Royal treatment at the Mandarin spa

by Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
Every detail in the just-opened Spas at Mandarin Oriental is designed to promote wellness, which they define as focusing on physical, emotional and mental well being. Surfaces are strewn with fuschia philinopsis orchids, a waterfall bubbles pleasantly, the lights are low, the music is soft and pleasant.
Upon my arrival, the ritual immediately begins. Concierges lead me to a cushy bench, take my shoes to complete the transformation of leaving the external world behind, and give me spa slippers, an aromatic hand towel to clean my hands, and a cup of its signature peppermint tea to help me enter a more peaceful zone.
Guests get a locker filled with toiletry products, a fine robe from Frette, and nearby are hair styling supplies and hair dryer. At a supply station, bottles of water and huge soft towels are readily available.
Inside, the spa’s rooms feature bamboo flooring except in the wet area, where they are slate, three-dimensional artwork and glass tiles, and golden-hued anegre wood throughout.
There’s an option of rinsing off in an aromatic “Experience” shower with names like Artic Ice and Tropical Mist, with multiple water jets and a waterfall-like showerhead, but I found the water far too cold to enjoy my experience. After a brief rinse in the shower – which was equally lukewarm at best, even when cranked all the way to hot - I warmed up in the large hot tub, followed by the color therapy Crystal steam room. The steam, thick enough to obscure anything beyond a few inches away, was tinted with mood-shifting lighting that changed colors and created an almost surreal experience, like living in a watercolor painting. To cool off, clients can scoop up some shaved ice just outside the steam room.
While awaiting my massage appointment, I enjoyed fresh fruit and nuts while relaxing on one of the lounges, which feature privacy curtains, current magazines and a spa menu.
Holistic services are hosted in nine treatment areas that feature natural light, some with private showers, a hydrotherapy room and two specialty suites. Treatments are personalized, depending on a discussion between the guest and the concierge. “The traveler who has just deplaned from an international flight would benefit from a different treatment than the person who has so much on their mind that they are not spleeping well,” explained Sharon Holtz, Mandarin Boston’s director of spa.
Treatments include “Time rituals,” a two-hour or more treatment designed to “restore your natural state of equilibrium,” with a customized treatment that begins with feet cleansing and a tiny bell.
The Oriental Harmony Signature Experience, at two hours, provides four hands working in unison to provide a foot bath, a warm body scrub, and a harmonious dual massage, ending with a head and foot massage performed simultaneously. I left the room relaxed and simultaneously energized, with fragrant skin to boot.
The Triple Vitality two-hour massage includes Shiatsu and Tui Na techniques which uses stretching, jostling, range of motion and meridian stimulation to energize the body. For the busier types, the New England Retreat also provides two hours of full body exfoliation to prepare for a massage that focuses on the upper back, eye strain, leg circulation, and “those overused Blackberry muscles,” reads the Spa brochure.
Suite experiences, at three hours or more, offer a 700-square-foot “private spa oasis” with a private vitality tub, stone sauna, two treatment tables, and a day-bed for relaxation. It’s designed for two guests to enjoy a time ritual or signature treatment of choice, with an hour of relaxation time. For couples, two therapists provide simultaneous treatments personalized for each guests needs.
Other services include specialty treatments for expectant mothers and new mothers, leg and foot refreshers, body wraps with names like “definite detox,” “rose indulgence,” and “de-stress mind”. Several water-based therapies include an aqua ritual with body exfoliation, vichy shower, aromatic hydrotherapy bath, and massage. They offer salt scrubs, coffee-and-frankincense scrubs, facials, and manicure/pedicures. Half-and full-day services are also available with various treatments and lunch.
I received a two-hour massage on a heated table that began with a foot bath, and included a combination of Swedish, Shiatsu, Tui Na, and other massage techniques to address the stress in my upper back and neck. The therapist, Samantha, got up on the table at times to twist, bend and flex my body to improve circulation, release tension, and energize me. She wrapped my body in long scarves to apply gentle pressure, and worked to unblock my three chakras. I left feeling refreshed and energized, although we both agreed the crick in my neck would require a few more sessions.
Samantha then escorted me back to the relaxation lounge for tea, and noted I could go to the Spa Café for light meals.
The nearby fitness center will feature personal trainers and attendants to guide guests using the Technogym equipment and the personal Kinesis Wall.
For those doing yoga, lululemon, a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company, also just opened in the hotel. Lululemon athletica is a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company using technical fabrics and functional designs created with feedback from yogis and athletes. This is lululemon’s first full-size retail store in Boston.
The Mandarin Oriental will also round out its retail division with the Thanksgiving arrival of Gucci.