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Hibiscus Spa at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa
March 18, 2010
When it comes to spas that deliver a unique experience, Silver Rain. a La Prairie Spa at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman is a tough act to follow. So, I have to admit I felt a bit badly for the spa that I visited the very next day.
Located in a stand alone building just steps from the lobby of the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa on beautiful Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Island Hibiscus Spa was the first full amenity spa on the island. Like the rest of the beachfront property, it sits shaded by the towering Casuarina Pines that give the resort its name.
From the pleasant reception area lounge, one walks through to the treatment area where a water wall creates a sense of arrival and changes the mood from “resort” to “spa.” Spa director, Pat England acknowledges the spa is not “high glitz - more earth tones and a family feel,” she says.
With 15 treatment rooms including two Vichy, a couples’ room with a private hot tub, and a locker room with sauna, steam room and hot tub, it’s a great resort amenity spa.
England tells me that the convention hotel has seen an increase in men using the spa for mani/pedis and facials and, consequently, have recently introduced a gentleman’s facial. And in the works, she says, “are more men’s Me Time packages. Because the resort is also popular with families, children as “young as age 10” are coming in with a parent - especially, she says, for “a mani with mom.” New teens packages are also in the works.
From the full menu of treatments, I ask England to recommend a facial but she defers to the experts. “I leave that to the esthetician,” she says, “so we can customize according to the skin’s needs.” I like that in a spa. So, following a skin analyses, Nateisha, my esthetician, recommends the Sea & C from Pevonia. It’s a beautiful facial and so relaxing I fell asleep.
In the post treatment lounge – where the chairs look as if they’d be more comfortable on the patio then in a spa – there are snacks of nuts, fresh and dried fruit and crackers available for guests to help themselves.
Like other resorts and hotels in the Westin chain, there are subtle wellness messages sprinkled about: the in-room dining menu is titled Feed the Body, Nourish the Soul; the folder holding the bill slipped under your guest room door reads Farewell & Be Well.
At the end of the day a signature Unwind ritual takes place in the lobby. The ritual varies with each hotel but it usually has a local feel. Here it’s an offering of a complimentary glass of punch (with or without rum) and a appetizer or two.
Then there’s the Superfoods breakfast menu including dishes made from ingredients rich in nutrients and antioxidants: blueberries, oranges, apples. tomatoes, soy, broccoli, nuts, oats, yogurt and salmon. Blueberry banana smoothies made with soy, honey and all natural granola; Steel cut cinnamon-scented oatmeal with sliced bananas, pecans and honey; Smoked salmon with silky tofu and avocado. So far on this Serendipitous Spa Tour it’s been my favourite breakfast menu. Exactly the way I like to eat!
Of course, this is a resort that caters to all tastes, so guests will also find on the menu Poached Eggs on English Muffins over Canadian Bacan with Hollandaise Sauce.
There’s a gym – small for the size of the resort – and England says a weekly Yoga on the Beach pilot program (at a cost of about $18 U.S. per guest, per class) has been well received.
Bottom line: A good all-round, beachfront resort for business groups and families wanting an on-site spa as a guest amenity.
For more on the Hibiscus Spa, Westin Casuarina Grand Cayman Resort & Spa
Cayman Islands Spas Hibiscus Spa Westin Top of Page.
