In search of the ultimate soak Alex Hammond takes himself for a signature bath at The Lounge.
The promise
Combining all available bath treatments into a single one that relaxes, massages, stretches and scrubs. The ultimate skincare package will leave your skin soft, clean and reinvigorated.
The experience
We arrive at The Lounge, a men-only spa and grooming salon, in need of some R&R, and a good bath seems like the perfect treatment to rest our weary bones while treating ourselves to a good scrub.
The Lounge itself is a superb spa venue. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and keen to assist in any way, and the décor is stylish, spotlessly clean and welcoming.
After a quick change we take up position on a foam-topped stone table in the middle of a compact luxury steam room. Immediately we’re made to feel comfortable as our therapist massages our severely knotted limbs while applying a Moroccan jelly to our opening pours.
The jelly is washed off, and we are given an even more thorough stretch out, which is surprisingly cathartic considering our joints are being manipulated in ways we never experienced, being chained to our desk daily.
We are now totally relaxed and our skin is completely receptive to each product thanks to the abundance of steam filling the room, so now the real work to revitalise our tired cells begins.
We are scrubbed from head to toe with a brush intended to remove dead skin from the top layer of the body. What is immediately clear to our therapist is that we haven’t had this treatment for a considerable period of time (which is in fact never, but we weren’t going to divulge that information) as an excess of cell matter comes clean off our body. Once we adjust to the coarseness of the brush we enjoy the scrub, the rhythmic nature of the treatment acts as a textured massage.
Goat milk and salt are then applied all over the body, one coarse and the other smooth, to shine the newly refreshed skin and ensure the soft touch remains once the treatment is over.
We then finish the bath with a mask to clean the oil from our face, and shampoo to clean any residual grime from our hair.
We leave The Lounge thoroughly impressed by what has been a fantastic visit and some remarkably effective treatments to our newly invigorated skin.
The results
One word – superb. As a male treatment it is perhaps slightly unusual to talk of soft skin, but we genuinely feel cleaner, healthier and physically detoxified after our visit. The results are also long lasting, after six days our skin stills feels healthier to the touch than it has for years.
Pros
The results are the major positive here, but the bath itself is also enjoyable and relaxing.
Cons
The treatment is somewhat lengthy, so plan your day carefully before you book your appointment.
5/5
The Lounge bath is Dhs370 for 90 minutes. Open Sat-Thu 11am-10pm. The Lounge, Al Bateen, www.thelounge.ae (02 667 7377).
