Everything about The Okura Spa seems very deliberate in an incredibly professional and reassuring way, much as you would expect to discover at such a luxurious, hotel principally for business travellers.
There appears to be purpose in every detail and for every sense in that they would almost be suspected of having a sixth sense for exactly what you are looking for in a spa. High praise indeed - but well-deserved as this is a tranquil oasis in the heart of the city with absolute care and convenience.
Situated on the 25th floor of The Okura Prestige Bangkok, located within the Park Ventures Ecoplex on Wireless Road, The Okura Spa is easily accessible by car or by BTS SkyTrain with a direct skywalk link to the building. The spa is on the same floor as the pool and fitness centre and spa-goers, who are always encouraged to arrive well before their allocated appointment, can find time in their busy schedules to enjoy complimentary use of the pool and facilities.
During the initial consultation, to determine what your wants, needs, concerns and expectations might be, the spa receptionist guides you and helps you to treatments that are designed to establish equilibrium of the five senses. This is deemed integral to your well-being, meaning that all elements of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch are impressed upon to aid in centring you. Sight is soothed with the striking uninterrupted views of the city skyline, offset by a serene dark wood and earth tone interior. Gentle music and the sound of flowing water quiet the mind while scents of citrus, musk and spices from pure essential oils ignite a dreamy imagination. Taste is incorporated into the scene-setting through iced and hot organic teas, before and after treatment respectively (a spa menu is also available upon request), and touch is of course where the talented spa therapists unleash the majority of their seeming alchemy.
Both the environment as a whole, and the well-trained spa staff are ready to make you feel at ease and calm before you even set foot in your private treatment room. In the lounge area, during your consultation, they bring you a welcome drink of blue butterfly pea, poured over an ice cube of the same. Butterfly pea is an ancient Thai herbal plant renowned in traditional Thai medicine as a powerful hair nourisher that also provides anthocyanin which improves eyesight and treat eye infections and is moreover a source of antioxidants and works to boost the immune system. Unlike beverages served at some spas, this is not a sugar-laden drink that over-stimulates the brain just before you are supposed to relax but as refreshing as the accompanying cold towel.
You are advised of their most requested signature treatment the 'Okura Gateway', which is available for 60 or 90 minutes (B3,500++ & B5,000++). Employing the amethyst stone, and drawing upon the power the ancient Greeks believed the stone to have in preventing intoxication, the therapist places this stone on the 'crown chakra' or 'third eye', to promote relaxation and inner peace. On the third eye, it is said to repel anger and fear and to balance one's energies. When combined with their purple signature Okura Gateway essential oil, consisting largely of lavender and jasmine plus hints of white tea and sandalwood, the massage with the amethyst stone is a relief-inducing treatment that also awakens the senses. However, if the mystic power of stones is not quite your cup of tea and you are equally in need of some reprieve, then the obvious next choice is their unique 'Ta-Ke Relief' menu item (Baht 3,600++). This is a one-and-a-half-hour massage with a twist…
Selection made and settled into one of the five treatment rooms where the temperature, volume of music and overall level of comfort are established to your liking. It's at this point that you hand over all your worries and cares and place your trust and body in the hands of your therapist as the Ta-Ke magic begins. The aforementioned twist comes in the form of heated bamboo rods in varying sizes, which are utilised in kneading and rolling out knots, unlocking tension and de-stressing fatigued muscles. This Japanese bamboo massage is based largely on the principles of acupuncture and acupressure and has the added benefit of helping to enliven the blood circulation and entirely relax body and mind.
It is a singular experience, very different to the forearms and elbows of traditional Thai massage with heated herbal compress (B3,200++ for one hour), which they can also perform. Depending on your personal preference, the sensation of the heated bamboo can somehow seem simultaneously gentler, smoother or firmer when applied by skilled hands. Ta-Ke is also available as a foot reflexology massage for just one hour (B2,200++). The bamboo is applied only to the feet, also using acupressure techniques, which can release tension and lower water retention.
The blood circulation is stimulated as a means of generating an overarching sense of comfort throughout the body, thereby reducing stress.
A wide collection of treatments are available, from 45 minutes of personalised massage (aptly named 'Self-Centred' B2,200++) to the four-hour 'Simply Nirvana Ritual' (B12,000++) where you are bathed, wrapped and massaged and then given a luxurious Thalgo collagen facial. Simply put, there is something for everyone and, with a choice of essential oils for most massages, there is a scent to suit too. The signature treatment does have its own oil, but you can swap it out, if the floral notes are a little strong for your olfactory sensitivity. No visit to the spa is complete without recouping a feeling of total well-being in the lounge, sipping hot bael fruit tea which is beneficial to the digestive system.
Finally, you are ready to descend those 25 floors and face the world once again.
THE OKURA SPA is open daily from 10am to 10pm. The pool is open 6am to 9pm. Book at spa@okurabangkok.com or Tel. 02-687-9000. www.okurabangkok.com
