ECHOED LUXURY

JENNY GUTTRIDGE sashayed down to THE SPA AT AL JASRA BOUTIQUE HOTEL, amidst the charming views of Souq Waqif, for some well deserved and overdue pampering.

As soon as you walk into The Spa at Al Jasra Boutique Hotel you feel a wave of tranquillity wash over you. Whether it’s the slightly dimmed lighting in reception or the smell of jasmine in the air from oil burners, I felt immediately relaxed as I sat down to enjoy my welcome drink of lemon, mint and ginger. Ramil, at reception, could not have been more helpful and talked me through the treatment that awaited me and the facilities available in the spa. A locker had already been prepared for me ahead of my appointment, with robe, flip flops, disposable underwear and a top for the treatment. Nothing makes me happier than going to a spa where you don’t need to provide or bring anything with you, they have all bases covered which echoed the luxury that Al Jasra has to offer - come as you are and let them look after you.

The spa is relatively small, which is to be expected from a boutique spa hotel, but by no means lacking. The facilities aren’t overcrowded, and the treatment rooms are spacious with the Hammam room being the most impressive. The room makes you feel transported to a Moroccan riad with beautiful decorative tiling and their marble stone table.

I was early to the appointment (as there is nothing worse than rushing when you are trying to relax), so I had plenty of time to enjoy the jacuzzi and sauna beforehand. The sauna had fresh towels already laid out inside for you to recline on and the candle lit stairway to the jacuzzi made such a wonderful setting to unwind. My therapist Pann came to find me, soaking away in the jacuzzi, to take me through for my Moroccan Hammam treatment. The bathing ritual lasts for 60 minutes but you come out at the end having lost all track and concept of time – the ultimate goal for relaxing. The treatment started with Pann washing me and pouring warm water all over my body. She then applied the classic hammam black soap, the combination of eucalyptus and spices filled the air and created a sense of calm. The soap is applied to soften the skin before the next step of the treatment, while it was