WESTIN WEEKEND
SENSES SPA AT THE WESTIN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
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And so the birthday celebrations continued …my partner surprised me with a night at the Westin Lighter Quay …and of course spa treatments had to be sampled! After a very speedy and professional check in we were whisked away to our luxurious superior room with views across the Viaduct.
First things first…booking our spa treatments for an afternoon of pampering!
Senses Spa at the Westin is an escape from the world outside.Very simple and understated in decor the spa has been designed to restore balance encountered by everyday stresses… Aaah sounds perfect !
This urban spa offers a wide range of Thai , European, Ayurvedic and NZ spa and beauty treatments. With seven treatment rooms to choose from the spa offers single and double treatment rooms, a thai massage room complete with mats, sauna and steam room. Located right next door to the spa is a 20 metre indoor heated lap pool, jacuzzi and the Westin Workout gym with a range of weights and cardiovascular equipment.
Cherry a very knowledgable spa consultant guided us through the menu advising treatments that would suit. As my partner has sensitive skin, she suggested the Micronised Marine Booster treatment - and yes it worked wonders! Marine Algae rich in minerals, vitamins and micro nutrients is great for the skin. This treatment boosts circulation, relieves aches and pains provides deep relaxation. Just what the doctor ordered! And I opted for a hot stone massage ..one of my favourites.
But first a dip in the Jacuzzi along with a swim in the lap-pool- a nice way to start a spa experience.
After our dip off we went to our respective treatment rooms.
Stone massage and body treatments involve a little bit of movement from the therapists, so we opted for single rooms allowing both of us to enjoy the experience completely with no distractions. A great choice!
Every treatment begins with Senses signature ‘tranquility’ welcome - this ritual combines aromatic oils on the therapists hands held just in front of the face-allowing you to inhale deeply, a sensory experience to start the journey.
The true skill of a therapist, especially when using stones as a massage tool is to keep the stones moving at all times, simultaneously synchronising both hands without the stones ‘clicking’ at any stage.
My therapist achieved just that ..bliss !
We emerge..skin as soft as a baby’s bottom, totally relaxed from hot stone treatments and ready to take a nap! As you can tell from my picture above I was pretty ‘zoned’ out bearly sipping my Ginger Tea! Amazing how relaxed you can become in an hour!
HYATT CELEBRATIONS
THE SPA AT THE HYATT, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
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Birthdays are all about celebrating…and what better way to spend your birthday celebrating with a buddy at Spa at the Hyatt.
Debbie and I took a leave of absence from work (as you do when celebrating a momentous occasion such as becoming a year older!) and headed for the Spa..
The Spa at the Hyatt is a 5 minute stroll from the hustle and bustle of Queen Street, yet a million miles away!
Lovely soothing colours, soft floaty fabrics and dim lighting greet you in the relaxation lounge, a calming and relaxing environment to get you in the mood for total pampering.
The Spa is focused around a central courtyard - featuring river stones and a unique sculpture with ambient lighting. All treatment rooms are located around this courtyard along with the spacious relaxation lounge.
Our therapists join us in the lounge to discuss the treatments that lay ahead. Then it’s into fluffy bath robes and you are quietly escorted to your treatment room.
Debbie and I opted for a dual treatment room so we could experience our treatments together. Always a great experience to share with a friend or partner.
A love of deep tissue massage (to unravel the many knots in my shoulder and neck) I opted for this treatment. Debbie went for the more ’softer’ approach - a good old relaxation massage! Yuki my Japanese therapist certainly did not disappoint me!
Having the claim to fame of treating many of the celebrities that stay at the Hyatt, Yuki is so popular that she had one very famous rock band have her on call for massage treatments/therapies for the total duration of their stay at the hotel! Not bad huh ?
Strong hands with an innate healing ability- Yuki in my opinion is tops !
The Hyatt offer massage treatments, body and facial scrubs,hot stone massages (another favourite) along with wraps and beauty treatments.
The Hyatt is equipped with a 25m heated swimming pool, spa pool, sauna and steam room along with a gym. So great facilities if you want to make a day of it.
After a blissful one hour treatment it was time to relax and sip herbal tea in the lounge, contemplating our next move in this day full of pampering and play !
ROTORUA BLISS
WAI ORA LAKESIDE SPA RESORT ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND
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Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort is Rotorua’s first and only destination Spa Resort and when I was recently invited by Wai Ora to experience a weekend of dining, sightseeing and pampering I jumped at the chance!
So what’s a girl to do? Get in the car with fellow spa aficionado Debbie and head to Rotorua for a scenic two and a half hour drive south of Auckland.
Located on the Eastern Shores of Lake Rotorua, Wai Ora’s Spa therapies are centred around New Zealand’s geothermal, cultural and natural heritage. On our arrival at the resort we were warmly greeted by Bryan, owner and mastermind behind the Resort, Jason (General Manager) and Haydn (Sales Manager). We where immediately shown around the establishment and whisked off to our accommodation.
Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort was once known as Manary Lakeside Resort (and there are pictures to prove what the old establishment looked like!) - the resort was completely gutted keeping only the exterior structure and rebuilt to what it is today- stunning.
The Resort is located lakefront at Holdens Bay (part of Lake Rotorua), and set on two acres of landscaped gardens. The nice thing about the resort is that it is tucked away in suburbia, surrounded by residential houses. Located a mere 5 minute drive from central Rotorua, which can be reached by courtesy shuttle, it is away from the main strip of “Rotovegas” so great for that peaceful getaway.
Accommodation at the Resort consists of 20 deluxe studios, which are smaller rooms with hotel facilities, a King bed can be split into two single beds. So perfect for girlie weekends away. The Deluxe Studios are located on the ground floor and each has a small patio area outside. The 10 Superior suites are more spacious and located on the top floor- all with balconies. They have a separate living, kitchenette facilities and double spa bath.
Ravenous after our drive from the Big smoke (aka Auckland) we decided to freshen up and order some room service. Being in the travel industry for longer than I care to mention how I judge a resort and the service that lies ahead is by the speed of its room service. I placed the order, put on my ’stop watch’ and anticipated our delivery.From placing the order to opening the hotel door was…15 minutes! Impressive- the food was beautifully presented and tasty. We had the pleasure of tasting some of the local ingredients Kawakawa infused olive oil (a local Maori herb known for its medicinal properties)
So we begin to unwind, grazing on wonderful room service wondering what lies ahead for dinner! Dinner at Mokoia Restaurant was a culinary delight! Attentive service, Infused teas, Mud, mud and more mud was enjoyed that weekend!
Welcome to the Spa Travel blog!
Welcome to Spa Travel Blog, the place for the hottest news on the world’s best spa & wellness spots!
Hi my name is Sharon O’Brien, owner of spatravel.co.nz and now chief editor and creator of spatravelblog.com.
I started this blog because I want to share the many great spas i had the pleasure to experience, both here in New Zealand and on my overseas journeys.
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