quite apt, one could say. For the three spas at Hua Hin, Koh Samui and Chiang Rai that come under this boutique-like spa concept are not places to go for quick-fix treatments. These are sanctuaries meant for indulgence and to experience first-hand the concept of total spa rejuvenation.
Anantara Resort & Spa, Golden Triangle
Set on a hilltop ridge, deep in the heart of hill tribe country with views over three countries, Anantara Spa in northern Thailand is superlatively sensual. On arrival, one enters a three-storey reception room with two huge muslin-draped swings offering guests the chance to chill out with a cup of warm ginger tea while overlooking Thai and Burmese jungle canopy, the Mekong Valley and the misty, green hills of Laos.
After choosing a treatment, guests float through to one of the spa's five terrazzo and teakwood suites, each of which is designed for couples and have their own shower and herbal steam room. Those wanting to shun air-conditioning, often unnecessary in the cooler climate of northern Thailand, can open the balcony doors and listen to the forest's bird chorus and inhale the warm smell of lemongrass wafting through the windows. Each suite balcony features either an alfresco sunken soaking tub or a Thai massage platform, both of which can accommodate two people and be enclosed within muslin drapes for extra privacy.
The spa's treatments are all deliciously indulgent. The elixirs and oils all use the finest and freshest indigenous ingredients and are nutrient rich and luxuriously aromatic. Using traditional beauty essences such as sandalwood, ylang ylang, patchouli, mandarin, lavender, lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, bergamot and natural ingredients such as Thai coffee beans, natural volcanic pumice, sweet woods, powdered spices, yoghurt, carrots and cucumbers, all the treatments are designed to deliver radiance, relaxation and a sense of well-being.
The Anantara Spa Golden Triangle's signature Papaya & Honey Body Wrap is a lusciously exotic treatment full of the essential goodness of fresh papaya and honey and will leave guests feeling thoroughly refreshed. For guests with stiff or sore muscles, the 90-minute Thai Herbal Hot Compress Treatment is an ancient aromatic treatment dating back to the Ayutthaya period that was especially designed for war weary soldiers to soothe their aching muscles. Steamed herbal pouches containing five different Thai herbs known for their healing and rejuvenating properties are used to massage the body for healing and pleasure.
Those seeking to release mental tensions and find a calm state of mind should book a 90-minute Shirodhara treatment. Sometimes referred to as the "massage of the third eye" and considered one of the most powerful Ayurvedic treatments available, it starts with a relaxing head and facial massage followed by a fine, steady stream of warm herbal oil directed on the forehead. If balance, energy and a sense of peace are being sought, then the Anantara therapists might recommend the Warm Stone Massage, a luxurious 90-minute aromatic massage combined with deep heat therapy that uses soothing, smooth basalt stones lifted from heated water and applied with warm oils in long flowing strokes over the body. It's the perfect treatment for loosening stiff and sore muscles resulting from over-exercise and stress.
The ultimate in pampering is the blissful five-and-a-half hour Anantara Indulgence which includes a herbal steam bath, choice of Mandara Body Scrub or Enzymatic Sea Mud Wrap, floral bath, Nature's Healing Touch massage, a spa cuisine meal, deep cleansing facial, choice of manicure or pedicure and a cup of lemon grass tea before visitors glide out of the door, cleansed and utterly relaxed.
The Anantara Spa, Hua Hin
Anantara has been designed as a garden spa and is set amid the beachside resort's lagoon pools and award-winning landscape by architect Bill Bensley, who also designed the Four Seasons Chiang Mai's gardens and spa. Each of the spa's six suites is set in its own individual garden courtyard, three with a deep terrazzo bath designed for two and all with dual alfresco rain showers suspended in bronze cages and modelled on traditional Thai fish-traps. Each suite's air-conditioned treatment room is separated from its courtyard by sliding glass doors that can be kept closed for coolness or opened onto the courtyard. Four double suites, including one dedicated Thai massage room, allow couples to enjoy a massage or body treatments side by side. The spa was designed in harmony with the resort's gardens and lotus-covered lagoons. Three of the spa suites are accessed via a wooden jetty, lit at night by flaming oil lamps that run around the edge of the lagoon. From here guests enter their spa suite via huge wooden doorways topped with decorative stone lintels, behind which is their private courtyard and treatment room.
The spa's signature treatment, unique to the Anantara Spa Hua Hin, is a three-hour Warm Sesame Compress, which starts with a Thai herbal steam bath to prepare the skin, then a white sesame scrub to exfoliate, an aromatic yoghurt splash to cleanse, the treatment completed with a warm sesame compress massage. The spa's Sun Soother is a refreshing 60-minute relief treatment for sunburned skin. After a soothing application of natural aloe vera gel, the skin is treated with a cooling compress of mint and black tea leaves. Massages range from Shirodhara and Ayurvedic to Shiatsu, traditional Thai, aromatic oil and Oriental Foot massage. Blissful body treatments include a 60-minute Asian Glow as well as a traditional skin polisher, which uses a blend of finely ground Roselle and Prai powder in the scrub followed by Guta Kola powder (good for circulation) and yoghurt in the body wrap.
The 30-minute Colour Therapy Steam Bath is based on Ayurvedic medicine's belief in the healing power of colour and its ability to balance the body's three doshas. Alternatively the 60-minute Mud Steam baths range from Green Mud (ideal for detoxification and for use on acne-prone and oily skin); Red Mud (suitable for dry skin with its high content of iron and essential minerals); and White Clay (a gentle bath with deodorant properties for sensitive skin). Or guests can opt for the Cleopatra bath experience, a 30-minute honey milk bath.
Longer spa journeys include three, five and seven-day spa packages, which can be tailored by the spa consultant to suit each guest. One-day spa rituals range from two-hour spa visits comprising two complementary treatments to five-and-a-half hour, full-day spa retreats that include a spa cuisine lunch and the popular Spa Bliss, a four-hour spa package for two which includes a white sesame scrub, honey milk bath, Swedish massage and rejuvenating facial.
Anantara Spa, Koh Samui
A tropical island breeze off the ocean at Bo Phut Beach breathes through the resort's gardens and lotus-covered lagoons and on to the sanctuary that is the Anantara Spa on Koh Samui Island. A peaceful, Zen-like sanctuary designed to calm the mind and relax the body, the Anantara Spa in Koh Samui embodies the definition of a true destination spa. Designed as a garden spa and strategically set on a path that leads away from the resort's main facilities, this spa too was created by award-winning landscape architect Bill Bensley, designer of the Anantara Spa in Hua Hin and Four Seasons Chiang Mai gardens and spa.
A high, arched stone pillar wall welcomes guests to the spa grounds as they enter. Here the pace slows, the mind calms while the scent of lemongrass wafts through the air, preparing the senses and the body for the indulgence that lies ahead. After sipping ginger-infused tea and choosing their treatment, guests pass along the lagoons that envelop the outdoor reception area, stroll along the stone path through the luscious gardens and then retreat to one of the spa's six suites. All suites are set in their own individual courtyard. They feature indoor treatment beds that face outwards and floor-to-ceiling windows giving views onto a personal outdoor sanctuary. An outdoor terrazzo bath designed for two and a dual alfresco rain shower are features of each suite.
The spa's treatments are all deliciously indulgent. The elixirs and oils all use the finest and freshest indigenous ingredients, nutrient rich and luxuriously aromatic. Containing traditional beauty essences such as sandalwood, ylang ylang, patchouli, mandarin, lavender, lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, bergamot and natural ingredients such as Thai coffee beans, natural volcanic pumice, sweet woods, powdered spices, yoghurt, carrots and cucumbers, all the treatments are designed for maximum pleasure.
Signature to this property is the four-hour Ayurvedic Healing for the body and soul, which consists of a Bolus Bag Massage, an ancient aromatic treatment practised 200 years ago. This is followed by a dreamy Ayurvedic Steam Bath and then to release any remaining mental tension and end the journey in a calm state of mind, a Shirodhara treatment. For those seeking a boost in stamina, an improvement in digestion and concentration, the Shiatsu massage is known for relieving stress and calming nerves. Holistic in nature, this treatment borrows principles from acupuncture and incorporates techniques from osteopathy, physiotherapy and other healing traditions. Gentle pressure is applied to acupoints in order to restore a balanced flow of energy or ki within the meridians. If a guest seeks balance, energy and a sense of peace, then the Anantara therapists might recommend the Warm Stone Massage, a luxurious 90-minute aromatic massage combined with deep heat therapy that uses soothing, smooth basalt stones lifted from heated water and applied with warm oils in long flowing strokes over the body. It's the perfect treatment for loosening stiff and sore muscles resulting from over-exercise and stress. Anantara's facials also use nature's healers with anti-oxidants such as green tea, chamomile, rose and lavender and traditional Thai skin care products containing skin beautifiers and moisturisers such as prai and khamin.
The ultimate in pampering is the blissful five-and-a-half hour Anantara Indulgence which includes a herbal steam bath, choice of Anantara Body Scrub or Enzymatic Sea Mud Wrap, floral bath, Nature's Healing Touch massage, a spa cuisine meal, deep cleansing facial, choice of manicure or pedicure and a cup of ginger-infused tea, the perfect way to end a superb experience For spa-loving couples, the Spa Bliss is a four-hour retreat of white sesame scrub, honey milk bath, Swedish massage and a rejuvenating facial.
Anantara Spa at Anantara Resort & Spa, Hua Hin
Tel: +66 (0) 3252 0250
Anantara Spa at Anantara Resort & Spa Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai
Tel: +66 (0) 5378 4084
Anantara Spa at Anantara Resort & Spa Koh Samui
Tel.: + 66 (0) 7742 8300-9