Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa Archives

Dubai Spa Review: Elixir Spa at The Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa (Part Two)

While The Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa may be well known for its lively and energetic beach party venue XL Beach Club (which by the way I still have to check out!) – this grand hotel and beach resort is also home to a hidden gem of a spa: Elixir Spa.

I decided to arrive 35 minutes or so before my appointment time so that I can relax in the spa’s locker room facilities; steam and sauna rooms before my treatment.

Steam Room

What makes this Ottoman-decor inspired steam room stand out from any other steam room that I had ever been to is the added detail in this room’s ceiling. Small light fixtures in the ceiling of the room change color simultaneously in a very subtle and relaxed vibe. The swift color changing movements help take your mind off whatever it is that it was engaged in and aids in clearing your head. The multi-colored lights definitely made me only want to focus on how the colors shifted and never want to leave the room! But I had to, since I still wanted to check out the sauna room next door.

Sauna Room

I thought that this spa’s sauna room was also different than others that I had been to. First, it was highly spacious. It could easily fit 15 to 20 people – perfect venue for a sauna party 🙂 Then, it had a furnace and nice interiors that emit a relaxed and chilled vibe. By staring at a light in one corner of this expansive and stylish sauna room, I could feel some calm and peacefulness overcome me. If I could use one word to describe this sauna room, it would be: authentic.

Relaxation Room

Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to lounge in this tranquil and peaceful room. Because it was already time for my treatment. The room had a relaxed air to it with the sound of soft chilled tracks playing in the background and cool dim lighting. It’s the perfect place for some meditation and quietness after or before a treatment at the spa.

Hot Stone Renewal Body Treatment

I’ve been wanting to try the hot stone massage for quite some time, and I’m glad that I did! as the therapist advised me, this massage is one of their best-seller treatments and it’s no surprise why it is. The type of massage used in the hot stone treatment is the popular Swedish massage. The therapist begins by rubbing some Moroccan Argan oil on the area, before using the warm yet soothing hot stones to massage the area in a smooth rolling motion. Circular, upward, or random strokes are used when massaging with the hot stones. What I found to be remarkable and highly comforting was that the stones glide on the skin so effortlessly. It certainly doesn’t feel as if an object is being pressed on your skin, but more like someone with unusually warm hands massaging your body 🙂 Simply divine.

After massaging with the stones, the therapist also uses her hands to complete the treatment with conventional massage strokes. The procedure is repeated on legs, arms, back, stomach and chest before ending with a stress-relieving head massage.

Needless to say, my one hour hot stone massage treatment made me feel relaxed, stress-free and utterly pampered. It also put me in a hypnotized sleepy mood which I loved except that I had to get some work done after the treatment 🙂

Benefits of Hot Stone Massage

Improves circulation
Improves blood flow
Eliminates toxins from the body
Helps relieve stress
Aids in relaxation and rejuvenation

Don’t Miss

I loved the still water with a hint of lemon that was served at the spa. It was a lovely addition to the conventional water, and was so refreshing to have before or after treatments. So if you visit the spa, you must have the lemon infused drinking water 🙂

Price

The hot stone renewal body treatment is priced at AED 500

There is an ongoing summer promotion at the spa which entitles you to a 20% discount on any Elixir signature treatment.

Contact

You can check out the Habtoor Grand’s web site for their contact information and details about the hotel’s restaurants, leisure and sports facilities, as well as their pool and beach club.

“like” them on Facebook to stay updated with their news here.

You can also read about my experience on a day at their beach club here.

Until next time, have a wonderfully pampered day!

Dubai Spa Review: Elixir Spa at The Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa

There’s always a story behind everything that I do. Sometimes, it’s funny. Other times it’s sad and this time, it was ordinary. I had written a review on The Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa beach club very recently. If you missed it, you can read it here.

As I was leaving the beach club that day, I was handed a voucher for a 20% discount for a massage treatment at the hotel’s spa: Elixir Spa.

So, I naturally booked a massage appointment to make use of the promotion before it expired and before Ramadan started.

Summer Promotion

When I called to book my appointment, I was informed that I can get a 60 or 90 minute massage treatment. I went for the one-hour option. I inquired about the prices before and after the discount. The 60 minute Elixir Therapeutic Massage’s regular rate is 450 AED. After the summer promotion discount, I paid 360 AED. I asked about the type of massage and I was told that it’s a Swedish full body massage.

Here’s a list of the spa services included in the summer promotion (valid until July 31, 2013):

Main Drawbacks

I was asked to pay for my massage before the treatment. I don’t think that it’s a welcoming or nice gesture to ask the client to pay for the service prior to getting it. Especially in a spa environment.
I wasn’t informed at the time of booking the treatment that use of the steam and sauna rooms is included in my treatment. I only found out about this from my therapist right before the massage. I wasn’t able to make use of the full treatment offer since I had already made plans to have lunch with my dad and so I couldn’t just stay and use the other facilities available with my treatment. The staff at the reception didn’t inform me of this neither at the time of booking nor at the time of the appointment.

Massage Rating

I found the massage to be up to professional standards. I had asked the therapist for a hard pressure massage with a focus on my shoulders and upper back. The therapist did a great job with a consistent pressure throughout the whole treatment. Overall, the massage was very relaxing and soothing and I almost fell asleep by the end of it 🙂

Oils Used and a Balinese Tradition

The Moroccan oil used in the treatment was a combination of both Argan and Jasmine oils.

Benefits of Argan oil:

Helps relieve muscle tension.
Promotes hair growth. It can be used in scalp massage as well.
Highly effective in moisturizing dry skin and hair.

Benefits of Jasmine oil:

Jasmine can significantly aid in the rejuvenation of the skin and in making women look younger. My Balinese therapist explained to me how Indonesian ladies eat fresh Jasmine petals in search of a youthful complexion. She also told me about a famous Indonesian movie actress who at 95 years of age looked as though she was only 40, simply because she followed a regular “Jasmine Petal” diet 🙂

My therapist hadn’t tried it though. I think we can safely stick to the jasmine oil for now 🙂

My Massage Therapist

Luh Sri is the only Balinese therapist at Elixir Spa. With over seven years of experience in various spa treatments at world-class properties; including a couple of years at the Hyatt hotel in Bali, she has the professionalism of a five-star hotel spa therapist. Not to mention the knowledge, friendliness, and positive spirit that are essential traits of any beauty therapist.

Will I make another visit?

I would love to go back to have another full body massage with Luh. Maybe next time I can try the hot stone massage, or another type of massage or treatment. In case I decide to make another visit, I will make sure to check the offers before booking and to make use of the locker room facilities such as the sauna and steam room should they be included in the treatment package.

Conclusion

The staff at the reception need to be informed of all the promotional offers (and their perks). And they must be trained to convey complete information to the clients.Whether these guests are visiting from outside the hotel or are staying at the resort.

I believe that the spa management can do more to attract outside clients as well as in-house hotel guests. At least that was the message that I got from the way the promotion and my booking were handled.

Contact Link

http://grandjumeirah.habtoorhotels.com/site/general/LeisureAndSpa.aspx

Dubai Beach Club Review: Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa

Last Friday, I decided to check out The Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa. Although the beach was flagged on that day, I still managed to go for a nice swim at two different times, with each lasting for around an hour. Yes, I’m a cancerian and we just love to be in the water 🙂

Facts About the Beach Area

For anyone who has never been to the beach in Dubai Marina (I honestly haven’t until this time!), you will notice that the loungers are located at a far distance from the water. I was told by a staff member that it is a government rule and that all of the beach clubs on that strip have a similar setup. It was a bit of a disappointment to me as I had previously gone to the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa where the loungers are situated close to the sea shore. You can read that review here.

Resort Facilities

The resort has a wide number of facilities including:

Tennis and squash courts
Spa and state of the art gym
Fitness studio and classes
Junior Jungle Club for kids
Private beach with various beach activities
Water slides, outdoor Jacuzzi and pool bar
Main pool and a kids pool

Where to have Lunch

There are many options for lunch at the Habtoor Grand.

If you are alone or want to have a light lunch at the beach or pool area, then you could order a shawerma, burger or hot dog and other snacks from the “Al Manarah Beach Bar” or the pool bar.
If you want to try the famous Dubai brunch with barbeque and all, then you could have a nice outdoor brunch at XL Beach Club. That will cost you 260 AED per person. The brunch timings are from 1 to 4 pm.
If like me, you want to have a healthier meal at and sample one of the restaurants at the hotel…there are a number of cuisines to choose from. “Villa Romana”, “Al Basha”, “Fish Bazaar” and “Luciano’s” are some of the restaurants surrounding the beach and pool area at the resort.

Upon reading Pinay Flying High‘s tempting review on Luciano’s, I decided to go there for lunch and a break from the Dubai day in the sun! I’m glad that I did because the food was so delicious that I found myself looking for more tomato sauce on my plate when I finished eating 🙂

View from my table at Luciano's — View from my table at Luciano’s

My Must-try Tip

After my second hour in the water, I felt like I needed to have an energizing drink to keep my body hydrated. While standing at the beach bar, my eyes couldn’t stop staring at the tall glasses the couple standing next to me had. When I asked the lady what it was, she explained that it’s an iced-coffee with ice-cream and that it’s really good. So, that was what I decided to order to quench my thirst. And another couple who saw the bar tender make my drink ordered it as well! It was the perfect ending for my long day at the beach. As the coffee wasn’t too sweet (vanilla ice-cream only was used to sweeten it), and it was so refreshing after a day out in the sun.

Pool and Beach Entrance Rates

On Week Days: Adults – 150 AED, Children – 100 AED

Children ages: 4 – 15 years old, below 3 are free of charge.

On Weekends: Adults – 250 AED, Children – 125 AED

Weekends are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Club Memberships are available and special membership rates apply.

Link

http://grandjumeirah.habtoorhotels.com/site/general/