Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2008 - (Page 46) is maintained by working each side of the body simultaneously. To ensure top-to-bottom relaxation, the head and feet also get double-duty rubdowns. Tip: Though Banyan Tree insiders are mum on standout therapists, we thoroughly enjoyed our Banyan Cleansing Facial with Sunida. The products used (and sold) are the chain’s own—formulated by a Thai chemist using natural ingredients like honey from northern Thailand’s mountains. The Fitness Centre offers yoga and Tai Chi classes and meditation. Services should be booked ahead by e-mailing preferred times to reservations@banyantree.com. Contact the spa’s manager, Areewan Tapsom (areewan.tapsorn@ banyantree.com), for VIPs. Luxury travel advisors take note: On our recent visit, our credit card receipt included a line for a gratuity, so we added 20 percent to the final total. Only later did we learn that a 10 percent gratuity was already calculated into the cost of our treatments. Advise clients to inquire about gratuity prior to paying for their treatments in order to avoid any confusion. For sleepovers, book the butler-serviced Spa Pool Villa. Home to its own spa with dedicated therapists, the villa also features a floating bed pavilion, a glass-edge pool with underwater air-loungers, an outdoor shower and an open-air sunken bath. It can be booked over the GDS using the chain’s private label code, “BY.” For VIP and concierge-type requests, contact the front office manager, Sonthaya Thongmeesuk (sonthaya.thongmeesukh@ banyantreecom). When the spa opened at the Oriental Bangkok (www.manda rinoriental.com) in 1993, it was the first-ever spa of its kind in Asia. Fifteen years later, this spa remains as popular as it was the day it opened (both guests and locals are welcome). Clients will find renewal and rejuvenation at the Oriental Spa, a short journey across the river. A beautiful THE ORIENTAL BANGKOK’s four Authors’ Suites (Somerset Maugham suite shown) pay tribute to famous writers. 46 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | January 2008 http://www.mandarinoriental.com http://www.mandarinoriental.com
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