With a special occasion in mind, Liz O’Reilly headed to The Gulf Spa at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa, one of the island’s most prestigious venues, to check out a brand-new offer.
I am happily involved in helping a good friend prepare for her upcoming wedding and, charged with finding somewhere for our girly group to hang out and chill, my thoughts turned to spa treatments. Long a fan of the amazing couples’ facility at The Gulf Spa, I was delighted to hear the team, under the leadership of new Director of Recreation & Spa Jingjai Sarasook, is launching spa parties. It sounded like the perfect solution.
If you’ve never visited this couples’ facility, as I know some of my single friends haven’t, then you’re in for a treat.
It’s equipped with two uber comfortable treatment beds, a third is soon to be installed to make it the ultimate group space. But there’s more, so much more!
On arrival you’re greeted with a foot bath, think traditional brass foot bowls brimming with warm water and flower petals, then head to the private steam facility with plenty of space for you and your crew to indulge in the ultimate relaxation. The steam room even has buttons for you to choose your preferred scent – peppermint, lavender, Ottoman rose or sandalwood – a deep inhalation of gentle lavender and I was sold.
A roomy bio sauna – comparatively low temperature coupled with high humidity – has plenty of bench space for several guests and a neighbouring ice fountain means you can take full benefit of the temperature variations – if you’ve never slathered handfuls of ice on sauna-heated skin, you really don’t know what you’re missing.
You can refresh yourself in a gorgeous rainforest shower, complete with the sound and light effects of tropical thunder, or simply hop into the generous Jacuzzi and soak your cares away with scented bubbles and more flower petals – Jingjai even informed me that they can serve strawberries, chocolate and bubbly. I am seriously going to be the most popular person at this wedding.
Alongside the treatment beds, you have your own lush relaxation area, complete with dimmed lights and super-soft sofas, the perfect spot to indulge in the newly introduced sound therapy. Relax as a highly trained therapist plays a traditional Nepalese singing bowl, the vibrations feel as if they reach deep into your soul, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation and leaving a profound sense of well-being.
For those not taking advantage of the couples’ room, sound therapy is available in the general relaxation area in the ladies’ spa facility and there are newly launched sound therapy classes too. And those who are using the couples’ area can also make use of the general thermal facilities, which include hot and cold plunge pools.
With all this on offer, I scarcely needed more convincing but, in the interests of research, I decided to try an aromatherapy massage, one of the numerous options available both in the couples’ area and across the facility’s multiple male and female treatment rooms.
Therapist Ana Lynne explained that she would use traditional Thai oils to relax me and nourish my skin and I chose the orange oil for its delightful scent; citrussy with a faint hint of vanilla.
Stretched out face down on the deeply padded massage bed, Ana Lynne started by warming and cleaning my feet with a damp towel, then she moved on to the massage with deep, confident strokes. Beginning with my arms and moving to the central spine area, her experienced hands located knots and areas of tension I didn’t even know were there, bringing a delicious sense of relief where I had not known it was needed.
Using gentle and then somewhat stronger strokes, she regularly checked that the pressure was right for me always working in the direction of blood flow towards my heart and adding in gentle joint and muscle stretches along the way.
The 60 minutes of the massage passed all too quickly and before I knew it, it was time to head back to the relaxation area for some hot chamomile tea. The promises of stress relief and tranquillity had certainly been delivered – so much so that I could have fallen asleep right there.
I headed out via a quick trip to check out the gym – which has all manner of cardio and weights equipment as well as a studio for individual and group classes – and the newly launched salon, which offers hair, nails, make-up and waxing services – perfect for the bride to be.
The Gulf Spa is an impressive space ranging over three floors around an imposing glass atrium. The thermal facilities and extensive changing rooms are found on the ground floor while separate male and female treatment rooms are on the first floor. The second floor is currently undergoing refurbishment.
If, like me, you’re looking to plan a group special occasion, a couples’ day out or you simply want to unwind and escape the world for a couple of hours, this is the ideal spot to relax and recuperate. And, since The Gulf Spa also offers both bridal and honeymoon packages, I think I even know what my gift to the happy couple will be.
For more information or to make a booking, please call
The Gulf Spa at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa
on 1774 6289
or 6698 4448 or email gulfspa@gulfhotelbahrain.com
@gulfspabh
@thegufhotelbh