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By Marie Moon
Chit Lom, the connecting hub between the busy commercial district
of Sukhumvit Rd and the retail jungle of Siam Square. With the World
Trade Centre and the prestigious Gaysorn Plaza physically adjoined
to the BTS station, millions of people pass through this area each
day; hell-raising on motorbikes, gagging in tuk tuks, sweating in
buses and more sedately reclining in air-conditioned cars and taxis.
Resting peacefully, high above it all, is a precious sanctuary,
a place where one is obliged to leave the hustle, bustle, fuss and
fury outside. A place where the time-honoured traditions of Thai
natural medicine and the style and elegance offered by a five-star
hotel culminate in a sensuous and therapeutic haven.
The Royal Health Spa, located on the 36th floor of Le Royal Meridien
Hotel is a luxurious day spa that offers not only one of Bangkok’s
best views but also a series of excellent therapies that draw on
the ancient techniques mapped out during the Ayutthaya period of
Thai history. The spa menu includes different styles of massage,
aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, affusion showers, detoxification procedures,
facial therapies and hair and beauty treatments. Professional consultants
have been highly trained to provide expert advice to guests who
are selecting a treatment. Each visitor is asked a number of health
related questions from which the therapists can intelligently devise
a therapy that will suit their individual needs.
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At a recent visit to the Royal Health Spa, I spoke with Spa Manager
Ms. Mary Gabriel from the comfort of the relaxation room, a place
specifically designed as a transitionary room to allow guests to
recover from their treatments in quiet, air-conditioned comfort.
Mary spoke with assured confidence about her therapists, ‘They
are very professional. They ascertain guests’ levels of fitness,
previous injuries, areas in need of special attention and how experienced
the guest is with massage, because some people have never experience
massage before, others have had a lot of treatment in the past and
so are possibly more informed when making a decision. For example
pregnant women may have enjoyed massage in the past, but are afraid
of having a treatment in their current condition. We can talk to
them and describe what procedures we take to ensure the comfort
and safety of mother and baby.”
Mary diligently took me through the questionnaire. Yes, I have
experienced a number of different therapeutic treatments before.
No, I do not have any specific needs other than to wind down from
the stress of a business trip in Bangkok. After a moment’s
reflection, she suggested the Royal Thai Treats package; a 120-minute
session designed for relaxation, sensation and pleasure.
I liked the sound of that and excitedly followed her to meet my
therapist. Awaiting my arrival in the Jasmine treatment room, my
therapist had been busily preparing an aromatic concoction of fresh
Thai herbs that filled the air with the sublime scent of lemongrass
with a hint of camphor. Designed as a couple’s suite, two professional
massage tables lay adjacent to a jacuzzi trimmed with jasmine and
geraniums and full to the brim with pink rose petals. The room has
ambient lighting, a crisp cool temperature and a spectacular view
over the World Trade Centre from a full-length non-reflective glass
window.
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First on the agenda was a herbal body scrub. So, having changed
into a rather uncomfortable under garment I sprawled onto the table
and peered through the head-sized hole to the tiled floor below.
Mary had described the Royal Thai Treats as a session designed for
relaxation, sensation and pleasure and the scrub surely constitutes
the sensation part of this equation. In an attempt to rid my skin
of the impurities gathered after a week in Bangkok and to smooth
the roughness brought on by a not-so-regimented beauty regime, the
therapist used her blended potion of fresh turmeric, prai and smaller
quantities of other Thai herbs to vigorously scrub my skin. Using
only her deft hands, she relies on the granules to do most of the
work and while the feeling is oddly uncomfortable for the first
ten minutes or so, after a while the tingling sensation on the skin
becomes quite delightful.
After the scrub, I was a little distressed to catch sight of myself
during the walk to the shower, as the bright yellow of the turmeric
had painted me with a jaundiced glow. The shower, I feel, should
get special mention, for one entire side wall is made of glass.
Never before had I stood naked above so many people. Although I
was so high up and no-one could possibly have seen me, the situation
instilled a certain level of mischievousness in me and I lingered
perhaps a little too long in the shower, for the tingling sensation
brought on by the scrub magnified the feeling of each droplet of
water.
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Jaundice cured, I headed back to the table and resumed position
staring down at the floor. My therapist readied her one tool; a
heated herbal compress made from a mixture of fresh lemongrass,
turmeric root, leechlime, prai and camphor. Used in conjunction
with an ancient form of deep tissue massage, the compress is applied
to areas of tension where the warmth penetrates deeply, opening
the pores to allow the herbal mist to do its work. The masseuse
uses long strokes, paying special attention to pressure points upon
which more precise, circular movements are applied.
One minute I was lying there thinking of how grand this all was,
how for the last hour my therapist has had no other goal but to
make me look and feel glamorous. The next minute I woke myself up
by snoring in a most un-glamorous fashion. Such were the obvious
results of this treatment, glamorous or not I was indeed relaxed
and I hope the therapist took my snorts as a sincere compliment
to her skill.
After the massage, I was escorted to the jacuzzi. Elastic and pleasantly
drowsy I concentrated on stepping into the bath without slipping
and relinquishing the last remnants of that glamour. Successful,
I sank deeply into the petals, the velvety texture engulfing my
body and the sweet rosy aroma filling my mind. The session was over
and after serving a nice warm cup of ginger tea my therapist vacated
the room allowing me important time and privacy in the jacuzzi to
drift back down to earth. I tarried, sipping my tea and splashing
among the rose petals, mesmerized by the purple tinge that the setting
sun projected on the Bangkok
skyline.
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Sometime later, I emerged clean, dressed and feeling invincible.
I strolled around the beautiful spa reception area wearing a goofy
smile of content, a walking advertisement for the Royal Thai Treats
package. The spa occupies some 1,500sqm with treatment rooms, specialized
hydrotherapy bath rooms and a large indoor jacuzzi stylishly decorated
by polished timber floors, subdued lighting, luxurious finishings
and Thai artifacts.
While the Royal Thai Treats is a signature treatment of the spa,
a number of the special treatments come highly recommended; the
Royal Hydro Aromatic Bath treatment combines a full body scrub and
pressure point and essential oil massage, with the technological
advances of hydrotherapy for an aqua massage in a specially designed
tub. The Royal Thai Herbal Wrap uses herbs and spices, orange juice
and natural yoghurt to enhance circulation and add a healthy glow
to the skin. One of the latest remedies to be performed by the spa
is called hot-stone therapy; special stones are gathered, heated
in an oil and placed on the body to balance energy meridians and
improve circulation of the blood and the chi.
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