Sunday, November 24, 2013

Zen the Spa: A sanctuary in the heart of Deira

Deira is the last place you'd want to be if you were looking to relax and get away from it all. But as I discovered, there's a place in that part of town where you can drown out the noise and get your yin and yang in order.

Zen the Spa is located on the fifth floor of Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana, the hotel chain's newest property in the UAE. It's posh, spacious and conveniently attached to the newly renovated Al Ghurair Centre.

As I sat myself on one of the couches of the spa's well-lit lobby, a very helpful receptionist greeted me and ask me to fill out a form about my medical history and massage preferences.

She then led me to a room equipped with a jacuzzi, a steam bath and a sauna room, where I can spend as much time as I want before my appointment.

After utilizing them all, I was fetched by my therapist and taken to a reasonably sized massage room that had all the trappings of a perfect relaxation nest: dim lights, a faint fragrance to soothe my senses, and an inviting, incredibly comfortable massage bed.

This is obviously not me in the picture, but my experience was similar.
First off, a short ritual to kick off the treatment: my feet were gently washed, preparing me for a full hour of bliss. And then, my 60 minutes. Mine, all mine. Mobile phone off, restrictive clothing off.  The treatment I chose is called the Active Muscle Massage. I told my therapist that I had extremely painful knots in parts of my back, as well as a slight, numb feeling on the soles of my feet, that resembled mild cramps.  I was impressed at how well she listened to me, and how she hit those areas spot on. Within minutes, I was in a deep sleep. The combination of the essential oil she used, the quiet humming of instrumental spa music, and my therapist's expertise was all I needed to get to that REM cycle that I found so hard to reach.

Before I knew it, I was gently being reminded that the treatment was over, but that I could continue chilling out in another room. The room was big and had a sens
e of calm about it. Staying there helped me transition from zen mode to 'real world' mode. It was necessary at it was luxurious.

All in all, my experience at Zen the Spa certainly beats some spas in Dubai. I left the hotel with some peace of mind, a smile on my face, and extremely relaxed muscles.



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