Touch of Tibet at hotel spa

BRISBANE'S Sofitel has opened a luxury day spa as part of an upgrade to its city hotel, which will also see a new gym and foyer refurbishment completed later this year.
Sofitel general manager Geoff York said luxury spas were now part of the five-star experience and demanded by travellers.

"You need to have them and this is very much an upmarket pampering experience," Mr York said.

For Bulimba businesswoman Stephanie Shepherd, opening the city spa is the realisation of a long-held dream.

She has designed and overseen its construction, adding treatment rooms and relaxation areas conceived after 22 years working in the industry and seven years running Stephanie's Natural Beauty and Day Spa at Bulimba.

As well as the usual couples and single treatment rooms, Stephanie's offers Tibetan ritual massage and an Opal Rasul Temple.

The room is a custom-built circular steam room with optic fibre lights simulating a night sky.

Three different types of mud are on offer to detox and after 20 minutes of steam a fine mist of water is sprayed into the temple.

A Tibetan ritual massage is also on offer, including an Indian head massage, body feather brushing and a massage incorporating heated herbal balls. "I have put so much of me into everything, working with designers on the decor and also ensuring I get the spa menu right," Ms Shepherd said.

She said spa-goers were becoming more adventurous and stressed the importance of keeping up with international trends.

"My travels have taken me all over the world and I've learnt about many different styles of therapy," she said.

The new spa will also offer a four-handed massage with two therapists working on each customer. A chill-out area will offer spa cuisine for guests undergoing long treatments and the Sofitel's pool area will also be available for visitors to unwind.

Accor is developing spas in dozens of its hotels, many as part of its Le Spa chain.

It is a concept being adopted by other hotel chains too.

Recently Hilton Hotels announced a partnership with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton to create or upgrade 135 spas in its hotels.

It will invest $237 million to develop 70 new spas and refurbish 65 internationally.

The upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

Cruise ships too are offering a more comprehensive range of spa treatments.

Princess Cruises superliner Sun Princess, which will move permanently to Australia later this year, offers a range of luxury treatments, including a signature hot rocks massage and seaweed wrap at its Lotus Spa.
by:BRISBANE'S Sofitel has opened a luxury day spa as part of an upgrade to its city hotel, which will also see a new gym and foyer refurbishment completed later this year.
Sofitel general manager Geoff York said luxury spas were now part of the five-star experience and demanded by travellers.

"You need to have them and this is very much an upmarket pampering experience," Mr York said.

For Bulimba businesswoman Stephanie Shepherd, opening the city spa is the realisation of a long-held dream.

She has designed and overseen its construction, adding treatment rooms and relaxation areas conceived after 22 years working in the industry and seven years running Stephanie's Natural Beauty and Day Spa at Bulimba.

As well as the usual couples and single treatment rooms, Stephanie's offers Tibetan ritual massage and an Opal Rasul Temple.

The room is a custom-built circular steam room with optic fibre lights simulating a night sky.

Three different types of mud are on offer to detox and after 20 minutes of steam a fine mist of water is sprayed into the temple.

A Tibetan ritual massage is also on offer, including an Indian head massage, body feather brushing and a massage incorporating heated herbal balls. "I have put so much of me into everything, working with designers on the decor and also ensuring I get the spa menu right," Ms Shepherd said.

She said spa-goers were becoming more adventurous and stressed the importance of keeping up with international trends.

"My travels have taken me all over the world and I've learnt about many different styles of therapy," she said.

The new spa will also offer a four-handed massage with two therapists working on each customer. A chill-out area will offer spa cuisine for guests undergoing long treatments and the Sofitel's pool area will also be available for visitors to unwind.

Accor is developing spas in dozens of its hotels, many as part of its Le Spa chain.

It is a concept being adopted by other hotel chains too.

Recently Hilton Hotels announced a partnership with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton to create or upgrade 135 spas in its hotels.

It will invest $237 million to develop 70 new spas and refurbish 65 internationally.

The upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

Cruise ships too are offering a more comprehensive range of spa treatments.

Princess Cruises superliner Sun Princess, which will move permanently to Australia later this year, offers a range of luxury treatments, including a signature hot rocks massage and seaweed wrap at its Lotus Spa.
by:www.news.com.au