Out of bounds
Repulse Bay has long been a tourist haunt, but it hasn't always been a place to head for an integrative day spa (the one spa that did operate there was relatively small and mostly frequented for pedicures and manicures). But that's all changing with the opening of a new, full-service spa that encompasses a hair salon and healthy food cafe.
The same could be said for Sha Tin, which is known more for its race course than wafting music and candles. Again, a new hotel spa there that promises more than the usual could see Central or Tsim Sha Tsui dwellers taking a trip to Sha Tin for pampering and holistic healing.
And while Macau does have its fair share of day spas, especially since the Cotai Strip's hotel chains added them to their cache, a touch of Thailand's medical tourism has come to the city with a medi-spa that combines massage with anti-ageing procedures.
The three new establishments are part of an evolving spa scene whereby it is no longer enough to just provide facials, scrubs and massages. Spa-goers expect more, those in the industry say, and total integrative wellness, as it is commonly known, is giving such places an edge.
New spas are being built in areas with plenty of open space and a more relaxed atmosphere, providing a one-stop shop and giving professional advice on how to beat stress and apply makeup.
'Customers tend to be far more discriminating in this economic environment. They want to believe, more than is usual, that they are getting something that is valuable to them,' says Brian Moss, a founding partner of the Arcana Group, which created the new spa/hair salon and cafe in Repulse Bay called The Retreat.
The spa is on Beach Road, directly across from the sea, but does not have ocean views, which may disappoint some. Its cafe sells teas, juices and organic food from breakfast through to dinner.
Also enclosed is a hair salon, with a full service staff who cater to men, women and children. A small corner of the salon has a flat-screen television with bean bags in front of it and a cartoon channel playing - acknowledging the many families with young children living in the area.
The spa calls itself a 'lifestyle destination' because it also offers makeup services and a holistic consultation room where guests can try the Aura-Soma colour therapy treatment. Seminars or one-on-ones looking at fung shui, nutrition and stress management, among other treatments, are set to be held there.
The management of the Melo Spa in the Hyatt Regency in Sha Tin say its countryside location, surrounded by mountains and the harbour, 'inspired the use of natural materials and colours in the interior decor and half of the spa suites feature private outdoor terraces for guests to take advantage of the clean air' and views.
In a statement, the Hyatt says the air in Sha Tin has been officially recorded as among the cleanest in Hong Kong.
To create an 'indigenous experience', treatments use local ingredients said to be known for their healing properties, such as mango, pomegranate and the pomelo grown in the area (hence the name Melo). Elements of traditional Chinese medicine are also included, such as a focus on meridians and the lymphatic system.
Melo is on the fifth floor of the hotel and covers 7,500 sq ft with nine spa suites with whirlpool baths, rain shower cubicles, lounge areas and two double suites.
The treatment menu centres on four categories - vitality, anti-ageing methods, rejuvenation and wellness. The idea, they say, was to become a part of the community.
Melo Spa manager Nichola Roche says Sha Tin and Tai Po are huge residential districts with many wealthy residential estates.
'We are certain the neighbourhood has been deprived of an international establishment offering quality products and services for a long time,' she says.
'In the past, they had to go to Tsim Sha Tsui or Central; now we're here to fill the gap.'
At the Venetian in Macau, the Lisbon-based Malo Clinic Health and Wellness Group went down the path of medical tourism when they launched earlier this year.
It aims to offer an all-inclusive approach to wellness, covering seven areas - oral rehabilitation and dental cosmetic, preventive and curative medical care, spa, beauty, cosmetic anti-ageing, leisure and fitness, and lifelong wellness.
Treatments have been developed by a team of doctors and health-care staff, the company says.
'By adding diagnostic and clinical medicine, traditional medicine, wellness, beauty, leisure and fitness, the [spa] introduces an integrative, all-inclusive approach to complete wellness,' says Paulo Malo, president of Malo Group.
Dental professionals and medical staff who work in the Macau spa and clinic are sent to the Malo Clinic Education in Lisbon for one month of intensive training.
Dermatologists and aestheticians receive training on medical procedures, guest preparation and contraindications for pre- and post-surgical treatments, under the supervision of the medical team, Malo says.
Guests can have total body assessments combining eastern and western methods, along with consultations with nutritionists and personalised wellness evaluations.
The Malo spa takes up a massive 85,000 sq ft within the Venetian.
The clinic, spa, beauty salon and a leisure and fitness area house more than 50 medical professionals and 100 wellness therapists (spa therapists, physiotherapists, public health specialists, psychologists, nutritionists and sports and fitness specialists).
Closer to home, the total package concept of wellness information on top of treatments has enticed Hong Kong's existing hotel spas to offer seminars, workshops and classes.
The Landmark Mandarin Hotel presents talks by Reiki masters and yoga instructors, while the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hong Kong offers evenings complete with canapes where makeup experts, wellness coaches and stylists give advice to those willing to pay about HK$200.
'We are focusing on holistic well-being,' says spa director Lynsey Hughes.
'These evening events give attendees the opportunity to explore some of the latest ideas in the wellness industry.'
