It’s that time of the year again when you feel tired, sapped and dehydrated. No matter how much effort you put in, your hair doesn’t behave, and your skin looks patchy. Carrying on and beating the heat seems to be a daunting task. To combat the Indian summer and keep you freshened, luxury hotels across the country are offering a whole new range of spas to rejuvenate your mind and keep your body young.
Overlooking the lush gardens and serene pool, the spa at The Oberoi Group’s Trident, Chennai, instils a sense of tranquility. Their signature therapy focuses on relieving muscular tension with relaxing strokes using essential oil blends and it is followed by an aromatic steam bath.
Lasting for two-and-a-half hours, their spa begins with a sugar scrub, followed by a soothing massage with cucumber mint blend, coconut or pomegranate and ends with a customised facial.
Trident, Cochin, manages an Ayurveda Centre in consultation with Dr Benny Mathew. Their oils are all prepared under Dr Mathew’s supervision and are free of synthetic elements.
Srotho Sudhi is their signature Ayurvedic detoxification programme of 75 minutes, and it includes a full-body massage with herbal oils followed by a heat treatment with roasted Ayurvedic herbs.
Jiva Spa at Vivanta by Taj Bekal, Kerala, offers the Gudda Bath, an hour-long traditional Coorg bath. The bathing water is heated in a gudda (a copper vessel).
The body is massaged with a blend comprising nutmeg, kalonji and other herbs in an upright position to relieve the body of aches. Hot milk with saffron and almonds completes the experience. There is also the Pehlwan Malish or Warrior Massage with aroma or mustard oil to relieve sore muscles. The Alepa massage or act of anointing the body is an elaborate two-hour affair, evoking the aura of privileged lifestyle of Indian royalty.
Alepa may be experienced exclusively by a single guest or in a group. You may apply the paste on yourself or on each other, for an interactive, engaging and bonding experience.
“Wellness is a trend these days and that’s why we have put together an integrated spa. The Jiva Grande programmes are designed to pamper and nourish both internally and externally,” says Somnath Mukherjee, General Manager of The Taj West End, Bengaluru.
The hotel offers spas such as Vishrama, Suchupti and Visudhi. Their sauna is followed by a splash in the ice fountain rendering a sharp, arctic refresh.
Aura at The Park, Kolkata, too, has signature treatments such as Aura therapy, Swedish spa, stressbuster spa, aroma therapy and the Thai spa along with a range of body scrubs including rice scrub, sea salt scrub and coconut and turmeric scrub.
“Our aura and aroma therapies are mostly popular with female guests since the pressure put is moderate and relaxing. We have also started Ayurvedic massage Abhyangam, which is done with camphor oil on a wooden bed with long strokes and high pressure,” says Monisha Das, spa executive of The Park. One can also opt for a detox meal after the spas, specially made by the chef.
ITC Hotels’ Kaya Kalp, inspired from the pomegranate fruit, showcases the country’s ancient wellness sciences through spas. All spas are unique to the region, for instance, their property in Agra has Hamam baths which are unique to the Mughal culture.