Weekday Lounge Exclusive | Rejuve Spa, Intercontinental Grand, New Delhi
Weekday Lounge Exclusive | Rejuve Spa, Intercontinental Grand, New Delhi
I giddily set out from Connaught Place (CP) for this review and directed my autorickshaw driver straight to the Grand. Forty-five minutes later, when we pulled up in front of the Grand in Vasant Kunj, it suddenly hit me that the spa was at the Intercontinental Grand near CP, a 5-minute walk from my office. Another 45 minutes (and a sudden downpour) later, I arrived, much in need of serious de-stressing.
Luckily, the recently opened Rejuve Spa did not disappoint. I was momentarily intrigued by the idea of colour therapy, one of the spa’s offerings, but the appointments must be set up in advance. It sounds a bit loopy to me (I think my aura is a pretty decent colour, thank you very much), but the girls seemed genuine in their recommendation of colour therapy and the tarot reading on offer when the specialist is in town. Since I will definitely go back to this spa, I’ll try it out on my next visit.
The good stuff
The Intercontinental is reinventing its look for the new generation. The lobby will take another month to complete, but going by the looks of the spa’s tasteful decor, the hotel will be a stunner. Organized and managed by a massage therapist who previously worked with the Ananda In The Himalayas resort near Rishikesh, Rejuve Spa is a line of small therapy rooms, a salon and a few seating areas for relaxation, all done up in wood panelling and stainless steel, and accented with plant life. Seamlessly run, it was one of the best spa experiences I’ve had in town. I opted for one of their packages, after a thorough explanation by the knowledgable front-desk staff.
After a quick steam and shower, I settled into one of the back rooms with a sweet and happy therapist, Beni, who told me she had been trained for nine months by the hotel — this was her very first job. The training worked. We started with a sugar cane and tamarind body scrub. Every layer of dead skin on my body was removed — by the end of the process, I felt only slightly like a cured ham. We then moved on to the deep tissue massage. She gently chastised me for the huge knots in my shoulders, while firmly rubbing them out of existence. Finally, she gave me a fruit-based facial scrub. I came out dazed, smelling strongly of food and totally relaxed.
The not-so-good
The noise level didn’t stick to a peaceful hush all through the massage — hopefully, this is just a growing pain the spa will work through. Towards the end of the afternoon, banging sounds and laughter started breaking through the peaceful zen state I had reached. This could be from the construction still going on at the hotel. Or, maybe, the employees don’t yet know how to keep their voices down to a gentle murmur. Either way, it was the only hiccup in an otherwise blissful afternoon.
Talk plastic
Prices, while high in comparison to, say, a beach rubdown at Chowpatty, are pretty much in line with most five-star spas. Packages — which include body scrubs, massages and facials — cost around Rs4,500-5,500. The reflexology massage costs around Rs2,800 (all prices are exclusive of taxes).
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