Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
I hate shopping. I think it’s a man thing. If I need something, I’ll go directly to the shop, pick it up, pay for it and get on with life.
That doesn’t always work with the fairer sex. The good lady wife Kathryn and my two daughters were made for malls. Fortunately it’s different with boys; in fact, my youngest son once lay on the floor blocking the entrance of Tiffany’s to stop his mother entering. What a lovely child … and well worth every fil of the BD10 reward/bribe he later received from his grateful father.
Up until this weekend I had always suffered an anxious twitch every time I was asked to venture out shopping with the family.
I couldn’t even find sanctuary in a coffee shop without the cry of ‘you have a perfectly good coffee machine at home’. I daren’t mention the fact that I would be putting it to good use if I was there instead of begrudgingly being marched around Bahrain City Centre.
But things are looking up. There is now a sanctuary in the middle of the mall metropolis in the shape of Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre’s new, luxurious PURE Spa.
We had to try it out. Could there possibly be an oasis of soothing tranquility for the harassed hubby to escape to as the good lady prepares to battle her way to the front of the queue tomorrow when H&M unveils its new Marni collection?
Yes, there is.
Do not despair gentleman, PURE Spa officially opened on Sunday at a private launch party attended by Shaikha Reem Al Khalifa, founder of spa product specialists Green Bar, and Stephan Kaminski, general manager of Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre, as well as VIP guests.
I put the bio-harmonising aroma massage to the test and it delivers 60 minutes of pure bliss for just BD30. If you need to relax or unwind, detox or recharge, this treatment promises to help you find your ‘equilibrium and bring harmony to mind and body’.
I’m not sure where my equilibrium is, or whether I ever misplaced it, but I do know that the therapist managed to reach the spot and that Kathryn was enjoying every moment on the bench opposite me.
I closed my eyes as the oils were rubbed into my shoulders and witnessed shooting stars of yellow and red in my dreams as my fingers were gently stretched using deep tissue therapeutic techniques.
Earlier, our therapists had consulted us on the various aromatherapy infusions available. I went for an earthy essence for ‘balance’ with sweet orange, plant and lavender overtones and Kathryn preferred the more smoothing water experience with rosemary and frankincense aromas.
PURE Spa enjoys an exclusive relationship with Bahrain’s very own Green Bar which captures aromatic products and home-grown designated treatments to create this wonderful local spa experience.
Green Bar claims it has ‘re-ignited historic beauty rituals’ with products derived from natural plants and oils, including apricot and grapefruit, through signature fragrances and skin-care products, whilst embracing time-honoured traditions to enhance spiritual and physical well-being.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Shaikha Reem said: “I am excited to partner with one of Europe’s most renowned luxury hotel brands, Kempinski to showcase exclusively the super-natural products and create naturally rejuvenating treatments for spa-goers to indulge in Bahrain. PURE Spa boasts of high-end, world class facilities making it an ideal platform for us to concoct innovative therapies such as the signature ‘Green Bar’ experience with some of the locally-sourced herbs in our products.”
The hotel’s third floor spa features 10 treatment rooms with designated male and female zones plus a ‘couple’s suite’. There is also a hairdresser and nail bar in the complex. Additional relaxation facilities featured on the spa menu include sauna, steam and Jacuzzi and it also benefits from a terraced infinity open-air pool and the Nasmat restaurant, which can be enjoyed before or after treatments.
The experience proved so relaxing and enjoyable I continued to smile sweetly as I loaded the car with shopping bags, made the tortuous trek through the car park maze and set off on the highway home.
I may suggest a ‘shopping trip’ at least once a month from now on!
