In general, hotel spas, or those inside of high end branded hotels, are usually very good, but one I just experienced went beyond what I’ve experienced before. I’ve previously written about the new Delano Las Vegas, a hotel whose vision is to bring the essence of the desert inside, through the great interior design including the 150,000-year-old boulders in the entryway, and a memorable, though enigmatic, hanging stone sculpture by Jaehyo Lee in the lobby.
But the BathHouse Spa, inside the Delano carries the hotel’s vision into its treatment rooms and baths, as they carry the concept of desert authenticity into new spa therapies, many using Prickly Pear, Desert Sage, Lemon oil, Desert Lily, red rock and salt from the Great Salt Lake in Utah as well as raw bee pollen from the Mohave Desert. And further, they have combined spa therapies, using natural ingredients used in different parts of the world. This new idea, called Global Journeys, is worthy of further exploration.
Unlike separate spa therapies, like facials, massages or wraps, the Global Journeys packages combine three types, and takes between 2.5 and four hours. There is a choice of four journeys. The Global Journey Asia includes a Jade Detox Body Treatment, Lotus Flower Soothing Facial and Jade Detox Manicure and Pedicure. The theme of this journey is detoxification and rebalancing mind and body. The treatments end with a Jasmine tea service. The Global Journey Europe (3.5 hours) includes a Gold Dust Massage, Golden Veil Facial and a Royal Pedicure. These treatments end with an Earl Grey Lavender tea service.
The Global Journey Taste from the Islands includes a Balinese Papaya & Sauterne Bath, Balinese Thai-Infused Massage, Tahitian Hydrating Facial, Papaya & Sauterne Manicure and Pedicure, followed by an Hibiscus tea service (4.5 hours). The Global Journey India honors the energy of the region with a profound balancing journey including an Equilibrium Mud Bath, Chakra Balancing Body Treatment and an Amethyst Stone Uplifting Facial, followed by a cup of Chai Tea (2.5 hours).
As of this writing, the pricing for the Global Journeys is as follows: Asia, $550.00; Europe, $450.00; Islands, $650.00; India, $450.00.
The Global Journeys India: A Personal Take-Away
I was fortunate to have received a Global Journey Spa package, and I chose India, as I had been to India and have experienced the best treatments India had to offer. My first therapy was the Equilibrium Mud Bath in a dark room lit with low, light candles. The bath was large and dark, and the only sounds were of the bath jets, which were very soothing. The water temperature was warm, but I was given a bucket of ice, with a cold washcloth if I needed to cool off. With the attendant outside, I was left alone in the bubbling black bath with the flickering candles and a glass of ice-cold pomegranate juice. The mud was not heavy, and the temperature became lukewarm, so I felt eventually as if I were floating. If there is a word beyond relaxing, that was what I felt.
The second treatment, after I left the bath and showered off the remaining mud, was my Chakra Balancing Body Treatment. The Sanskrit word Chakra literally translates to wheel or disk. In yoga, meditation and Ayurveda, this term refers to wheels of energy throughout the body. There are seven main Chakras that align the spine, starting from the base of the spine through to the crown of the head. These energy essences correspond to nerve centers in the body.
It’s believed our bodies are constructed of electromagnetic energy fields, or Auras, and the flow of this energy affects our wellbeing. Chakras are responsible for directing and distributing this energy throughout the body. This particular treatment measured my Chakra energy with a Chakra pendant, then the therapist combined a medium pressure massage, then a body wrap, and then re-measured the Chakras. It was relaxing, energizing and educational; it was good to know which Chakras needed work and which didn't.
Finally, there was the Amethyst stone uplifting facial, that actually combined Amethyst and Rose Quartz. It was an exceptional facial, cool with the stones, optional steam and detoxifying, if indeed there were any more toxins left in my body or on my face. After the facial, I was led out to the rest area near one of the hot tubs, where I had a quiet tea service with fruit, crackers and a cup of steaming Indian Chai tea. I felt I had been on quite a journey, about four hours, but unlike typical travel, the experience was relaxing, leaving me calm, stress-free and ready to face the rest of my excursions without travails.
