Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Take a spa break with your family


If you enjoy the occasional indulgence but feel guilty about taking time out from family, here are some ideas on how you can have your cake and eat it too!


Delhi

In the city


Wherever you may be living in Delhi, Connaught Place should not be too difficult to get to on a Sunday morning. Eat a light breakfast and set out with your spouse to The Park hotel. Go up to the Aura Spa - best to book in advance - and prepare for a few hours of some deliciously indulgent "me-time". Choose either the Stress Buster or the Balinese Massage. Don't skip the sauna. 
School your mind to calm down and focus on the massage strokes working out the tension from your limbs; breathe in the relaxing aroma of the essential oil and let office and home worries fade. Finish off with a warm, comforting shower and shampoo and head for the restaurant? 

Synchronise this such that your children join you for the Sunday brunch at the Mist, known to have some of the best thin-crust pizzas in town. If you don't have a driver, borrow a trusted one from a friend - it's worth it. Or get a friend to pick up the children and join you for brunch.

Where:
 Parliament Street, Delhi
Tariff: An hour-long Stress Buster or the Balinese Massage costs `2,800 each. The Sunday brunch at the Mist costs, `2,000 plus taxes per person(exclusive of alcohol).
Contact: Aura Spa: 011-23743000;
Mist: 09953223576

Some other walk-in hotel spas:


Amatrra at Le Meridien: The relaxing massages start at `3,500 plus taxes; the Sunday Champagne Brunch at The One costs `2,200 plus taxes per person; 011-23710101

The Spa at Shangri La:
 You will be charged a small fee at the spa if you are not staying in the hotel; a meal for two at Cafe Uno costs approximately `3,500 plus taxes; 011-41191919

In Gurgaon


The Leela is next to the Ambience Mall and so, is an easy-to-get-to destination. Book ahead, drive in with your spouse and head up to the Spa Lavanya. Choose a relaxing massage such as the Relax & De-stress Massage or the Aromatic Therapy. Lie back in the spa room and shut out the world. Once done, head for brunch at the multi-cuisine restaurant, Spectra; have the children and friends join you for brunch.

Where:
 Gurgaon, Haryana
Tariff: The 45-minute massages cost 3,500 each plus taxes. On Saturday, a brunch at the restaurant Spectra costs 1,800 plus taxes per person, and `2,000 plus taxes per person, with beer. On Sunday, the sparkling wine-laced brunches cost around `2,500 plus taxes per person.
Contact: Spa Lavanya: 09717596198;
Spectra:
 0124-4771255

From Delhi


Start early, and head out of the city with your family, to Agra. Check in at the ITC Mughal, and have the family settled in the well-appointed room. (Find out the going rate for the Mughal Chambers at the new and uber-luxury Khwab Mahal wing which aims to create a "Mughal paradise for contemporary Mughals".) 

The best aspect of this "destination" hotel is the wide-ranging activities just for children. Discuss with the Resort Concierge team in advance to organise a trusted hotel attendant to take care of your children, while you head to the much-awarded Kaya Kalp spa. Opt for the one-hour signature Kaya Kalp massage that relieves muscle tension and frees your mind of big-city stress. 

Follow the spa ritual of sauna, steam, jacuzzi? heaven! Then, head for the Saturday buffet lunch with your family. Step out in the late evening for a look at the Taj - it's open till 5.30pm (closed on Fridays). Remember to read aloud a bit of the history of the Taj to your children before you visit. Return to the hotel and enjoy a turn at the pool with the family (there's a pool for children) and head for dinner at the Peshawari. Don't miss the famous Dal Peshawari, whatever else you order! Sleep in, go for a late breakfast buffet and check out.

Where: 
Fatehabad Road, Agra
Tariff: The Kaya Kalp one-night package costs 15,999 plus taxes per night for a couple inclusive of breakfast, a one-hour massage per person and a discount of 20 percent on food an beverages. An extra bed will cost you `1,500 plus taxes; breakfast for a child costs extra. 
Saturday buffet costs 1,000 plus taxes per person; a meal for two, with two children at Peshawari costs `6,000 plus taxes. (A package of two nights for two adults and two children under 12, with breakfast, starts at `17,999 plus taxes. The Kaya Kalp massage costs `3,750 plus taxes).
Contact: 0562-4021700

About 11.2 hour drive from Delhi is the Westin Sohna Resort & Spa, yet the moment you drive in through the tall gates you are in a different world. Well-appointed standalone luxury cottages and the few rooms are spread over 37 acres. Book a spacious Premier Villa. Relax... 

You can take your help and driver along . the resort has facilities for the driver to sleep over and he can get meals for a nominal payment. Your maid can stay in the cottage. Enjoy the Heavenly Spa (ask for the special citronella oil); the pool, go riding, play tennis or table tennis while your children are entertained in the playroom and in the kiddie pool. 

For older children, there's "aqua zorbingh" in great white balls afloat on the pool. Enjoy the experience of sleeping on the "heavenly bed". The Sunday brunch costs `1,500 plus taxes per person without alcohol; and `2,000 plus taxes with alcohol. Have a leisurely meal and head back to Delhi. (Book ahead; weekends are usually packed.)

Where: Sohna road, Haryana
Tariff: A Premier Villa costs `11,000 plus taxes per night, with breakfast (inclusive of two children below six; extra bed costs `1,500 plus taxes). A one-hour spa session costs `3,500 plus taxes.
Contact: 0124-4508888

M Dutta

Bengaluru


In the city


After a hectic work and home schedule, if you are unable to take time off to go for a long vacation, make do with a weekend refresh. Head for some pampering at the Rejuve Spa at The Lalit Ashok, with your family. Sitting pretty in front of the lovely lush golf course lawns, The Lalit Ashok is a haven of green quietude. On one side is the blue-tiled, sparkling pool and the expansive lawn. 

Your children can play around in the lawn, or enjoy fun activities in the swimming pool. (If you are not an in-house guest, you can still use the pool by paying `1,000 per person). The pool has a special children's section with an attendant on duty, so your child will be safe. 

Let your child enjoy while you and your spouse head to Rejuve Spa - the mirror-like floors, comfortably plush sofas, a receptacle containing water and rose petals, green plants, the mild scent of aromatic oils and pleasant music in the background, all make for that perfect recipe for a wonderful, revitalising experience. 

Go for a sauna or steam, or simply enjoy the jacuzzi before you head to your personal treatment therapy room, done up in a soothing decor and comfortable beds. There is a lot you can choose from - but a specialty is the one-hour Abhyanga, an ayurvedic oil massage. The aromatic oils, a concoction of pain and stress relieving oils, and the masseuse's firm rhythmic touch have a magical effect on your body, relieving you of aches and stress. 

Head to the steam room, shower, and sip a warm cup of herbal tea. Lunch with your children at either of the two specialty restaurants: The Baluchi serves frontier food (don't miss the kebabs and Indian breads) while Oko is one of the best pan-Asian restaurants in the city (check out the teppanyaki counter). However, your children may prefer the multi-cuisine coffee shop, since it offers a wider variety of fare.

Where: Kumara Krupa High Grounds, Bengaluru
Tariff: Abhyanga oil massage, `2,000 plus taxes per person; meals at the coffee shop: `600 plus taxes per head for ala carte and `895 plus taxes per person for the buffet.
Contact: 080-30527777

Some other walk-in hotel spas: 


The Jiva Spa at Vivanta by Taj; 080- 66604444. 
The Spa at the Leela Palace Kempinski; 080-2521 1234

From Bengaluru


Head to The Windflower Resort Spa in Mysore, three hours from the city. The resort has palatial suites with private sit-outs, palm trees and a beautiful view of the Chamundi Hills. Try the hydrotherapy or ayurvedic treatment. The resort has many facilities to keep the children entertained: A life-size chess board by the water, carom, ludo, scrabble and monopoly. Take your help along so that she minds your child and keeps him busy while you take a short break. (The suite has a sitting room where your help can sleep).

Where: 
Nazarbad, Mysore
Tariff: `4,650 plus taxes per suite (includes breakfast for two adults and for two children below five years; an extra bed costs `1,200). An hour-long ayurvedic massage costs `1,620 plus taxes and an hour-long Western massage costs `2,300 approximately.
Contact: 0821-2522500

Start early and head to the Angsana Oasis Spa & Resort in Rajanakunte. Just 35km from the centre of the city, the drive could take more than an hour since it is beyond the international airport and traffic is usually heavy. However, once past the airport, the countryside is pleasant. 

And inside the resort's gates, it is difficult to imagine the existence of a bustling metropolis at just a stone's throw: It's a virtual oasis! The sprawling resort with landscaped gardens is a great place for all members of the family, with almost all the rooms and suites opening to spacious patios and tropical gardens. 

Check in before lunch, have a light meal with your family at either the Tangerine - the resorts multi-cuisine restaurant, or Sundance - an informal bistro. There is a good, well-appointed children's playroom, a day-care centre where they can keep themselves busy with a number of games and a children's pool. There is a hotel attendant on duty, but you can make a special request at the front desk for him/her to look after your little one, before you check in at the spa. 

The Angsana spa specialises in Western as well as South East Asian therapies. Your husband may opt for a
full-body massage while you try out a ginger-and-barley body polish; in this, the masseur will scrub your body vigorously and give you a moisturising massage. After this hour-long session, head for a shower; then, it's family time at the pool. End the day with a meal at the Tangerine (must try their delicious pastas, and if you are a meat lover, check out the lavish barbecue counter). Drive out the next day, feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.

Where: The Northwest Country, Doddaballapur Road, Rajankunte, Bengaluru
Tariff: A room costs `8,000 plus taxes per night, inclusive of three meals with the complimentary use of all sports facilities, and stay for children below five. (For children over five years of age, extra bed costs `1,500 per child per night). A meal for one at Tangerine costs approximately `650. Body polishing and a one-hour body massage cost `2,000 plus taxes each.
Contact: 080-28468892

- Anita Rao Kashi


Mumbai

In The City


Set in the verdant grounds of The Club in the suburb of Andheri, Mumbai, Antara is a place you may want to go for a luxurious spa experience. Despite the exclusivity of The Club, the spa's open to everyone. Book ahead. What makes it a good option for you is that while you get your much-needed massage therapy, your children can enjoy themselves with your husband (if he opts out of the spa session) or with the help at the neighborhood Oceanic Enviro Water Park. 

The water slides will keep them enthralled for at least an hour or two... Pick a Saturday for your indulgence because the park is closed on Sundays. Opt for Antara Anand, the latest offering by the spa. This is a two-hour treatment, but the spa recommends arriving at least 15 minutes early for an unwinding session. The combination of Swedish, Thai and European massage techniques and aroma oils add that something "extra" to the experience. 

The massage is followed by a cooling sandalwood scrub which has a healing effect.Then, you're wrapped in a gentle clay mask leaves your body fresh and smooth. After indulging in the spa ession, have a family meal at the Pan- Asian restaurant, Oriental Wok in The Club. Exquisitely designed with cane, bamboo and polished wood, it serves a choice of Malay, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean fare.

Where:
 Andheri (West), Mumbai
Tariff: Antara Anand spa session costs 4,000 plus taxes. A meal for four at the riental Wok costs approximately 1,200 plus taxes.
Contact: Antara - the spa at The Club: 0226731761/26731762/ 26731760

Some other walk-in hotel spas:

Kaya Kalp at ITC Grand Central: One day prior appointment is necessary; 022-24101010. Aura spa at the park: prior appointment is necessary; 022-2758900.

From Mumbai

Drive to Pune (approximately two-anda- alf hours) to get some pampering at he Four Fountains Spa. The spa's nofrills philosophy is reflected in its neat yet minimalist setup where you can choose from a variety of great, sensiblypriced spa treatments. This also means that you can indulge yourself without feeling guilty about spending a huge amount on yourself. Pack a picnic baskt with goodies such as cake, cookies, sandwiches, apples and fresh lemonade for your little one. 

Take your help along so that she can take care of your child while you relax at the spa. The children can play at the Kamala Nehru Memorial Park, located in the lane next to the spa. Entry to the park is free. Cricket, beach ball and frisbee make for some old-fashioned fun in an environment your children don't often get to experience. 

while they areenjoying the outdoors, get pampered with the limited-edition Vinotherapy Treatment - a great way to sample a "French wine spa" experience in India. These special treatments are only available for a couple of months in a year (visit before September), and the a year (visit before September), and the only other city you can get them in is in comparison. 

Start with an hour-long Vinotherapy Massage, in which you get a brisk rubdown with an aromatic massage oil containing grape-seed oil and rose wine extracts. The concoction calms the mind, while the massage relaxes your body completely. Follow this up with the Vinotherapy Wrap - a full-body scrub and then a full-body mask. The body polishing uses Dead Sea salt and nutmeg essence. 

Once the salt's washed off, you will be covered in a luxurious Italian-made concoction of grapes. Drift into sleep as you're wrapped in a thermal sheet to allow your body to in a thermal sheet to allow your body to sweat out impurities and soak in the goodness of grapes. You will notice the effects of the therapy instantly. Shower off to reveal a glowing skin! Relaxed from the spa, pick your child from the park and move to The Gordon House Hotel, less then 10 minutes drive from the spa. 

The All Stir-Fry at the hotel is a glass-roofed Oriental restaurant where you can customise your stir-fries according to taste. You can get your own "wok", which allows you to experiment with as many things as you can eat -meat, exotic veggies and more! Head back home relaxed and rejuvenated for the coming week.

Where:
 Bhandarkar Road, Pune
Tariff: The Vinotherapy Massage costs 1,299 including taxes and if you add the Vinotherapy Wrap, it's an additional `1,799 including taxes. A meal at The Gordon House Hotel costs `350 plus taxes per head for your own "wok".
Contact: The Four Fountains Spa, 020-64001100; www.thefourfountains.in ; The Gordon Hotel, 020- 66044141

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