March 18, 2010 | Hong Kong

Weather: No significant clouds, 23 °C

Issue #827: Second Act
Hiking Book

Rub Me Do

Rub Me Do

February 5th, 2010


This V-Day, avoid the cheesy, coupled-up restaurants and get some serious couples’ time with these spa treatments a deux. By Sarah Fung.

Boozy Bonding
Champagne is celebratory and seductive, so what better booze to base your romantic Valentine’s treatment around? Chuan Spa’s “Lover Lover” treatment is available from now until February 28, and includes a champagne Jaccuzi for two in the spa’s private couple’s suite, followed by a body scrub, massage and body wrap. After the two-hour treatment, you’ll be led to the “contemplation corner” to enjoy the views of Kowloon from the 41st floor, together with a glass of Veuve Cliquot. Not only that, but the special lady will be presented with a box of handmade chocs and a bouquet of red roses. A steal, considering the going rate for a bunch of blooms in Hong Kong around Valentine’s Day.
$1,500 per person, 41/F, Langham Place Hotel, 555 Shanghai St., Mong Kok,
3552-3510

A Unique Weekend Getaway
So you want a last-minute mini-break, but all the flights to Phuket and the like were booked up months ago. Hop over the border to take in some surprisingly romantic areas not too far away. Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province is considered one of the top 10 most scenic areas in China, with sights such as the famously picturesque West Lake and Xixi Wetland Park—plus, a Banyan Tree resort and spa has just opened in the province. The hotel is offering a great retreat package for the month of February, and is certainly a little something different to all the other destinations on offer. Its “Banyan Intimacy” Package costs RMB5,500 and includes a night’s stay in a water villa with breakfast, a 90-minute massage for two, an in-villa dinner with butler, and a bottle of champagne.
Dragonair runs direct flights to Hangzhou starting at $1,920. Call +86 571-8586-0000 to book, or email reservations-hangzhou@banyantree.com

Cozy and Quiet
You’d hardly expect this cute little spa to feel so quiet and secluded—Iyara Spa is just off the heart of Wan Chai after all. But surrounded by greenery and in a small, two-storey venue that feels like someone’s home, you could just as easily be in day spa in the Bangkok suburbs. Their couple’s ritual includes an invigorating body scrub and wrap, followed by an hour’s invigorating massage that uses forearms and a deep stroke to unkink muscles and soothe sore spots. Our recommendation? Wow a date by taking her here, followed by a romantic restaurant in the famously tucked-away Portuguese restaurant Nino’s Cozinha (31 Ship St, Wan Chai, 2866-1868) just down the street.
$1,200 per person, 53 Ship St., Wan Chai, 2545-8637

Playing Hooky
This marvelous massage treatment at the Mandarin Spa has only one drawback: it’s only available from Mondays to Thursdays. But what’s more romantic than a cheeky “duvet day” for catching up with your significant other? You’ll need a whole afternoon anyway for the 30 minute steam and Jacuzzi, followed by a sumptuous two-hour massage that targets each individual’s sore spots and soothes them out with a combination of Swedish, aromatherapy and hot stone massage. After that, enjoy a light and healthy lunch and unwind at the Asian-inspired, three storey facility.
$4,400 for two, The Mandarin Spa, 5 Connaught Rd., Central, 2522-0111

Mocha Chocolata
So your girlfriend’s figure isn’t what it used to be, probably thanks to those chocolates she’s been scarfing like there’s no tomorrow since you moved in together. How can you treat her to her favorite cocoa-rich sweets without being culpable in her descent toward saggy-assedness? Try the superb, two-and-a-half-hour Valrhona Chocolate Affair treatment at the Intercontinental’s I-Spa. Cocoa is long recognized as a rejuvenating beauty product, and has been used in South America for centuries in body treatments. A scrub made with 100 percent Valrhona chocolate granules starts the treatment, followed by a wrap made with molten chocolate sauce. To finish, guests are treated to a body massage with chocolate essence oil to relax the mind and leave you tasting good enough to eat.
$2,800 per person, I-Spa, 18 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2721-1211