Hospitality Design - December 2012 - 58

perspectives

trends spa
2. A neutral palette and private terraces, a Parisian rarity, at Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie. 3. A modern Arab aesthetic greets guests in the lobby of the spa at Eastern Mangroves. 4. At the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, the pool visually connects to the outdoors.

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with hot and cold temperatures in a restorative deep-tissue massage. Capitalizing upon the outdoors, a rare amenity in a Parisian spa, was key to Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie at Le Bristol Hotel. Owner Maja Oetker and architect Pierre-Yves Rochon collaborated on this urban haven to create treatment rooms— there’s even a Russian one where a circulation improvement session awaits with leafy birch twigs—do ed with private garden terraces and set against a neutral pale e of stone and wood. An all-day visit is likely at bi-level Talise O oman Spa inside Dubai’s Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. AketipoDesign, with both local and Istanbul o ces, worked on the dramatic design, but it’s not merely theatrics. Instead, it pays tribute to the O oman era, with an authentic hammam as its centerpiece. Many original Istanbul hammams, no longer in use, inspired the mélange of stained glass, domed ceilings, chandeliers, and lavish applications of mosaic. Even original kuranas, over owing marble basins, have made their way onto the premises. From beginning to end, guests do not feel as if they are

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merely at a spa, but have been a orded a glimpse into the opulent lives of sultans. They are greeted by antique oak doors, hundreds of years old, that were sourced from souks and painstakingly recreated by artisans; they depart a er sipping the customary iced yogurt drink of ayran to rebalance body temperatures. Also in the United Arab Emirates, Anantara’s just opened Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa in Abu Dhabi is another example of an impressive wellness retreat. “The digital world that we live in today has

made the once elusive and aspirational luxury sphere accessible to all, therefore it has adapted to its wider audience,” says Lee Stephens, general manager of MSpa International, which developed Anantara’s spa concept. “This means that a savvy, well-read, spa-educated consumer has now become our largest segment.” Those consumers are certainly responding well to Eastern Mangroves and amenities such as the country’s largest hammam, along with distinct treatments that use organic ingredients like the Shi a Emerald Body Massage. Although the property is modern, the spa has a decidedly classic Arab aesthetic, o ering guests a true immersion into the indigenous culture. “Inspiration has been drawn from Arabic design, so features include arches, mushrabiyas (windows enclosed with carved la icework), and timber trellises,” says Laura Gow, design manager of local developer TDIC, which worked with South African rm Northpoint Architects and Dubai-based AK Design on the space. At Yabu Pushelberg’s much-buzzed Four

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December 2012 hospitalitydesign.com
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - December 2012
