A Festive Glow
The ultimate Christmas spa roundup. By Sarah Fung.
Heaven Scent
There are a few particular scents that infuse us with festive feelings, so the Mandarin Oriental’s festive spa programs should leave you feeling very merry indeed. It’s offering two 90-minute aromatherapy massage rituals with two very distinct scents: frankincense and myrrh, for those that like that sweet, musky and rather churchy scent at Christmas time, and clementine and ginger for those looking for a crisp, uplifting experience. Each ritual begins with a soothing massage, followed by a white clay body wrap containing extracts of sweet almond oil, apricot, marshmallow and Saint John’s Wort, and ends with a mini facial and scalp massage. Even better, guests get to take home a mini gift set of Christmas oils. The treatment costs $1,500. Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Rd., Central, 2522-0111
A Divine Deal
The Peninsula spa by ESPA has frequently-rotating seasonal offers, and this season’s weekday escape sounds too good to miss. For $1,600 per person, you get to enjoy a warming body scrub, aromatherapy back massage, and then a 60-minute facial and scalp massage. The package also comes with your choice of breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, and use of the spa facilities, including the magnificent Roman-style swimming pool.
The Peninsula, Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315-3322
Bargain Bliss
If the holiday season is taking its toll on both your wallet and your health, then why not book yourself in to the Grand Hyatt’s Plateau spa? Consistently voted one of the best spas in the city, their “Body Rejuvination Program,” includes a stimulating herbal bath with lemon peel, ginseng and rosemary; a hydrating paraffin body wrap to nourish winter-ravaged skin; and finally a relaxing massage that unknots stressed-out muscles and calms the mind. The treatment lasts for two hours in total, and you also get a healthy lunch thrown in, all for $1,680. Valid until January. Plateau, 11/F, The Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, 2588-1234