Travel is an activity which guests at Okada Manila have in common, thus the idea of naming its spa “Retreat” since traveling is a “time to escape” and having a retreat is having “time for yourself.”
According to The Retreat Spa director Vikki Aquino, the concept of the spa came from the casino resort’s proximity to the Manila bay and a similarity among its guests — travel. “All major cities situated by a bay are usually where you have the seat of development and settlement. So, when we were looking at developing the facility, we wanted something that would wind everyone together,” Ms. Aquino said at the spa’s launch on Sept. 18.
Okada Manila’s The Retreat Spa offers “a holistic approach to physical and mental regeneration in an atmosphere designed for total wellness and relaxation.”
THE FACILITIES
Upon entrance, one is greeted by a 1920s-inspired barber shop with a whiskey bar on one side of the spa’s reception desk, and an art nouveau-inspired salon with a nail bar on the other.
The 2,500 square meter (sqm) main spa is designed with Moorish-typed interiors and includes a 650-sqm spa garden, a free-form pool, and a fitness center.
At the far end of the spa is the Relaxation Room which is equipped with a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, lounge with number combination-protected lockers, and a shower area.
In front of the Relaxation room is the Dream Wave Room, which is the first spa meditation chamber in Southeast Asia. It has a high-power LED–light projection system and a transparent wave disc at allows the waves of water to be projected onto the ceiling.
The treatments are done at the 10 indoor main spa suites — four for couples and six for singles — which are named after lakes in the Philippines. The suites for singles are each equipped with a top-of-the-line table with iPad capability, a foot ritual station, and a rain shower and water closet; the couple suites have the same amenities plus a jacuzzi and a Thai massage lounger.
THE TREATMENTS
The spa offers 36 treatments which are classified into signature massage therapies, wellness therapies, signature organic facials, must-do spa body treatments, him and her spa journeys, and guilt-free-spa journeys.
The prices for the services range from P2,000 to P8,000.
The spa has 54 Filipino staff, with most of whom have had experience in the hospitality industry abroad.
“In the menu, we have the treatments that are pre-programmed and you just choose which one you like,” Ms. Aquino told BusinessWorld after a media event on Sept. 12. The customization of the treatment is considered when the client expresses specific health concerns or body conditions which he/she hopes to be addressed.
Must-do body treatments are performed for detoxification and relaxation; wellness therapies are offered with meditation for emotional and mental exhaustion, sleeping problems, as well as hormonal balancing therapy for expecting mothers; facials are customized depending on the client’s type and condition of skin.
The Retreat Spa is located at the 3F, Pearl Wing, Okada Manila. For details contact the spa at 555-5775 or theretreatspa@okadamanila.com. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
