ASSENTIAL SPA
by Sarah Scaddan
For a round-up of other spas in and around Geneva read our spa and hammam review here.
A friend I was aching to catch up with after a long summer break, suggested we meet up at Assential Spa. Puzzled, I wondered how on earth we were supposed to catch up whilst she was having a massage in one room and I was having a facial in the next room. Questioning our friendship, I arrived at Assential Spa which is situated at Quai Seujet, a short walk from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
We were politely greeted (in English) and ushered into the Hamman where we could enjoy the steam room and relaxation room before our treatments. NOW I understood why my friend had suggested this place. As the spa is small, we had the Hamman to ourselves, away from the shushes and glares of other ‘relaxing’ spas. The steam room has a huge stone slab to lie in the middle of the room, where we lay, steamed away our woes and put the world to rights. Once fully steamed, we retired to the relaxation room, helped ourselves to delicious tea, and continued part two of our vital catch up.
Our therapists finally dragged us out of the Hamman to enjoy our treatments. I opted for one hour facial which I found to be excellent, and I am quite particular. My friends massage was firm and expertly executed, and we left the spa with one radiant face and one supple, ache free body.
Normal entry price to the spa is 49chf, but the fee is waived when you book a treatment. As well as the usual menu of massages, facials and epilation, there are a handful of more unorthodox treatments available, including the Rituel Gourmand, which includes a chocolate cream massage. For the ultimate pampering experience, the Voyage en Orient is a four hour ritual including hamman, bodyscrub, body wrap, massage and a facial. Santa Claus…. if you are reading this, I’ll have one of those please.
For further information visit www.assential-spa.com or call 022 731 76 07.
