THE SPA has spacious rooms with comfortable beds for massage therapies
Achieving total wellness, they say, starts from within.
Although keeping your body and mind healthy and active is part of the wellness equation, accomplishing this feat also requires the balancing and realigning of “chakras” or your force centers to find inner peace.
But today’s fast-paced lifestyle makes it all the more tricky and difficult to attain your wellness goals sans the aid of science and institutions that promote beauty and well-being—hence, the burgeoning of spas and health centers across the country.
Be warned: not all centers can live up to your expectations of achieving wellness.
Aside from the therapies they offer, these centers must also exude that relaxing and calming vibe to render their treatments more effective and worthy of their prices.
In such cases therefore, interiors—paint color, light, finishes—play a crucial role in achieving that soothing, comforting and tranquil atmosphere.
Take for instance the interiors of The Spa, a pioneer behind the concept of luxurious total rejuvenation. With its signature massage therapies, lavish body treatments, and premiere facials, The Spa has since become a sanctuary for those wanting to de-stress and pamper themselves for a few hours.
A preferred choice
Aside from its array of treatments, what makes The Spa truly a cut above the rest and a preferred choice of the discerning market is its ambience, which perfectly sets the mood for relaxation.
The Spa Wellness outlets were designed by architects Ivy and Cynthia Almario of SOFA, in collaboration with The Spa’s creative managing director, Tanya Tan.
The group decided to veer from the conventional staid monotonous look and had opted to go by different themes for each outlet, thus adding prolific character and visual enrichment for the mind and soul.
THE SPA Wellness Alabang branch takes inspiration from the breezy, laidback feel of Alabang with a languid, tropical retreat.
1 The Spa Wellness in Libis. With its minimalist Asian design, The Spa’s flagship branch located on E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue in Libis, Quezon City evokes an ambience of simplicity and relaxing feel.
“The Spa features a dramatic play between light and shadow—clean, white walls contrast with dark wood; and the bright, hushed lobby against the intimate setting of the private rooms,” Tan said.
This particular branch is touted as the “ultimate” in high design. For instance the branch’s sleek minimalism is set off by the crafty use of contrasting elements like the dynamism of flowing water moving over smooth, hard surfaces; the austerity of the marbled lobby against earthy, natural element such as organic-shaped wrought-iron designer chairs and lush flowering blooms.
Meanwhile, its awe-inspiring grand stairs are further heightened by a floor-to-ceiling marble wall, with water cascading down its side into a bed of stone. The thunderous sound that it sets off is said to deeply sooth one’s spirits as the water continues on to flow placidly into the pool.
Its private quarters further evokes the height of luxury as it provides guests only the utmost intimacy with villas located in the rooftop. Every casita opens out to the lush garden, creating the delicious feeling of being alone in your very own getaway right in the city.
2 The Spa Wellness in Greenbelt. According to Tan, the Greenbelt 1 haven captures the essence of contemporary Thai. The “floating” entrance gives guests a feeling of walking on water, yet with a majestic vibe with its grand stairs leading to the private lounge rooms.
3 The Spa Wellness Alabang. Taking inspiration from the breezy, laidback feel of Alabang with a languid, tropical retreat, Tan says this particular branch evokes a rustic yet elegant old-world plantation feel. Its bricks, deep wooden chairs and vibrantly painted canvases captures the easy Southern charm.
4 The Spa Wellness Trinoma. This branch, according to Tan, boasts of a luxurious African Safari vibe that is brought to life by rich leather, wooden campsite floors, earthy stone sinks and woven furniture. Clients can get the bonfire experience while sipping ginger brew under a “starry sky” beside a roaring fire. Guests at this branch receive massages and treatments in huge, cream-colored, tent-like rooms, with reproduction camping lights suspended from the ceiling adding a touch of authenticity.
5 The Spa Wellness Power Plant Mall in Rockwell and Eastwood. Each branch, according to Tan, exclusively features a gorgeous collection of private suites and villas.
The soothing neutral palette of the Rockwell branch is punctuated by bold Art Deco elements of glass, chrome, and geometric patterns—with eyes drawn to the focal point of a pretty, backlit cherry blossom installation. As Tan puts it, it is “chic modern grandiose meets Old Hollywood in the precious boutique sanctuary of Rockwell.”
“Eastwood, on the other hand, is a beautiful interpretation of the austere beauty of a Greek monastery: stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings and long hallways leading to private rooms,” Tan says, adding that “each suite is infused with the feeling of being on the island of Santorini, as though one could open the blue shutters and look out into a clear Aegean sea.”
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(Readers who know of establishments that can be featured may send an e-mail to Inquirer Property at tsamaniego@inquirer.com.ph)