Sassy Review: The Spirit of Peninsula treatment at The Peninsula Spa

Think The Peninsula Hong Kong and you probably immediately think of its famous afternoon tea. Well, now you should also think of The Peninsula Spa too – because it is fantastic!

Wander onto the seventh floor of The Peninsula and you are immediately immersed in a sense of total relaxed luxury. This is where some of the spa’s heat facilities and changing rooms are located, and where you get to enjoy an invigorating cup of ginger tea to welcome you – but tear yourself away from this delightfully tranquil scene (there’s even a calming water feature in the middle of the room!) as yet more treats lie in wait.

Spa guests get their own lifts to the ninth floor, where the treatment rooms are. Along the way, there’s another gorgeously serene reception room, surrounded by stunning streams of light that somehow seem to be raining water (the photo shows this better than I can explain!) and which I wish someone could replicate in my living room – but again, don’t linger, the best is yet to come!

I was booked in for one of their signature treatments, The Spirit Of Peninsula, which awakens the mind and body over a wonderful two hours of scrubbing, detoxifying, massaging and general pampering! It starts with a welcoming foot bath, a lovely little touch that eases you into the unwinding process, allows you to have a little chat to your therapist (mine was a bubbly lady called Marisa)… and most importantly, feels very lovely too!

The next step is a divine conditioning salt body exfoliation, which was simultaneously brisk but soothing – I’ve no idea quite how Marisa managed this, but I’m very glad she did! Next, it’s onto a quick shower to rinse off the scrub; I loved how spacious the bathroom in the treatment room was (too spacious for the words ‘en suite’, I feel!) and, excitingly, it had toasty heated floors that I spent a fun few minutes padding around! Scrub washed off, you’ll immediately notice how wonderfully, almost buttery, soft your skin feels.

Marisa duly tore me away from stroking at my own skin for the next step – a relaxing massage with warmed fragrant oils. I’m sure many of you have experienced painful, so-called ‘invigorating’, massages that bruise more than they do beautify… but this was anything but. Instead, it was more a series of soft soothing caresses that unwound every stress and eased each tension in my entire body.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better (I was already nodding off), these absolutely AWESOME hot paraffin wraps were placed around my hands and feet. If you’ve had these before, you’ll completely understand why caps lock is deserved; if not, you are totally missing out! These are searingly hot packs of wax that enrobe your hands and feet and make them feel like they’re melting into dreamy liquid pools… a pleasurable sensation I assure you… and all topped off with one last scalp massage. In other words, utter bliss.

Throughout the entire treatment, you’re treated to gorgeous whiffs of essential oils (which you yourself select beforehand) – mine was a delicious combination of ylang ylang and patchouli that I could have inhaled till the cows came home! Your choice of oils also determines the ESPA products that will be used; mine was the relaxing range and, given how I felt by the end of the two hours, I think we can declare them a definite success!

Afterwards, you’ve invited to enjoy the spa’s heat facilities to your heart’s content (the ones on the ninth floor have a fab harbour view). I instead just settled for a lingering lie-down on the loungers in the Relaxation Room, which again boast beautiful views over the harbour.  Put on the headphones provided to totally block out the world… and I can highly recommend the exceedingly delicious Peninsula Spa special guava yoghurt drink, tucked away in the fridge, to finish off your trip in style!

The Spirit of Peninsula will have you wishing you never had to leave The Peninsula… and between the scrummy afternoon tea, fabulous Salon de Ning bar and now, the wonderful spa itself, perhaps you’ll never have to!

The Spirit of Peninsula costs $2,000 for 2 hours (plus 10% service charge)

The Peninsula Spa, 7/F The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 2315 3322, [email protected]