DUBAI SPAS: DESERT BLISS
by Anne Dimon
The spa-centric city of Dubai is hotter than a hot stone massage. And, we’re not just talking temperatures. While year-round climes hover in the vicinity of the mid to upper 30s, what makes this booming destination really sizzle is the incredible number of new real estate developments. Luxury hotels, gleaming mega malls, theme parks, upscale residential communities, even a designated health and wellness city within-a-city are all under construction. Then, you have the spas.
On the luxury scale, Dubai easily competes with such spa-centric destinations as Las Vegas and Scottsdale, and because the city is a mini United Nations with more than 120 different nationalities making their home in the emirate (one of seven in the United Arab Emirates) – you’ll find spas influenced by wellness disciplines from around the world.
Here are a few of our favourites:
The Spa at the Ritz Carlton, for instance, is Bali-themed right down to the very traditional Bureh used in its signature body treatment – The Balinese Bureh. Enter the beautifully Bali-decorated treatment room to find small bowls filled with treatment ingredients including ginger and almonds oils, rice powder and freshly grated ginger and mashed cucumber. My Bali-born and trained therapist Krisna explains that Bureh is a traditional Balinese home remedy and is also used to keep the body warm in the cooler areas of Bali. Accompanying the curative Bureh mask, a Balinese massage, with its long thumb strokes and pressure point work, is the spa version of “thumbing” and is just what this body “kneaded.”
Two things that set Dubai spas apart from those in other regions are local laws: one, men clients must have male therapists and women clients female therapists; two, because Muslim women are traditionally not allowed to mix with men who are not their husbands, most spas also have designated “ladies only” areas.
Assawan Spa at the landmark Burj Al Arab takes over the entire 18th floor of this ultimately luxurious destination hotel. The left-hand side of the Arabic-designed facility is for gents, the right side is for ladies. Attention to detail is beyond the expected – the spa questionnaire and all magazine are presented in beautifully embossed, red leather folders, glass vases display white orchids, and tea service is poured from sterling silver tea pots into fine china.
While the Burj Al Arab is unofficially looked upon as the world’s only seven-star hotel, my vote for the region’s seven-star spa goes to Six Senses Spa at the Arabian-style Madinat Jumeirah beachfront resort. In a word – wow. It gives new meaning to the term spa luxury. Built as a spa village with 26 treatment rooms set out in small private villas, the Thai-based spa captures a sense of total sanctuary. There is an in-the-round treatment room for crystal and colour therapies, Arabic tents set up for treatments during the cooler winter months and quiet garden spaces set aside for yoga. The Thermal Indulgence Facial rivals the best I’ve had anywhere.
Leaving the Thai ambience and service that is the cornerstone of Six Senses behind us, my daughter and I taxied over to the Chi Spa at the spectacular Shangri-la Hotel where sleek meets holistic. Our treatments are booked for 8 p.m. and the spa is hushed except for soft music and the gurgling of whirlpools.
Savvy spa-goers will tell you that it’s often the little touches that add something special to the experience. Here, those little touches include lit candles signifying a treatment room is in-use, and small bejeweled boxes set out on the treatment bed ready to protect a client’s belongings while he or she is being massaged. The signature Chi Balance treatment based on traditional Chinese medicine incorporates Himalayan influences such as a Tibetan bowl stroked until it vibrates and chimes to open up the body’s energy channels. It’s the perfect treatment to relax a body before retiring for the night.
For visitors who want the comfort of home, there’s also Fairmont’s Willow Stream. For a Fairmont – a brand mostly associated with luxury heritage properties – the hotel is strikingly contemporary, almost futuristic in its design, but according to Fairmont regional vice president Michael Kaile, “it’s the perfect reflection of Dubai.” The spa, on the other hand is a beautiful blend of Roman and Mediterranean with accents of Arabic. The 40,000 square-feet of space offers two distinct areas: A Romanesque-style spa facility with private men's and ladies Jacuzzis, Turkish Hammam inspired steam rooms, ice showers, foot baths, treatment rooms and relaxation areas; and a state- of-the-art health club facilities.
Since visiting, the extensive spa menu has been upgraded to offer many of Willow Stream's signature body treatments, wraps and massages.
Along with a spa and wellness culture that is firmly entrenched in the waterfront city, Dubai also has a booming shopping culture. Spas and shopping in a safe and luxurious environment – how perfect is that for the ultimate girls’ getaway?
British Airways offers daily flights to Dubai from London’s Heathrow Airport www.ba.com
At the time of our visit prices for spa treatments were slightly less than those offered in luxury spas in Canada and the U.S. Rates were between $95 to $150 for a 60-minute body treatment. Before you go, do check with the spa for updated prices.
For individual spa information:
www.madinatjumeirah.com/spa
www.shangrila.com/dubai
www.fairmontspahotelsandresorts.com
www.ritzcarlton.com/resort/dubai
www.burj-al-arab.com