The promise
To de-stress and reinvigorate. Via a green tea oil massage, this bacterostatic and antioxidant treatment aims to loosen up the day’s worries, leaving you at your most relaxed.
The experience
We know that working in the city can come with a lot of pressure. So, with heaps of knots in our shoulders and a world-weary grumble on our lips, we headed to Le Méridien hotel’s Eden Spa to help wish away those everyday anxieties and tensions.
Located in one of Abu Dhabi’s more visually arresting hotels, Eden Spa is hidden away at the back of Le Méridien’s large exterior – but once we reached its doors, we are at once welcomed in by warm, friendly faces, who then revealed to us the deceptively spacious area that makes up the spa itself. Seduced by elegant surroundings such as the calming rippling waters of the spa pool and the hotel’s nearby beach, we could have walked away happy there and then.
Luckily though, we continue. Once inside the massage room itself, complete with atmospheric lighting and a décor that is on the right side of both traditional and contemporary sensibilities, our attentive and amiable masseuse starts to weave his slow-burning magic. Beginning on our feet with an oil scrub that stimulated blood flow, the massage works its way up the lower legs, then continued seamlessly up to the thighs and then the hips. An expertly controlled, slow circular movement on the joints on the way up helps ease up the tension in those areas particularly well, before settling on those extra-pesky trapezius muscles around the neck. This is by far the highlight of the session; the masseuse’s technique around this area was impeccable, and completely validated the ‘de-stress’ in the title of the treatment. And the ‘deluxe’ part? That would be the green tea oils. Whatever the long-term anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory advantages are, it’s the immediate calming sensation they give when applied to your skin that helps us feel extra relaxed. So deep was its influence, in fact, we almost dropped off – happily, that didn’t happen, as we are next treated to a more stimulating facial chirapsia, before ending where we started by following up with a little extra attention to the feet.
The results
Despite emerging back into a hectic world from Eden Spa’s tranquil confines, we continued to feel relaxed to the core for the rest of the day.
Pros
Not only is the massage itself gratifying, but the green tea oils leave your skin feeling opulent for a long time after.
Cons
Depending on your pain threshold, certain parts can be a bit on the tenacious side – but our masseuse was constantly aware of and pliable to our needs.
4/5
The deluxe de-stress massage is Dhs620 for 120 minutes. Eden Spa, Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area (02 697 4354).
