The spa at the Armani Hotel in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa lives up to every expectation, given the property’s Italian designer DNA. Chic and minimalistic, the space is all dark, with brushed-wood floors, walls and walkways, accented with ambre strip-lighting, candles and orchid plants.
I was booked for a signature Japanese-Thai massage, and as I was escorted to the changing area, I was handed a pair of silky black Armani pyjamas. This was to be a dry massage, my therapist informed me, meaning no oils would come into contact with the skin. Having changed, I made my way to the ladies wing and into a private circular room.
The interior design, again, was faultless. Understated with its charcoal-mosaic walls, granite footbath and crisp, white Armani-embossed towels on the bed, it was a peaceful retreat from busy downtown Dubai.
Having not experienced an Asian-fusion massage before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What transpired wasn’t so much a massage, but an intensive stretching session and full-body workout.
It proved to be completely transformative. The therapist started by encouraging me to take three deep breaths of Jasmine essential oil before she began limbering up my legs. The fusion part of the massage was evident immediately and shiatsu was to feature prominently.
Literally translated from Japanese, shiatsu means “finger pressure” and as every joint in my legs and feet were mobilised, thumb and palm pressure was applied.
Acupressure was also used on my arms and back to increase flexibility and boost blood circulation. My request for medium pressure was definitely at the upper end of my comfort scale (and probably wise for a first-timer). Regular clients demand double the pressure, my therapist informed me, adding that it wasn’t uncommon for her to use her feet and walk on the backs of hardy fusion-therapy fans.
Ashiatsu, meaning foot pressure, wasn’t on the cards for me this time around, but she assured me of its restorative and body-balancing effects.
The Thai massage elements of my treatment took the form of yoga-like movements, with the therapist in constant contact with my body as she pulled, stretched and rocked. Positions were held for a few seconds and poses repeated in sequences, becoming more intense each time.
With the 60 minutes almost gone, the therapist placed a warm, herbal cotton compress around my neck, and gave me a dry head and neck massage. In contrast to so many spa treatments that are geared towards relaxation and leave you in a soporific state, Armani’s finely tuned Asian therapy will see you raring to go.
It’s a chi-balancing, stress- busting, muscle-strengthening exercise that I can’t recommend highly enough.
• The fusion massage costs Dh600 for 60 minutes and Dh850 for a 90 minutes, face and body combined. Call 04 888 3282, email armanispa.dubai@armanihotels.com or go to www.armanihotels.com
rduane@thenational.ae