KOREA: CALM AT GUERLAIN SPAS
by Roberta Sotonoff
The din of traffic, radios and voices fill the air in the Jangchung-dong district of Seoul, South Korea. Crowds clog the sidewalks. Enter the Guerlain Spa at the Shilla Hotel and all the noise and commotion disappears in an instant. There is nothing but subdued lighting, sleek leather chairs and silence.
Fancy spas are all about service and comfort, but here, the mere sight of a bead of sweat on your brow will quickly prompt a therapist to gently pat it dry with a clean, fluffy towel. Everything is very individualized. There are no group locker rooms or closet-sized treatment rooms. Clients are whisked away to a good-sized space with a closet, shower, makeup area and, of course, a massage table. The room is scented with your chosen fragrance, say citrus or fresh herbs. The dressing table has a jewelry box for your baubles.
Each treatment begins with a 15-minute footbath. Seated in a pine-scented room facing a garden, you look down upon a transparent blue circle, watch a panel slide back, and feel the bench on which you are sitting being hydraulically lowered until your feet are resting in the basin. Water temperature is adjusted, your feet and lower legs are bathed, exfoliated and massaged as you fill out a health questionnaire.
Your feet are soon deeply relaxed, but you realize that everything from the calves up could use some work - say the Intensive Body Therapy.
The first part of this Guerlain Spa signature treatment has two options – shower or bath. The seven-head shower is followed by a face treatment and a body scrub and rinse, then to make sure you are squeaky clean, you take another shower. Choose the bath and you luxuriate in a Jacuzzi topped with a blanket of bubbles while a large plasma screen at the foot of the tub projects a relaxing underwater scene.
The therapy continues with a 90-minute deep tissue massage. The total treatment lasts a blissful two-and-a-half hours but the time seems to fly. To signify its completion, the therapist places a cellophane-wrapped hairbrush, a blow dryer, and some Paul Mitchell products on your dressing table. Finally, there is the choice of juice served in the anteroom. The therapist and receptionist bow as you drag yourself away to the bustle of the city.
Korea’s other Guerlain Spa is on Jeju Island, a less frantic part of the country, off the southwest tip. It's become a delightful respite mainly for Koreans, Japanese and Chinese.
The spa features pretty much the same menu as the Guerlain Spa in Seoul, including the two-hour Intensive Facial Treatment, another Guerlain signature therapy. It also begins with an evaluation and a foot bath, then for the next hour and a half your face takes center stage. First, a thorough cleansing, then a cooling mask followed by an arm and hand massage that includes paraffin mittens placed on the hands to soften the skin. Once the mask is removed, a facial massage practically lulls you to sleep. A second mask is applied and while this one sets, the therapist massages your feet and legs and applies a paraffin foot wrap. The treatment is topped off with a scalp massage.
Beyond the spa, there are other places on Jeju Island to seek refuge. At Hallim Park, for example, blossoms in its scenic botanic gardens exude a sweet bouquet while piped-in classical music and songbirds filled the air with lovely melodies. Jeju’s most magical place is The Spirited Gardens (pictured on right), a serene sanctuary blanketed with bonsai greenery. You wouldn’t think of raising your voice when strolling past the unique miniature trees, over bridges or past the koi pools. It would interrupt the feeling of serenity. This mood stays with you long after you have departed the gardens.
Both Korean Guerlain Spas are located in Shilla Hotels. Visit www.chakra.net
Roberta Sotonoff is an award-winning travel writer from Glenview Illinois.
