Guangdong is perhaps better known for its pollution and cheap goods than for relaxing five-star massages. Yet just across the border there's a surprising variety of spas that are often better value for money than what Hong Kong has to offer.
If you're yearning to spend your down time in Shenzhen at a spa but your partner prefers the golf course, Mission Hills might be a diplomatic choice. Guest Alastair Slingsby, who works in electronics design, says it's a good deal. 'I get to go golfing and my fiancee gets pampered to within an inch of her life.'
The yin and yang jade stone massage is one of the spa's most popular treatments for guests wanting to experience local-style treatments. It's meant to speed up your lymphatic circulation to rid your body of toxins caused by stress and a dodgy diet. Warm jade stones and cool marble stones are applied to your main energy points.
For a totally different kind of treatment, the spa offers 'Guilt Free Chocolate Spa Treats', including a chocolate caramel scrub and a chocolate whipped-cream bath to soften and moisturise. Who knew that the pleasure of eating chocolate could be further enhanced by bathing in it?
In Guangzhou, after haggling in the local shops over designer outfits fresh from the factories, you should be ready for some pampering. The Astanga Spa at the Garden Hotel, set up by the Banyan Tree Spa Group, offers Asian-style treatments with a hint of the tropics.
Its ayurvedic hot stone treatment uses a mixture of palm-based massage with heated stones. Alternatively, there's the power-back session, which begins with a fragrant lemon yoghurt scrub to remove pollutants from your body before sesame oil is applied under pressure to ease tension. Finally, warm paraffin is padded on to sore, tired muscles. If you're in the middle of a buying trip, the treatment will put you one step ahead and ready to face your suppliers for another round of negotiations.
Also in Guangzhou is the spa at the Hyatt, whose therapists have been trained in traditional Chinese medicine-style massage of the meridian lines by renowned doctor Lisa Li. The spa 'aims to respect Chinese culture and therefore uses the proven and traditional techniques on their guests', says manager Catherine Wong.