Spa Magic Collection

By Jim Carr

If you're planning to travel to Thailand any time soon, there's a good chance you'll visit one of the spas there. Spa Managers tell me that many women spend an hour or more reviewing the spa's treatment menu before making a decision. Spa Magic Collection offers a review of the spa treatments at Thai spas at 55+ hotels and resorts.as well as the amenities at these hotels/resorts.

It also comes with videos and pix to help you get a feel not only of each spa but the hotel or resort itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: jim Carr
• Release date: May 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201518523

Jim Carr

Jim Carr's adventure with words began as a teacher of Latin grammar, followed by a lengthy career in print journalism as a reporter, columnist and editor. He left to become a communications specialist for a number of national and international corporations and institutions. He returned to journalism in retirement and acts as associate editor of Spa Canada magazine as well as freelancing for other publications. He writes a blog about Thai resorts and spas, which is featured on Spa Canada's website, as well as fiction.

Book preview

FOREWORD

WHAT MAKES A GREAT SPA?

The smell of lavender carried on a soft, warm breeze, the eye-intoxicating view of the sea, the sound of water trickling its way over smooth rocks, the touch of a smiling therapist who anticipates your needs ....

Lisa Jody Manser, former spa director at Six Senses Hideaway, Hua Hin, and now a spa consultant at Simply Spa Chic, believes that you can create the energy and the right skill set within the team, it can make all the difference. Even if the spa looks a bit dated, in the end, it’s the staff who turn it into a great spa.

It means developing each staff member and ensuring that their home life and financial needs are met. It comes back 100-fold.

While the design, treatment rooms, spa menu and amenities are also very high on the scale, if your foundation is solid and you’ve been able to build up positive and peaceful energy within the staff, it will go out and come back ... and all else falls into place.

Vikki Aquino, former director of spa for St. Regis in Bangkok and now spa director at two spas at Tiger Resort, Leisure & Entertainment Inc., Manila, sums it up to five core values: Sincerity, gentle care and hospitality from the heart; Respect and Courtesy; Humility, in which no job is too big or too small, and modesty about our achievements; Helpfulness – a desire to delight guests, each and every time; and Selflessness – treating every person as kin and family.

It’s also attention to detail and a sense that everything has its place and minimal after-thoughts. It means stowing work tools away from your view, or when you hang your clothes, they will fall freely and not be crumpled, plus something to delight each of the five senses and stimulate the sixth.

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Charinya Kiatlapnachai, Director,

New York, Tourism Authority of Thailand

Careful layout and a smooth flow – so that the transition from one space or activity to another is smooth and seamlessly organic – accents and ornamental accessories that complement each other and have meaning or a story to enhance the space it occupies, and magnify its beauty to the people who look at it and use it, says Vikki.

All the little things make a big difference – soft, clean, crisp linens and towels to touch the skin; high-quality protocols and fair trade products/ingredients delivered by very caring and highly skilled professional therapists.

And for Stephen Gould, resident manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, a great spa needs a great location and the Chi or energy in harmony with its surroundings.

Ultimately, however, it’s the team that defines a great spa and consistently delivers an uplifting experience.  From the arrival, through the treatment itself and beyond departure, the spa staff make the real difference.

Relaxing at Chiva-Som Hua Hin

Tara Hanrahan, group director of spa operations for Centara Hotels and Resorts, is all about the guest connection.

"Apart from the standard expectations you would get from a spa, such as a tranquil environment, soothing ambience and high-quality standards, what sets a great spa experience apart is the connection between therapist and guest; when the guest knows that the therapist really cares about them.

We deal with emotions, and our basic goal is to help people feel better about themselves through the nurturing magic of touch therapy. We want our guests to walk out feeling lighter, brighter and with their heads held that little bit higher.

To achieve this, Centara therapists undergo intensive training. They are some of the highest trained therapists in Thailand and are taught to create a bond and connection with guests. This is done through breath work (aligning therapist breath with the guest at the start of treatment), intent (narrowing the mind to focus on the guest) and personalization.

We don’t train our therapists in generic movements; rather, they are trained to customize the treatment to the guest’s needs. This personal touch will, in turn, encourage guests to learn more about the connection between the body and the mind, increasing guests' experience with each spa visit.  

The experience does not need to end at the spa, she adds.  A follow-up consultation, whereby guests get the opportunity to learn how to continue their spa experience at home, can be an integral part of the over-all journey.

’’It goes with the saying: Take care of yourself, and you can take care of everything else life throws at you."

At Dusit Thani, the magic is based on four key elements – a unique spa concept; an ambience that makes you feel special; unique treatments that incorporate unique ingredients; and customer service, delivered in a graceful, traditional Thai manner.

A spa should have a philosophy and a story behind the experiences it offers. All these help to create character that makes guests feel emotionally connected to the spa itself.

In the case of Dusit’s Devarana Spa, the Garden of Heaven concept is derived from early Thai literature, called Trib-humphraruang, written by Phraya Lithai in Thailand’s Sukhothai era in the 13th Century.

This particular garden is situated at Heaven’s Gate, surrounded by gardens and ponds with a heavenly scent and a nurturing environment. The garden glimmers with precious gems, silver and gold. Soft music fills the air, played by harp, flute and other traditional Thai instruments.

The ambience should reflect tranquillity, and the facilities should offer relaxation and make you feel special. Devarana Spa reflects this heavenly concept with the elements described in the story, its design, and its décor details.

Devarana herbal compress treatment

At Dusit Thani, the magic is based on four key elements – a unique spa concept; an ambience that makes you feel special; unique treatments that incorporate unique ingredients; and customer service, delivered in a graceful, traditional Thai manner.

A spa should have a philosophy and a story behind its experiences. All these help to create character that makes guests feel emotionally connected to the spa itself.

In the case of Dusit’s Devarana Spa, the Garden of Heaven concept is derived from early Thai literature, called Trib-humphraruang, written by Phraya Lithai in Thailand’s Sukhothai era in the 13th Century.

This particular garden is situated at Heaven’s Gate, surrounded by gardens and ponds with a heavenly scent and a nurturing environment. The garden glimmers with precious gems, silver and gold. Soft music fills the air, played by harp, flute and other traditional Thai instruments.

The ambience should reflect tranquillity, and the facilities should offer relaxation and make you feel special. Devarana Spa reflects its heavenly concept with the elements described in the story, its design, and its décor details.

https://youtu.be/94PffXo2yL4

Andrew Jacka, Chairman

Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition

Our magnificent grand reception area makes an immediate impression on everyone. Its cream-coloured walls glimmer with shades of gold and silver. Natural light gives the spa a clean and airy feel. Natural fabrics and state-of-art decorative materials create a feeling of contemporary Thai elegance. With our attention to all five senses, our spa really makes visitors feel they’re in a heavenly place.

She believes that unique service can make a spa outstanding. Devarana Spa, for example, operates under a standard operating system, as do most other major spas that guide staff in all situations. The spas collect feedback and suggestions from guests to help them improve the quality of services and ongoing training programs and operating audits for all staff to ensure quality and consistency in the delivery of services. For Kirsty McCormick, former spa director at ONYX Hospitality Group, a great spa can introduce an element of fun to feeling good.

"At Breeze Spa, we believe that happiness is one of the key foundations for wellness. We create an environment and experience which is approachable, positive, friendly, caring and fun, transparent and free of jargon or hard-to-understand ancient languages.

A great spa should also recognize that guests come with a wide variety of needs. At Breeze Spa, we offer signature mood scrubs and massages, which take the guesswork out of picking the right treatment. We ask guests how they feel right now and how they would like to feel, and we customize a treat that’s just right for their needs."

It should also provide a subtle sense of place through touches inspired by the local area. Each Breeze spa offers a sig­nature treatment, which is specially developed using local ingredi­ents and local techniques.

Morning at Katiliya Mountain Resort Chiang Rai

Amari Koh Samui’s signature treatment, for example, incorporates a tanning scrub using extra virgin oil from fresh local coconuts, and at Amari Watergate Bangkok, the focus is on rejuvenating tired feet and restoring energy to the body following hours out exploring the streets and malls, and deep cleansing the skin to combat the effects of urban pollution.

We want our guests to feel comfortable when they are with us. When they leave, we hope that we have been able to put the bounce back in their steps and the smile back on their faces.

A great spa should also recognize that guests come with a wide variety of needs. At Breeze Spa, we offer signature mood scrubs and massages, which take the guesswork out of picking the right treatment. We ask guests how they feel right now and how they would like to feel, and we customize a treatment that’s just right for their needs.

In the years I’ve been writing about spas, there have been a lot of changes, especially with Thai spas, which are evolving with the times.

Wellness has come into its own, and wellness treatments are now part of every major spa’s offerings. Men are also being recognized, with spa menus now including a range of treatments for men at all major resorts and spas.

Dining at Marriott Phuket

WHY THAILAND? WHY SPAS?

Iasked that question of a lot of professionals in the Thai spa industry and was given a long list of reasons – the Thai climate, its stunning sea-bound locations, the warm azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand, the uniqueness of its architecture, and that spa treatments, like massages, were part of its culture, long before there was such a thing as a spa.

None of the answers clicked in my head, other than there is a special, almost mystical connection that doesn’t quite exist elsewhere.

Many other countries have resorts and spas, equally beauti­ful settings, and magnificent sea-front locations, but none seems to have the cachet enjoyed by Thai spas. Something is missing, an essential element that makes all the difference.

For me, it came down to one thing – the unique character of Thai people and a geApplene desire to please, probably stemming from the deep-rooted Buddhist belief of being of ser­vice to others, a love of what they do, and an irrepressible ten­dency to smile and evoke smiles in return.

On my tour, managers often talked about how their therapists performed treatments from their hearts and made their clients feel different in every treatment.

Whatever it is, it’s real, even if you can’t quite put your finger on it. For one spa manager, it was something more tangible:

You can get the same treatment just about anywhere, she told me. But guests tell us, it’s the special touch of their therapist, and looking up at the face of someone who loves what they do ... someone who’s always smiling.

Adds Charinya Kiatlapnochai, director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, New York office: You will find a new you in Thailand.

It’s why so many visitors keep coming back to Thailand year after year. In 2016, close to 30 million people came to Thailand, and many visited spas.

Chilling out at Centara Grand Beach Hua Hin

The past, present and future

Two decades ago, if you wanted to go to a spa in Thailand, you had to travel to a destination spa, usually in a resort area like Koh Samui or Phuket.

It’s not enough, says Vikki Aquino, "to be a spa at a destination with thermal waters or special treatment. Today, the spa must also provide a wellness component and an integration of philosophies. Today’s spa-goers also look for the experi­ence as well as instant benefits and instant solutions. It’s hap­pening now – slim centres promise a better body. Two decades ago, if you wanted to go to a spa in Thailand, you had to travel to a destination spa, usually in a resort area like Koh Samui or Phuket.

Then came aromatherapy and the massage that helped put the spa on a different landscape – redefining the definition of destination to encompass high-end hotels in big cities, which could afford to create a destination-like atmosphere without the thermal waters.

People need to have somewhere to transport them in order to experience a different sense of place, says Vikki Aquino, former director of spas for St. Regis in Bangkok and now spa director at two spas at Tiger Entertainment, Manila.

Having a room with four walls and a massage bed, or just a massage wasn’t enough. It needed something more ... an exotic ambi­ence to make it completely different.

Pampering, she added, will always be associated with spas to a certain degree. over the years, the spa has evolved into something quite different – a unique destination itself. It was no longer just about aromatherapy but became very hedonistic and more and more about pampering.

But even before then, Thai therapies were once a close-kept secret by Thai kings for many centuries and were only documented a couple of hundred years ago. It was the way Thai kings kept their soldiers strong and able. It was essentially the Thai massage and compression therapies, using 13 magical herbs. Today, spa menus often use the term Royal as in Royal Thai Massage to describe their Thai massage.

The secrets were handed down from generation to genera­tion until King Rama VI decided they could talk about it. But there was a hitch as far as foreigners were concerned. A clever one. Details about the Thai massage were written down on the walls of Thai Buddhist temples – because visitors would not be able to take the walls back with them. In addition, the infor­mation was written in Thailand’s unique alphabet and writing.

Spas mean different things to different people. For Asians, it’s more than a lifestyle, and people, regardless of earning capacity, feel the need to have some kind of maintenance. For Westerners, it’s more about lifestyle. In Thailand, it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Spa treatments are ingrained in their culture, and everywhere you go, there is al­ways some place you can go to, depending on how much you want to spend.

Today, the industry is in the midst of significant change. Spa-goers are more spa savvy days."

In the future, there will be an even greater emphasis on health as more and more people pay greater attention to their health and assume greater responsibility for it.

In the future, she adds, it will be even more important for their therapist to ask the right questions so that she can qualify the expectations of each guest and find out what they re­ally want and expect.

How we meet these expectations is very important. Being able to read clients’ body language will become even more important. In the future, we see a greater emphasis on healing ... the spirit as well as the body.

Setting Krathongs aloft at Ratilanna Resort, Chiang Mai

THAILAND’S POPULAR FESTIVALS

It’s an incredible sight – hundreds of paper lanterns powered by lighted candles being released into the night sky.

It is the best place to see it in Lanna Country, especially in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand.

It’s more than a tourist attraction. The festival pays homage to the Lord Buddha and reflects a Thai belief that the Krathongs also carry away your cares and bad luck with them.

The festival takes place on the full moon of the 12th month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar, usually in late November.

In Bangkok and other cities, the krathongs are crafted from banana leaves, lotus flowers and candles and are floated down Thailand’s waterways and out to sea, carrying away your bad luck with them so that you can start the New Year with a clean slate.

Then, there’s Songkran in March/April, a favourite celebration for Thais, in which Thais throw water at each other, believing the water will wash away bad luck.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS ...

In the spa world, it’s called the spa journey, which describes each step of your visit to the spa – from the moment you’re greeted at reception to the last sip of ginger tea before getting ready to leave.

I took a different spa journey in Thailand, visiting more than 60 five-star resorts and spas. That journey took me from Bangkok and its crowded, traffic-choked roadways to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, about 700 km away, and from Chiang Mai, along a road through mountains with steep and curving turns and remarkable scenery to Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai is located in the Golden Triangle because three countries come together at that point – Burma, Thailand, and Laos.

Halfway, there’s a roadside canteen where you can order strawberry smoothies. It’s a nice break, and they’re not many other spots on this sparsely populated pocket of Thailand. Not far from Chi­ang Rai, the road flattens out, with the highway following the river that separates Thailand from Burma, where you can see temples glittering along the opposite river bank.

From Chiang Rai, a long drive back to Bangkok and Bangkok to our next destination, Pattaya, about two hours away by car. Pattaya is a seaside town and a magnet for tourists. Then another 700 km to the Island of Koh Samui, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand and packed with resorts at every beach. (At Samui and Phuket, locals name the key resort areas after the beach where they’re located.)

From Samui, we headed for the sea-fringed city of Krabi, a three-hour drive to the southwest. Then onto Phuket and its celebrated resorts before heading north to Hua Hin and its white sandy beaches, where Thai royalty and the rich often spend their summers

No matter where you turned, there was always another, sometimes more beautiful than before. In the end, I had to limit my record to a handful of 32 resorts and spas due to space limitations, fully aware that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that some other person might reasonably have chosen a somewhat different list.

BANGKOK

Shuttle boats from The Peninsula pass each other in front of Bangkok’s Temple of Dawn.

Anantara Siam Bangkok

The place for wedding pictures

I t’s become the place for couples to have their pictures taken, said Sudheech Kunnathparambil Sudhakaran, looking upward to scan the wide, commanding staircase that dominates the lobby of Anantara Siam Bangkok. The stairway is grand in every sense of the word – wide, curving, breathtaking in design and effect.

Most wedding parties gather halfway up for their pictures, and many book treatments at our spa before the big day. We also offer a special package for the wedding couple, she added as we took the elevator to the second floor, where the spa occupies a corner on the floor.

You know what to expect as soon as the elevator doors open. Spa reception, brilliantly lit, beckons from behind the glass wall. Sudheech, director of spa and recreation, leads the way.

Folded lotus flowers float in a trickling pond nearby, and orchids adorn the space above. The receptionist presses her hands together to offer a wei – the Thai way of showing respect.

There are many stories about the lotus and Buddha. For Thais, the lotus is symbolic of Buddha. When Buddha was born, he was able to walk on water. Lotus flowers bloomed and supported his small feet, she says.

"Guests are always asking what’s the latest trend. They usually know and, more often than not, have already had one or two of these treatments," said Sudeesh.

Morning Wellness at Anantara Siam is celebrated in three ways – Buddhist Blessing, Park Wellness and Holistic Healing at Anantara Spa.

It starts at daybreak when guests are invited to participate in the daily Buddhist tradition of Tak Bart in the hotel lobby – an ancient custom of making merit and bringing good fortune. Guests are guided through the morning ritual of giving alms of food and receiving a chat's traditional blessing in return.

Next, a short walk to nearby Lumpini Park, known as the green lung of Bangkok, for a 45-minute session of yoga and pranayama, guided by Anantara’s wellness practitioner, to boost your morning life force energy flow. A nutritious picnic breakfast follows it served in the park. Breakfast features quinoa, mixed fruit salad with poached shrimp, smoked salmon on charcoal bread, homemade granola and dark chocolate petit fours. It ends with vitamin-packed raw juice made from apple, beetroot, carrots and detoxifying kale, pear, lemon, ginger and honey.

From the park, you are taken back to the hotel by tuk-tuk, where your wellness program continues for a 60-minute Chakra Crystal Balancing treatment at Anantara Spa. You’ll be invited to choose the crystal-infused oil blend that resonates most with you during the treatment. As you lie on the bed, your body is surrounded by precious stones. These include love of Rose Quartz for your heart; peace of Amethyst above the crown chakra; tiger eyes of the harmonizing energy for balance beside your solar plexus chakra; and Lapis Lazuli’s self-expression that empowers your throat chakra.

The energies of the precious stones work their healing powers while a purifying massage promotes holistic healing by releasing stress and tension, encouraging your body’s natural detoxification. 

When they enter, guests are presented with a spa menu, but they don’t have enough time to look over it. Often they listen to the receptionist and what she recommends. Most of the time, they take that recommendation.

The spa interior is a mixture of painted silk and the fragrant scents of Thai herbs and traditional Thai architecture, evoking a feeling of spiritual tranquillity and harmony. The spa, called The Spa by MSpa, is managed by MSpa International, headquartered in Bangkok and one of Asia’s leading spa management companies. It operates/manages 56 spas around the world.

It’s one of the things that sets us apart. MSpa trains our therapists. All staff members are trained in our Guest Service Journey, which defines how we interact with guests and provide them with a unique experience. Our Service Journey defines our sense of hospitality, care, passion for well-being, and exceptional experiences during your spa journey. It also ensures standard consistency in our service.

https://youtu.be/opyPkq6hgRQ

Dining at Anantara Siam

https://youtu.be/l3LPOnBMwJo

More Anantara Siam Pix

The smell of lemongrass is everywhere, adding to the spa's sense of place and décor and its treatment rooms. It’s very popular with guests and is used in one of our signature treatments.

Many of her guests are experienced travellers who expect a level of service consistent with the Four Seasons brand. Staff also receive continual training and are audited to ensure their performance lives up to the spa’s standards. A guest satisfaction survey is also carried out to make the spa aware that any aspect of its service does not meet expectations.

Chana recommends that guests arrive 20 to 30 minutes early for their appointment to fill out a medical questionnaire, change, take a quick tour of the spa, and even enjoy its pool, sauna, steam, and relaxation rooms before their treatment begins with an aroma massage.

The spa’s nine treatment rooms are decorated in a variety of wall coverings that reflect the colours of the different seasons.

One of the couples’ rooms, and a favourite of women, depicts blooming floral patterns wallpaper on one side and a Jim Thompson fabric green and plush sofa on the other. A long curtain of crystal beads lines the other two walls with a vintage crystal chandelier in the middle.

The couples room features a large bathtub, steam room, a dressing room and a private restroom. Next is a Morocco-inspired room decorated with traditional Moroccan lamps, a day bed draped with gold curtains and brilliantly coloured throw pillows, producing a wow effect in guests as soon as they enter Fuchsia pink, gold and bright orange create a feeling of summer energy. It’s particularly popular with Asians and local spa-goers.

Another couples suite, offering similar amenities, evokes the spirit of winter with its gold and cream mosaic. Single treatment rooms are decorated in the autumn orange of falling leaves, with Asian wood carvings hanging on the walls.

The spa’s most popular treatment? The cryptically-named Siam 2482 is a unique massage that incorporates the healing traditions of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China. It’s memorable in several ways, says May.

To start, a bamboo stick is used to stimulate circulation. Then, a stretching and pressure point techniques session to enhance flexibility, followed by a herbal compress of healing indigo and a herbal oil massage and foot reflexology.

It ends in a mindfulness ritual, in which gold leaf patches are placed on the wish area of your left arm and on the left side of your chest to encourage mental calming.

Equally interesting is the spa’s Charka Crystal Balancing signature experience, in which you get to choose a crystal-infused oil blend that resonates with you. Next, your body is surrounded by precious stones – from the unconditional love of Rose Quartz for your head chakra; the Peace of Amethyst" above the crown chakra; the Tiger Eye’s harmonizing energy for balance beside your solar plexus chakra; and the Lapses Lazuli’s self-expression that empowers the throat chakra.

Next, a purifying massage provides holistic well-being by releasing stress and tension from your physical, emotional and harmonizing energy flow, stimulating blood circulation and raising your body’s natural detoxification – all to bring you to a deep state of meditation. Singing bowls are used to begin and end the experience.

Papering treatments are important for urban guests, but we strive to add a touch of wellness, adds Chana. These include two of its popular treatments – Elemis Exotic and Colon Therapy and the Elemis Exotic Lime Ginger Salt scrub.

The Elemis Body Sculpting Cellulite Therapy wrap helps redefine and smooth your silhouette, using Elemis’ body sculpting system to target stubborn cellulite and specialist massage techniques to detox and firm your skin and stimulate your circulation and reduce fluid retention. It also uses an abdominal massage to cleanse your colon and help you detoxify from the inside out.

Also popular is the spa’s Mud Therapy wrap, where you’re wrapped in a purifying blend that combines natural plant extracts to detoxify, decongest and stimulate new cells to produce smooth skin. It ends with a relaxing scalp massage to enhance the feeling of being blissfully cocooned.

The Elemis-based treatments include several facials, including its highly popular Elemis Pro Collagen Quartz Lift facial, a favourite at other Anantara spas, and the Elemis Pro Intense Lift Effect facial.

The Elemis Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift has been independently tested, with "phenomenal results, reducing wrinkles by up to 94% and improving skin firmness by up to 57% after just one treatment. This treatment uses specialized lifting massage techniques with professional strength anti-ageing formulations to leave your skin firmer, uplifted and more youthful.

The Elemis Pro Intense Lift Effect uses breakthrough technology, plant stem cells, nutrient-rich natural lipids and firming plant ingredients to target sagging jowls, cheeks, chin and neck areas and reduce fluid retention in the process.

Also popular is the Elemis Oxygen Skin Calm also popular, which uses gentle massage movements with calming ingredients and a restructuring Japanese silk mask infused with Absolute Skin Balm Booster serum. The treatment is designed to rebalance delicate and sensitive complexions, relieve redness and offer immediate comfort

Elemis also has four spa journeys, ranging from its five-hour, 15-minute Escape Beyond Serenity focuses on inner peace, relaxation and rejuvenation. It starts with steam and Detoxifying Green Tea scrub, followed by a choice of bath and an Aroma Stone massage and ends with an Elemis Exotic Moisture Dew facial, a choice between a manicure and pedicure and spa cuisine.

Another favourite is the Elemis Absolute Spa Ritual, a customized face and body treatment, which May describes as the ultimate skin therapy. You get to choose one of the Elemis’ unique advanced anti-ageing facials, which produce instant results when combined with the Elemis Deep Tissue Muscle Massage.

In today’s urban environment, we need something hands-on, a quick and nourishing fix. That’s the purpose of the treatments, which she says, are bursting with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that help remove damaging toxins caused by environmental and lifestyle stresses. The treatment also increases important mineral levels, regenerates skin cells and reduces Rosacea, leaving your skin clearer, radiant and more balanced.

Massages include the Elemis Deep Tissue, the spa’s most popular, which combines deep rhythmic pressure with a personally prescribed blend of essential oils to alleviate stress, ease aching muscles and target individual

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Touring Anantara Siam Bangkok

The Elemis Aroma Stone massage uses the deep penetrating heat and healing power of warm volcanic stone in a full body massage to release muscular tension and balance your spirit.

There’s also an Elemis massage for nurturing mothers-to-be, which connects mother and baby through the power of a touch, working with two hearts as one. The massage is adapted to each stage of pregnancy, using specialized positioning to ensure safety, comfort and relaxation. It’s designed to relieve tension in the neck and alleviate swelling in the hands and feet while lifting the mother’s spirit. Small stones are also placed on key energy points to stimulate and bring harmony to your chakras.

Favourite treatments for Asian women? Asian guests love pampering body treatments like body scrubs because the benefits go far beyond exfoliation to include detoxification, and give a replenished skin, says Jenna. Western women prefer facial treatments, using Elemis products, well-known for their anti-aging skincare. Lightening is important for Hong Kong and Chinese guests. For Asians, fairer skin usually means you come from a good family.

Anantara Siam also offers integrated health and wellness with VIVID by Verita Health. VIVID by Verita Health is a vibrant IV drip bar, anti-ageing and aesthetics hub that provides therapies and treatments designed to return vigour, energy and balance to modern lives. Located in the garden courtyard setting adjacent to the Bangkok jet set’s retreat from the capital’s buzz, Aqua Bar, VIVID is ideal for anyone with a proactive interest in living a healthy lifestyle while looking and feeling their best.

It recognizes everyone as a unique individual and is committed to customizing your experience. The IV menu offers a variety of well-researched and scientifically proven solutions designed to meet the demands of everyday life. Whatever the needs, a range of IV infusions and advanced cellular and aesthetic treatments are available. Guests can experience powerful health benefits that enhance mental clarity, supercharge the immune system, turn back signs of ageing, beat fatigue, alleviate hangover symptoms, boost metabolism, and provide more energy to enhance overall well-being, adds Sudheesh.

Each IV cocktail ingredient is carefully sourced and formulated to ensure maximum quality and optimal results. It is packed full of vitamins and nutrients, and immune-boosting IV therapies are available to protect against unwanted illnesses, common viruses, and other bacteria.

Beauty concerns are addressed with booster shots, and IV pushes that reduce the signs of ageing, brighten tired-looking skin, flush out toxins, combat free radicals, and improve skin tone.

With cosmetic and cellular treatments specializing in skin transformation and facial rejuvenation utilizing advanced anti-ageing protocols, the team of highly trained doctors provides a range of solutions. And at the forefront of anti-ageing treatments, VIVID’s medical experts deliver advanced cutting-edge techniques to lift, tighten, contour, enhance and sculpt facial features. There’s also a wide variety of IV, cellular and aesthetic treatments, including Verita’s exclusive Elements of Wellness with its medical-grade oxygen and photo-luminescence therapy to recharge the internal system by increasing O2 levels in the body and balancing the circadian rhythm.

Dining is a global adventure at Anantara Siam, where its restaurants feature Italian cuisine, Manhattan-style steaks, Japanese creations and local Thai dishes. The Manhattan-style steaks are served daily at Madison, which offers Motszuaka, Kobe and Wagyu beef, seafood, and a wide variety of wines.

The Madison also offers brunch on Sunday. Biscotti is a contemporary Italian restaurant with an open kitchen and home-style Italian food that provides a business set lunch if you’re in a hurry. It serves pizza pasta with dishes like rock lobster, spaghetti aglio olio e peppersone and parsley. It features beef tomahawk, a 300-day Waygu rib eye marble, and other steak specialties in the evenings.

Shintaro, which means new vision, features a long sushi bar that is interactive and informal. It offers fresh fish from Japan, North America and Australia daily and traditional sushi, sashimi, Deerdles and tempura dishes.

A favourite among locals, The Spice Market resembles an old Thai spice shop. It is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch with a menu that includes fish, pork, beef and chicken dishes. Staff dressed in contemporary Thai uniforms will help you tailor the right amount of spice for each dish.

Take-away hampers with various foods and wines are available at the Mocha and Muffins. It is also one of the restaurants that offer a Sunday brunch.

Anantara Siam Bangkok has 354 large rooms, including 35 suites and seven garden cabanas with views of tropical gardens, the hotel’s outdoor pool and the nearby private golf course of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.

Interesting things to do nearby:

The Erwan Shrine or Saan Phra Phrom – a large shrine with the four-headed Brahma or Phra Phrom in Thai – is at its centre. It is revered by Buddhists, who revere it as sacred and powerful and can ward off bad luck — only a five-minute walk from the hotel.

First stop: Jim Thomson’s House – the house of the famous American who revived the Thai silk industry. Jim Thomson silk is known for its high-quality Thai silk textiles, neckties, etc., which is a 15-minute drive.

Lumpini Park, named after Buddha’s birthplace, is Bangkok’s largest and most popular park. Elderly Chinese practise Tai Chi early in the morning. Then there’s the ancient ruin of Phra Nakon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand’s capital and one of Thailand’s most popular tourist attractions for more than four centuries. It’s an hour away by car.

And if you just want to relax, cruise the Chao Phraya River. Boarding one of the cruises boats is easy and only a short distance from the hotel.

Banyan Tree Bangkok

Dining amid the stars

If you do nothing else on your visit to Thailand, be sure to have dinner at The Vertigo, an out-of-this-world restaurant perched atop the 61-storyBanyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok. Day or night, the view of the city is incredible, but at night, when the restaurant is bathed in soft blue light, it’s absolutely spectacular.

The glass-enclosed restaurant sits on the hotel’s former helipad and is built on escalating platforms with low walls to ensure outstanding 360-degree panoramic views of the city and its most famous landmarks like the Grand Palace, Royal Chapel, Chao Phraya River, Wat Pho Temple, National Museum and the Emerald Buddha that take on a life of their own at night.

Guests describe it as like being on the top of the world, and many come back to experience it a second time.

Vertigo can seat 150 and is divided into three sections – a dining courtyard, a private party lounge and the Moon Bar, lit by a bluish light and décor that adds to the sense of serenity.

The food is pretty good, too – either à la carte dining or a choice between a four-course set dinner and a five-course set dinner. Signature dishes include marinated tuna tartar with salmon roe, rosemary-scented oven-roasted rack of lamb, tabouleh, capsicum, broiled lobster, lemongrass, beurre blanc and Chinese spinach.

Vertigo is also the endpoint for the hotel’s annual Vertical Marathon, raising funds for local communities' specific needs.

It is also a destination in itself but not the only one at Banyan Tree Bangkok.

Its spa is just as fascinating in its own special way and offers equally memorable experiences, starting at spa reception, where you descend a darkened, winding staircase to the spa, suddenly not sure what to expect. The only light comes from an illuminated translucent acrylic bamboo forest, which you must pass to reach the precincts of the spa.

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Banyan Tree, Bangkok

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The spa spans three levels – from spa reception on the 21st floor to the 19th floor. Spa reception is bright and spacious, with an unmistakable feeling of calm. Overhead is a large raised oval fixture. It aligns with Banyan Tree’s over-all spa décor concept, which features circular designs symbolizing a sphere of tranquillity. The circular design appears again on the floor corridors inside the spa.

Here you’ll be taken to the spa’s relaxation room for tea and have an opportunity to review Banyan Tree’s treatment menu and discuss your preferences and even special requirements with one of Banyan Tree’s 30 therapists. Next, you’ll be escorted down the circular staircase and into the spa, giving you a foot bath and foot massage. The footbath uses cloves and lemongrass, blended and wrapped in a small pouch and soaked in warm water with rose petals. The ingredients have effective cleansing and anti-bacterial properties.

Treatments are usually followed by a shower and a relaxing period over tea. You’ll be asked to choose from an assortment of incenses with different scents, each with other therapeutic benefits, for use during your treatment in the treatment room. You’ll also be asked if there are any specific areas you would like the therapist to focus on and your preferred level of pressure for massages.

Many of its 16 treatment rooms have panoramic, floor-to-ceiling views of Bangkok. Its three double treatment rooms include steam, Jacuzzi and shower facilities, and six single spa suites – single treatment rooms with shower facilities. Treatment suites include three Grand Spa suites – Rainmist, steam, Jacuzzi and shower facilities and a double treatment room; four deluxe spa suites – double treatment rooms with steam, Jacuzzi and shower facilities.

The spa takes its name from the banyan tree – a tropical Indian fig tree considered sacred in some parts of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Banyan Tree sees itself as an ideal escape for day spa seekers in Bangkok. All guests who visit a city spa or a destination spa have similar objectives – to retreat, relax and pamper themselves, says Kingkarn Olabgarnjanin, assistant vice-president.

The difference lies in the type of spa treatments you select ... city spa visitors tend to have less time – so they go for shorter treatments, she added, noting that some of its most popular treatments are 90 and 120-minute massages two-hour packages.

Its signature 150-minute Rainmist experience, a Banyan Tree innovation, is carried out in one of the Rainmist rooms. You’ll experience the tingling sensation of rain falling on your back while being