By Suvendu Banerjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The spa culture has arrived in India. Hundreds of spas across the country are providing high-quality treatments with lots of innovative packages. Modern science and traditional Indian practices combine at these temples of well-being to offer a wide variety of experiences at different price points.
The recent GeoSpa AsiaSpa India Awards at The Claridges Surajkund was to honour the stalwarts of this growing industry — 25 of the best spas from all over India were awarded at a well-attended evening function. Bollywood’s latest sensation Sonakshi Sinha was crowned “Spa Diva” even as loads of awards given away during the evening were interspersed with dynamic performances.
“2011 has been a fantastic year for the spa industry, particularly here in India. This year’s awards are our most competitive yet,” said Parineeta Sethi, chief editor and publisher of AsiaSpa India Magazine.
The Imperial Spa and Salon, considered the largest spa in the capital and housed inside The Imperial Hotel at Janpath, was judged “The Best New Spa (Hotel)” along with the Jiva Spa at Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad. The Imperial Spa, which opened about a year ago with its sublime opulence, is designed to purely de-stress and rejuvenate the body and mind. A must-try there is a signature line called SUFI.
Also providing the ultimate spa treatments in the country are The ITC Mughal Agra and The Claridges at Surajkund. Both were adjudged the “Most Luxurious Spa Treatment 2011′ for their spectacular offerings. The Surajkund Ritual at The Claridges Spa is designed to balance the primary life forces of fire from the sun or ‘suraj’ and water from the ‘kund’ or lake. The ritual also includes a cleansing body scrub followed by a synchronised massage and the healing properties of hot stones.
Kaya Kalp at ITC Mughal in Agra is the largest spa in the country spread over nearly 100,000 square feet. The whole spa is themed on the pomegranate fruit due to its exfoliating and anti-oxidant properties. “Mumtaz’s Journey” there won the most luxurious spa treatment award. The Kaya Kalp is no stranger to highly coveted awards. In 2008, it won the “Tatler Award” for best city spa in the world.
Some of the other acclaimed spas which did not feature in the list of awardees include The NeoVeda Spa at The Metropolitan Hotel and Spazzo at the Crowne Plaza Today at Okhla.
The NeoVeda Spa at The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa in New Delhi is an ayurveda style spa for the 21 century. It provides an exceptional experience with the power of ayurveda to heal, restore, relax and invigorate. NeoVeda has a plethora of signature experiences to choose from.
(Suvendu Banerjee is the president and chief executive of Business Images, a public relations and image management consultancy. He can be reached at [email protected])