There aren’t many bad things you can say about chocolate. And the girls here at TOAD are some of its biggest fans: in fact you could even say they have a special relationship with that magic combination of cocoa bean and butter (in other words, they eat a lot of it). But what’s better than eating it? How about a two-hour chocolate treatment at Zayna Spa?
The spa is nestled away in the health club of the Grand Millennium Hotel, next to Al Wahda Mall. The décor is pleasant, relaxing and largely consists of dark timber with water features and pretty lanterns.
The treatment
We were met by our friendly therapist Nuey who ushered us into a treatment room with low lighting and lots of little candles. After we had changed into a comfortable robe and slippers, Nuey started the treatment by washing, scrubbing and massaging our feet while she talked us through any areas of concern. Zayna Spa uses the Bella Lucce brand of the Peruvian Cocoa Collection and this range doesn’t just smell like chocolate, it is chocolate – made with golden cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder, dark chocolate extract and French cocoa.
We laid down on the comfy massage table while Nuey vigorously exfoliated our skin with a coarse chocolate scrub. The smell of the scrub was heavenly and Nuey did an expert job of removing the dead skin from our body while still keeping us relaxed using fluid massaging movements.
Following a quick shower to remove the remains of the scrub, we got to our highlight of the treatment: the body wrap. Back on the table, Nuey first massaged us with an amazing-smelling hot chocolate oil. The oil almost smelled of caramel which reminded us of pouring hot butter into sugar when making dessert. The fact that it was warm made it even better. Nuey generously slathered the oil all over our body and then wrapped us up nice and tight in plastic sheeting.
She covered us with blankets so we stayed warm while the oil sank into our parched skin and gave us a fabulously relaxing head massage that actually lulled us into a peaceful sleep.
We took another shower to remove any excess chocolate oil and then it was time for our massage (we ask you, could this treatment seriously get any better?). Nuey used a balm that smelled of vanilla and
massaged our back, working hard to get all out knots out especially around our neck and shoulders.
Nuey told us the products are enriched with Vitamins B and C which hydrate the skin and because the chocolate contains serotonin it would make us feel joyful. We certainly found this to be true and just when we thought we couldn’t cope with one more ounce of joy, Nuey offered us a delicious cup of mixed berry tea and a few of our favourite chocolates.
The pros
The spa is a relaxing haven and the therapists are well trained. The chocolate products used were hydrating and we could feel the difference in our skin immediately. They also smell like real chocolate – they don’t smell fake or sickly like a lot of scented products can do.
The cons
Nothing of note except you will have some serious cravings for sweet stuff for hours afterwards.
The verdict
With its laid-back ambiance and great range of treatments, this spa is a must-visit. As we said, there isn’t really anything bad to say about the chocolate products used or this treatment. The only danger is you might become addicted to it – just like the sweet stuff itself.
The Divine Chocolate Package is Dhs490 for two hours. Zayna Spa, Grand Millennium Al Wahda, Hazza Bin Zayed Street (02 443 9999).
